Page 29 of The Duke of Ice
Mrs. Law pursed her lips at her friend. “You shouldn’t call him that to his face.” Since she was saying that loud enough for him to hear, he knew she didn’t really find fault with it.
Lady Nixon gave him a mischievous smile. “He is well aware of what everyone calls him. And I think helikesit. Indeed, I think he’s cultivated that image. It takes effort to cast that much of a chill.” She slid a knowing glance toward Mrs. Law. “We should know, dear.”
Well, at least they were being honest about their behavior, even if they were talking about him as if he weren’t there. “You do realize I can hear you,” he said.
Mrs. Law smiled broadly. “Of course, Your Grace. Now, are you going to offer us your escort to the field?”
“It would be my pleasure.” He offered each of them an arm and tried not to cringe when they touched him. Just allowing them close made him feel a bit sullied. He might be cold, but he didn’t set out to insult anyone. He just preferred they stay away from him. On the contrary, these vulgar beldams liked to be the center of attention.
“We must be honest with you, Duke,” Lady Nixon said briskly. “We couldn’t help but notice you paid attention to Lady Pendleton last night. We can’t presume to know your plans; however, if you were to solicit our advice—and we would endorse such an endeavor—we would encourage you in another direction.”
Nick wanted to tell them off in much the same fashion Violet had the night before, but that wouldn’t suit his purpose. “I thought it best that I escort Lady Pendleton from the situation last evening. She seemed upset.”
“Oh, well done of you,” Mrs. Law said, squeezing his arm. “She is fortunate you were so quick thinking.”
Lady Nixon craned her neck to look up at him. “It seems you can’t help yourself from playing the hero this week. How utterly charming.”
“I’m sure you’ll agree that my good friend the Duke of Romsey has done the same. I’m confident he would’ve acted in the same manner last night if he’d been in the drawing room.”
Mrs. Law wrinkled her nose. “Your friendship with him is a bit odd, isn’t it?”
These women really had no shame. Or sense of propriety when it came to conversing. Did they think they were immune to Society’s rules? “We’ve been friends since Oxford. I find nothing odd about it. He has been a loyal support, and I treasure his friendship.”
“I think I understand what you’re attempting to do,” Lady Nixon said. “You must understand that our reticence regarding the Duke is not ill-founded.”
“No one knows what happened that tragic night, andno oneis more devastated by that than Romsey.” He slowed to a halt and carefully gave each of them his iciest stare. “I would advise you to leave the matter where it belongs—in the past.”
Lady Nixon scoffed. “Even before that…incident, he was a terrible rake.”
Nick detested gossip, but he remembered a few key things, and in this instance, the recollection was going to be quite useful. He lowered his lids and gave her an assessing look. “If memory serves, you would be one to know.” At her shocked expression, he stifled a satisfied smile and started walking once more. Luckily, they were almost to the field. “I think I should remind you that heisa duke. And not the Duke of Ruin, as you are so fond of calling him. He deserves your deference, if not respect.”
Both women were apparently tongue-tied.Good.
“Oh, here’s Miss Kingman,” Mrs. Law said as they reached the field, breaking the blissful silence far too soon. She withdrew her hand from Nick’s arm. “Come and join us, dear. Will you be shooting?”
Lady Nixon removed her hand also and took two steps away from Nick.
Miss Kingman, a petite, dark-haired young woman with enigmatic eyes, glided toward them, her light wool skirts skimming the grass. “Yes, I’m looking forward to it.”
Mrs. Law turned a smile toward Nick as if he hadn’t just taken her to task. “Perhaps His Grace will assist you.”
Hell and the devil.He’d neglected to inform them he wasn’t on the Marriage Mart.
“Oh yes, that’s a capital idea,” Lady Nixon agreed. Her gaze narrowed slightly as she regarded him. “You simply must help her.”
Every part of him cried out to make his excuses and walk away. And yesterday, he would have done so. But today, he was on a quest to help his friend. “It would be my pleasure to help you practice, Miss Kingman. Shall we?” He gestured toward the footmen who were preparing the bows for shooting.
They strolled toward the shooting area, where a line of targets were set up at varying distances. A few were quite close—maybe fifteen feet. A few more were farther out, at least twenty-five feet. Two were set at a great distance of about seventy yards. “Which target will you be aiming for?” he asked.
Miss Kingman was very young. He’d guess her to be about twenty. “I’ve only shot a few times, so I’ll start with the closest one.” She accepted a weapon from one of the footmen.
“You’ve shot before?” Nick asked while glancing around. Other people were already here taking aim, but not Violet. Simon wasn’t here either.
“Yes, but not for a few years.” She took a position before one of the nearest targets and lifted the bow. Taking a deep breath, she pulled back the string and let the arrow fly. It fell to the earth about two feet before the target. She laughed nervously. “Well, that was terrible.”
“It wasn’t, actually. Do you want some advice?”
She turned toward him. “Yes, please.”
