Page 34 of If the Duke Dares
“There’s no need to do that,” the duke replied to her question about the bedding. “I’ll just take the extra blanket—the one the inn provided—if you don’t mind.”
Glancing toward the bed, she saw that his blanket was much thicker than what was in her room. She’d been grateful for the addition of the one Wellesbourne had purchased for her. Looking back at him, she asked, “Are you sure they don’t know you’re a duke?”
“I didn’t tell them. Why?”
“Your blanket is much more substantial than mine,” she said. “But then you obviously spent more money here with your palatial accommodations.” As well as the bath he’d purchased for her. No doubt, he’d had one himself too.
Chuckling, he nodded. “I suppose that makes sense.”
“You must take that blanket as well as your own. I can use the one you are loaning me. I insist since you are allowing me the bed.”
“Fair enough. Now, show me your chair-bed idea.”
Persephone moved a wooden chair from the table to the hearth where the cushioned chairs were situated.
“How can I help?” he asked.
“Move that other chair from the table with the others,” she instructed.
He joined her there and positioned the chairs in a row, with the cushioned chairs facing each other and the wooden chairs between them as the middle of the “bed.”
She stood back. “You can at least lie down?”
He laughed, his dark eyes sparkling with mirth. He was really very attractive, especially when he smiled or laughed, which was often. Far more often than Persephone did. “How short do you think I am?” he asked.
Thinking of how her head tucked neatly beneath his chin if she tipped her face down, she realized he was perhaps taller than this configuration would allow. “Do you want to go back to my room and get my chair? That might do the trick?”
“It may work without that.” He sat on one of the wooden chairs and swung his legs up, then lay back. He barely fit. “Apparently, I am not as tall as I think I am.” He exhaled in what she thought was mock disappointment.
She allowed a smile. “I won’t tell anyone.”
“Thank goodness.” He pushed himself up. “But then we can’t tell anyone of our adventure together.”
No, they could not. Well, Persephone would tell Pandora. Or would she? Pandora would be disinclined to find any favor with Wellesbourne, just as Persephone had been. But he’d proven himself to be…different. “You are not the duke I expected.”
“I’m glad to hear it. It’s evident you expected someone truly awful based on the worst aspects of my reputation.”
Part of her wanted to tell him all about what his horrid friend had done to Pandora, but most of her wanted to protect her sister. Persephone was still hopeful that Pandora would not be ruined, that what had happened between her and Bane in Weston would not become lasting gossip.
“Can you tell me what happened to make you so certain I am a horrid person?”
“I can’t discuss it with you.”
“Even though it relates to me? Or a friend of mine?”
She pursed her lips at him and gave her head a slight shake.
He threw up his hands. “All right. I shan’t press you. Just know thatIam trying to improve, and if you’ve anything to say that would help me do that, I would appreciate it.”
She found this desire of his to change intriguing. “Why are you trying to improve?”
“Because if a lovely young lady such as yourself would rather risk danger and ruin than trust me, I must be doing something wrong.”
He thought she was lovely? “I can’t imagine why you have a high opinion of me. I’ve been rather awful to you.”
“With good reason—according to you. And knowing what little I do about your circumstances, I understand why you might feel alone and defensive. Just know that you have an ally in me.”
He’d made that quite clear a short while ago when he’d come to her rescue. “I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t come to my room,” she said softly.
