Page 38 of The Duke's Spinster Bride
“Are you sure?” He canted his head towards her. “You are not tired? Overwhelmed?”
As soon as he said the words, he realised his mistake. She straightened, bristling like a cat who has just been flicked with water.
“Of course, I am sure. I am fine.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Why? Do you not think I can manage?”
“I have no doubt of your capability, but I have no wish for you to overwhelm yourself. If you need any extra help, please just ask.” He gestured around them. “I know that the duties of a duchess are rather a lot, and you have only very recently come into the station, so if we need to hire extra staff to support you, I will make the arrangements. Very few women do everything themselves.”
“Oh.” Her cheeks flushed a deep shade of scarlet. “I… I think I should be perfectly able to manage on my own. I just need a little time to become accustomed to things and get everything sorted. You need not worry about the estate, I mean to take my duties seriously from now on.”
“I am not worried about the estate.”I am worried about you.He swallowed the words with difficulty. “You have nothing to prove to me.”
Their eyes met, and she stumbled as she crossed the room towards the desk. He caught her. Warmth flooded through him as his skin brushed hers. Frederick steadied her, and she moved away from him, her cheeks flushing furiously.
It reminded him of the few times he had seen his nieces in front of a boy they had had some kind of passing affection for.It cannot be.
“You know, if I did not know any better, I would say you are rather flustered.” He knew he should not poke a sleeping bear, but the thought was so ridiculous he could not help it.
She stopped fidgeting almost as soon as the words left his mouth, her eyes narrowing as she looked at him. “And why would you say that?”
“You are practically jumping from foot to foot, your cheeks are scarlet and I do not think I have ever heard someone reel off so much information so quickly.” He perched on the end of the desk, his hands crossed as he leaned back to look at her. “It is rather flattering.”
She crossed her arms, tapping one foot on the ground. “And why would it be flattering? It has nothing to do with you.”
“Really? I find that hard to believe.”
“Of course you do.” She shook her head, but there were definitely still spots of colour on her cheeks as she moved to the other side of the desk and hovered by the chair. “I am not flustered, just busy.”
“If you say so.” He leaned back across the desk, shrugging as he did.
“Just because every other woman in the ton goes weak at the knees whenever you so much as breathe near them, does not mean that I am about to take leave of my senses just because you are near.” She quickly repositioned a few ornaments so that his movement would not upset them. “That is just wishful thinking on your part.”
He chuckled to himself and leapt off the desk onto his feet. “Come now, you are warming to me a little, admit it.”
She arched an eyebrow at him, her eyes tracing his body. “I suppose you are slightly less irritating.”
“Oh, be still my heart. Such compliments!” He clutched a hand over his chest, and made a warding gesture with the other.
The franticness of her movements had faded somewhat. She seemed more like herself. She was even standing straighter as she looked at him, her shoulders in their normal place which only drew attention to the length of her neck.
Focus Frederick, what is wrong with you?His heart stumbled as their eyes met, but he kept his smile on his face, shaking out his hair as he did.
“You are utterly ridiculous.” He caught sight of a small smile quirking the corner of her mouth upwards. “It is a wonder anyone gets anything done with you around.”
“Oh really?” he leaned towards her, the smell of her jasmine perfume filling his nose as he did.
Her eyes widened and she shook her head, making a gesture as though to push him away then clutching her hand to her chest. “Not like that. I mean… You are a distraction.”
“You flirt.” He winked at her and made a motion with his wrist he had seen young ladies make during stage plays when they were teasing an errant rake.
Andrea arched an eyebrow at him, her voice brisk as a hand twitched in his direction. “You are a distraction in much the same way that a bee buzzing around one’s head is a distraction.”
“So what you are saying is that you simply cannot ignore my presence?” He watched as more of her usual spark seemed to filter back into her.
“Your presence is rather hard to ignore when you insist on being so loud.” She made a dismissive gesture with one hand, even as the other gently brushed against her upper arm.
“Would you rather me silent?” He mimed sewing his lips shut.
She gave him a frank look. “Are you capable of such a thing?”
