Page 69 of Duchess By Accident
Adrian arched an eyebrow at her. “Are you not even a little curious as to where I was?”
The question was at the forefront of her mind, but she could not bring herself to ask it. It was one thing to let her imagination conjure the scenarios, an entirely different matter to have them confirmed.
She gave him a withering stare.Turn it back on him.“Would you tell me even if I asked you?”
“Would you believe me?” He retorted, his voice soft but hard.
“No.” Natalie met his gaze, the cool blue of his eyes feeling like a knife in her chest.I will not look away.“It does not matter anyway. You will not do this again.”
He took a step towards her, drawing himself up to his full height. “That sounds dangerously close to an order.”
“It is not. It is a reminder. As you so kindly gave me last night.” Natalie stood taller as well, forcing herself not to back away from him. “We are here for a purpose. You staying out all night will only undermine that purpose. Or when you lost track of time did you also become so distracted that you forgot your promise?”
The smell of him was overwhelming. A part of her wanted to wrap her arms around him, another part wanted to hit him.What is wrong with me?She dug her nails into the palms of her hands, letting the pain give her clarity.
She let the implication of “distracted” hang between them. Natalie hated that a part of her was desperate for him to say that there had been no distraction, that it had just been a misunderstanding. But she knew he would not.
“I have not forgotten.” Adrian drew a deep steadying breath. “Neither of us can afford distractions.”
“I am not the one who has been distracted.”
“No?” Adrian moved closer. “Do not lie to me little Thief. You have been just as distracted as I have.”
Natalie’s breath caught at the closeness of Adrian. She forced herself not to move away from him. If he wanted to play with her, then she would return the favour. She would not let him win this game.
“Do not play games with me, Adrian.” Natalie muttered as she put a hand on Adrian’s chest.
She felt his muscles tense beneath her touch. “Then do not start them with me.”
“Father!” Melody’s voice interrupted them, breaking the spell between Adrian and Natalie.
They broke apart and Natalie’s cheeks flushed. Absently she straightened her dress. She deliberately did not look at Adrian as he swept from the room to find his daughter.
“And this magnificent creature, is a lion.” A tall man gestured to the mighty maned creature behind them.
Melody gasped in delight, and her joy seeped into Natalie’s heart. They had been in the menagerie a few hours, with Melody’s eyes growing wider by the minute.
Natalie found herself catching Adrian’s eye and smiling before she realised what she was doing. He smiled back just before Melody tugged him towards the next creature.
He is so soft with her.They had arranged a private tour of the menagerie – one of the benefits of being one of the most powerful dukes in England. The animals prowled around, occasionally letting out roars or animated chattering and chittering.
“What is that?” Melody pointed to an orange creature with black stripes across its body.
“A tiger.” Natalie answered before their guide could say anything. “I believe it comes from India, does it not?”
“You are quite the naturalist, your Grace.” The guide inclined his head towards her. “You are correct, she was brought over some months ago with two of the locals. Very dangerous creatures in the wild, as I am sure you can imagine. But here they pose no threat. You need not have any fear.”
“I am not afraid.” Melody stuck her chin out. “My father will protect me from anything. As will Lady Natalie.”
The sentiment tugged at Natalie’s chest.How would it feel to trust so completely in another to keep me safe?She hoped Melody would always feel that way.
“It is a pity her cousins could not join us, I suspect they would have made the occasion even more special for her.” Adrian murmured as he fell into step beside her.
“We shall just have to come again.” Natalie shrugged. “I am just glad she does not seem to have been affected by whatever has upset little Jonathan’s stomach.”
“As am I.” Adrian clasped his hands behind his back as they walked beside each other, and Natalie noticed a tension in his jaw. “We should discuss our plan for this evening’s ball. What do you know about the Winchesters?”
She pursed her lips, closing her eyes as she tried to recall what she knew about the family. “Lord Winchester has a soft spot for sherry, though he will not drink it in the company of other men. Too many feel it is drink only for old women.”
