Page 66 of The Duke of Lies
She turned her head up to his, her eyes bright with desire. “Kit.”
In spite of their earlier activities, his cock hardened. “Isn’t it possible Rufus saw you and was smitten?”
“It’s possible, I suppose, and it’s certainly what I believed at the time. He didn’t reveal his true character until after we were wed. At the house party, he seemed a bit aloof, but that changed after Godwin died. We didn’t remain long, but from what I could see, he was greatly affected.”
“You said he was aloof—wasn’t he courting you during the party?”
“Not particularly. We danced a couple of times, and I sat next to him at dinner one night. But he seemed to gravitate toward me after the tragedy occurred.” She frowned. “I never realized that before.”
“Perhaps he was looking for consolation and you were kind to him. At least that’s how I imagine you were.”
“You’re sweet.” She leaned up and kissed him. “I do remember my father encouraging me to comfort him.”
Something about this felt off to Kit. “With Godwin’s death, Rufus became the heir presumptive.”
“Yes.”
“And you say Godwin drowned. Did anyone witness it?”
Her forehead wrinkled as her features turned contemplative again. “No. The gentlemen had gone for a ride, and Rufus had stayed behind with him because he needed to take a break. He gave the boy some privacy, and when he didn’t return, Rufus found that he’d fallen into the pond.”
He recalled her anxiety the day they’d picnicked there. “You were thinking about that when we were at the pond with Beau.”
“Yes, but I didn’t want to say anything, not in front of Beau.”
He could understand that. “So the only person who can definitely say what happened to Godwin was Rufus, who would directly benefit from the boy’s death. How convenient.”
Verity’s eyes widened as she pushed up to a sitting position. “You think Rufus killed him?”
Kit lifted a shoulder. “I think it’s impossible to know. Where was your father during all this? Was he on that ride?”
“He was, and now I recall that someone asked where he was because he’d been riding at the back—Augustus wanted to know if anyone had seen or heard anything. My father said he hadn’t.” She blinked at him. “You don’t think he was involved somehow?”
“I don’t know what to think, but it all sounds very suspicious, as does Augustus’s sudden decline before his death. He wrote a letter to my father before he died—the new vicar gave it to me along with some other items when I visited upon my return.”
“That’s nice that he saved some of your father’s things.”
Kit nodded, but his mind was on the letter. “He wrote about his sadness over losing his son and his regret over not doing more for me. He said he wasn’t long for the world and that he wasn’t ready to go, that he didn’t like his heir and that he wished it were me instead.”
Her gaze softened. “With an endorsement like that, it’s no wonder you want to stay.”
“It didn’t sound like a letter written by a man dying of sadness—he wanted to live.” Again, Kit wondered if something nefarious had occurred but doubted he’d ever know.
“Kit, I think we should go to London so that you can appear in the House of Lords and be recognized as the duke.”
Kit sat up and tried to focus on her face instead of the curve of her breasts. “You do?”
“We must if we want to preserve our family.”
His breath caught. “Do you want that?”
“More than anything.” He reached for her, but she held him at bay, lifting her hand. “I don’t want to lose you, and I’m in danger of that until you’re declared the duke. Once you have the title, no one will be able to take it away.”
“You’re terribly confident.” He wished he was.
Her gaze softened, but carried the courage he’d come to admire so much. “I have nothing else. I’m determined we will be a family.”
Her bold declaration along with her fervor were the sweetest things he’d ever heard. “I love you.” He clasped the back of her head and drew her forward for a deep, lingering kiss.
