Page 11 of The Duke's Indecent Match
To her surprise, he had managed to charm Lady Johanna into speaking with him very softly about the latest traveling art exhibition in London.From across the table, Miss Belle appeared torn between relief that her charge was finally having a conversation and consternation over who she was having it with.
Smiling, she turned back to the Duke of Hereford, only to realize that the meal was over.Disappointment filled her as Lady Blackstone got to her feet, nearly at the same time as Lady Astrid.
“Ladies, would you like to return with me to the parlor and leave the gentlemen to their drinks?”Lady Blackstone asked softly, smiling widely.
Internally sighing, Kalina smiled at the duke… only to find that he’d retreated behind his shell again.The openness with which he’d spoken with her had vanished, and he was once more stiffly upright in his chair, avoiding her gaze.Her heart sank.
“Thank you for a pleasant conversation over supper, Your Grace,” she said, knowing it would force him to at least acknowledge her and that they had been having a lovely conversation together.
His head jerked up, something unfathomable flashing through his dark eyes.
“The pleasure was all mine, Miss Little.”
Taking her leave, Kalina knew she would have to be satisfied with that.
Perhaps some time with the other ladies was what she really needed.Someone must know why the Duke of Hereford had taken against her.
4
Nathanial
Leaning back in his chair, Nathanial could not help but watch the ladies leave.The sway of Miss Little’s pink skirts was almost seductive as she joined the throng, Tiffany coming up to link arms with her.Miss Little turned her head and said something to Tiffany that made her laugh.
“If you keep watching after her with such longing, people are going to talk,” Christian said in a low voice.
“After who?”The attempt at ignorance was instinctual; it was also completely useless.Christian was hardly slow-witted, and he gave Nathanial a look of amused patience.
“You know who.”Christian slanted his glance across the table to where Miss Little’s younger brother and Lady Astrid’s younger brother were whispering conspiratorially.
Before the last of the ladies left the room, the two striplings got up, excusing themselves from the table, and exited the room just behind the ladies, leaving the gentlemen to themselves.
“Would anyone like some brandy?”Lord Blackstone asked, gesturing to one of the footmen who came forward with a tray of glasses and a crystal decanter full of amber liquid.“I have a particularly fine barrel recently delivered from France.”
All the gentlemen chose to partake, and cigars were passed around as well.
“How was your evening?”Gregory asked, turning to Nathanial with a gleam in his eye.
“He had a very enjoyable conversation with Miss Little,” Christian replied before Nathanial could, making Nathanial growl.Thankfully, the others at the table were attending to conversations closer to themselves and did not appear to have heard Gregory’s question or Christian’s answer.
“It was a tolerable conversation.”More than, but he was not going to encourage his friends in that line of thought.
“It must have been mightily tolerable as she was so engaged that she forgot I was on her other side.”
“Forgot she was seated next to theton’sAdonis?”Gregory put his hand on his heart to further punctuate his shock.“I did not know such a thing was possible.What were you talking about that was so engaging?”
“Nothing important.It was just normal conversation.”Nathanial scowled, hunching his shoulders in.He did not like all the scrutiny from his friends, and he liked even less having to face the fact that Miss Little was more than physically attractive; she was… interesting.Easy to converse with.Far easier than any other lady he’d been seated beside this Season.
“I do not understand why you are so insistent on pretending disinterest in her, when you are clearly attracted,” Christian twitted.
“I have far more considerations than personal preference when it comes to a bride.”
Frowning, Christian made a little hand gesture, as if telling Nathanial to lower his voice.Christian’s gaze flitted past him for a moment, and Nathanial half-turned to see where the other duke was looking.
Ah.He’d forgotten that Mr.Little was seated not too far away.Though he did appear to be listening attentively to Lord Emeryn’s advice about hunting hounds.Hopefully, he was not paying any attention to Nathanial’s conversation with the others, but he would have to remember to keep his tone lower.
“She has a dowry,” Gregory pointed out, keeping his voice lower as well.“One of the largest this Season.Other than the hostesses hoping for some of the drama surrounding the family to add excitement to their events, their wealth is a large part of what opened doors to them prior to my mother deciding to champion their cause.”
The Dowager Duchess of Clarence had been the first of thehaut tonto acknowledge the family, leading the way for her son and daughter-in-law and followed swiftly by Lady Astrid and the rest of Gregory’s ducal cohort.Which was how Nathanial had been introduced to her.
