Page 9 of Her Duke of Sin: Lady Be Wicked
“Why are you so melancholy?” a man said.
Gideon turned and stared at the Duke of Carrington. “Shouldn’t you be courting someone?” Gideon didn’t know which lady had caught Carrington’s attention. He did know that the duke was looking for a wife. He had a new ward he hoped to find a mother for. When Gideon married, it would not be for such mundane reasons.
Carrington laughed. “And what would you know about such things?”
He shrugged. “I never claimed to.”
“Why are you here again?” Carrington asked. “Forget I asked. It doesn’t matter.” The duke walked over to a window and glanced outside. “Are you going to attend the archery?”
“No,” Gideon told him. “I don’t have any interest in the sport and I have no reason to participate.”
“But you could be a spectator.” Carrington turned to him. “I’m sure there is a lady here that has caught your attention. I’m surprised you are going to miss an opportunity to charm her.”
He hated that Carrington understood him. Perhaps he didn’t though… The duke thought he would seduce this potential woman and then walk away from her. Gideon had no intention of ever letting Juliette go. Once he caught her, he fully intended to keep her. That was why this all meant so much to him. “Bugger off,” Gideon told him. “You think you know me, but you don’t.”
Carrington tilted his head to the side. “Pardon me,” he said. “I guess I had it wrong.” He narrowed his gaze. “It’s far more insidious than that, isn’t it?”
“What are you implying?” Gideon lifted a brow.
“There are no implications involved,” Carrington drawled. “It’s plain for anyone to see if they know what to look for.”
Gideon was almost afraid to ask. Did he really want to know what Carrington thought of him? He had a similar notion as most members of the ton did. They called him the Duke of Sin for a reason, and admittedly, he had gladly cultivated that notoriety in the past. It had suited his needs for the ton to believe him disreputable. “What do you think you know?”
“Whoever this woman may be,” the duke began. “She’s important enough to have you all out of sorts.” He frowned. “You may even have feelings for her. Something you’ve never felt before and it terrifies you.”
“And what would you know of such things,” Gideon spat out.
Carrington sighed. “I may be in a similar situation. If I’m correct, I may be the only one that does understand.”
“Interesting,” Gideon replied. “As fascinating as this conversation has been, I have much better things to do with my time. Have fun with the archery.”
He didn’t wait for Carrington to reply. He suddenly had an idea of exactly what he could do for Juliette. It had only taken a tedious conversation with the Duke of Carrington for him to settle it in his mind. She needed time away from the castle, and he could give it to her. He just had to find a way to convince her that spending that time with him was in her best interest.
Gideon had a lot to accomplish in a very short time. The archery would be held once the afternoon meal was completed. Then the activities would go on for several hours. Most of the guests would retire to their room afterward to rest before the evening meal. It was during that time he hoped to steal Juliette away and help her have a little bit of peace. He only hoped that she would not be resistant. That would make it all inherently difficult.
He smiled. He almost looked forward to convincing her. Perhaps he might even be able to steal a kiss, or several. Hell, he wanted to kiss her desperately, but he wouldn’t unless she wanted him to. Gideon did not force himself on women. But if she allowed it… Well, then that was an entirely different thing…
Five
Juliette wanted nothing more than to go to her bedchamber and fall into bed. She even contemplated skipping the evening meal. The archery contest had gone well, or at least it had seemed to… She did not pay as close attention to the details as she should have. Her mind kept wandering to Gideon and what he meant when he would find something just for the two of them to do. Then she considered all the implications that went into his words. Would it be wise to go along with whatever scheme he devised? What did he hope to gain? Did he truly wish to spend time with her?
Clearly, she had started to overthink everything. That was another reason to just retire to her bedchamber and avoid the duke. Her duke. She had started to become proprietary where he was concerned, and she should not be. He did not belong to her… And wasn’t it surprising that she wished he did. The Duke of Sinbrough was not the settling down sort. At least not until he had no other choice. At some point in his life, he would have to choose a wife and beget an heir for his title.
And the thought of him with anyone other than her… No, Juliette did not like that at all. She took a deep breath and suppressed those feelings. She had no right to them. No right to him. He hadn’t offered for her or even given her any indication he might. His charm and overall demeanor meant nothing. The duke had a reputation. One that gave everyone the impression he would not settle down, and he enjoyed his life the way it was, and he had no intention of changing. He would probably always be the Duke of Sin..even after he eventually married.
She sighed. These thoughts were leading nowhere. It was time to let foolish whims go and move on to something that was possible. Juliette hadn’t come this far in her life by acting as if she had any real choices in her life. She knew her place. That meant being the proper lady’s companion she’d been hired to be, and also to put some distance between her and Gideon. She would be far better off that way.
“Juliette dear,” Lady Wyndam called for her.
“Yes?” She brought her attention back to the countess where it belonged.
“I wanted to thank you, dear,” the countess began. “You have gone above and beyond what has been expected of you. I do appreciate all that you have done for this house party.”
“Think nothing of it,” Juliette told her. “I enjoy my work.” For the most part, that was true. What she actually enjoyed was having a roof over her head, food in her belly, and clothes on her back. She’d been so discouraged when she had sought employment with Lady Wyndam. Without the countess, she’d be in dire straits. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”
The countess shook her head. “No,” she said aloud. “My lady’s maid will assist me in changing for dinner. You take the evening off. Do something for yourself. Tomorrow will be another busy day for you.”
It would be… Every day of the house party would be. The countess wanted to keep all of the guests occupied. That way there was less of a chance there would be a scandal. Though no matter what, somehow a scandal always erupted. The level of intensity was the actual issue. A mild one could be much easier to brush aside, and that was what the countess was truly hoping for. She didn’t want anything to distract from the real purpose of the house party. Her nephew’s upcoming nuptials…
