Page 10 of Tempting Harriet
“Foolish,” the countess said. “You look very smart indeed, Harriet. I am glad we have found you at last.”
The duke remembered that the earl was Freddie Sullivan’s cousin. He and his countess must have met Harriet when she was working for Freddie’s wife.
“But how lovely it is to see you.” Harriet was smiling with warm eagerness. “I thought I knew no one at all intown, but I have been pleasantly surprised. You were not atLady Avingleigh’s ball last evening?”
The countess laughed. “I am not—” she said, and broke off what she was saying to turn her head and smile at herhusband. “I am not dancing this Season, am I, Daniel? It isvery bothersome. Though not entirely so.”
The duke watched in some amusement as his companion blushed while her eyes took in what he had noticed immediately. Beneath the loose and carefully arranged folds ofher carriage dress, the Countess of Beaconswood was verynoticeably with child.
“I shall call on you,” the countess said. “May I? Daniel always feels obliged to do the gentlemanly thing when weare in town and spend the morning at White’s or aboutsome other male pursuit. I am expected to do the ladylikething and stay abed until noon. Can you imagine anythingmore tiresome, Harriet, and more unfair to our sex? I shallcome and visit you instead. Where are you staying?”
A minute or two later they were on their way again. But the duke had had enough of sharing her. As soon as hecould, he drew his curricle off the main thoroughfare anddrove it in the direction of less frequented, more secludedpaths.
“You did not lie when you said you were experienced, Harriet,” he said. “You discussed the weather with at leasteight different people but did not once repeat the samething. Did you enjoy yourself?”
“Yes, indeed,” she said. “I thank you for bringing me here, your grace.”
“No thanks are necessary,” he said. “You would have come anyway, would you not?” He looked at her sidelong.“With Kershaw.”
“That was not very kind of you,” she said.
“Tell me,” he said turning his head to look fully at her, “would you have preferred to come here with him, Harriet?”
“That is not the point, surely,” she said.
“Why not?” he asked. “What is the use of being a duke if one cannot take advantage of one’s rank occasionally?”
“It is not kind,” she said.
“But you have not said,” he reminded her, “that you would prefer to be driving with Kershaw.”
She looked at him and blushed. He grinned at her, wondering if she had any idea at all of the butterflies she set to dancing in his stomach when she did so.
“You danced with Lady Phyllis Reeder last night,” she said. “An earl’s daughter. Your grandmother will bepleased.”
“Ecstatic,” he said. “I did not enjoy the dance nearly as much as our waltz, though, Harriet.”
“I would have thought,” she said, “that you would be better employed driving her in the park this afternoon, your grace.”
“Would you?” he said. “One has to be very careful when there is even the whisper of the possibility of matrimony ina situation, though, Harriet. How would it appear to thetonif I danced with the girl last night and drove her in the parkthis afternoon? They would all be scanning their newspapers tomorrow looking for the announcement of our betrothal.”
“And you are not ready for that announcement?” she asked. “Even though it must be made, and the announcement of your marriage too, before September?”
“It will be made,” he said. “They both will be. But give me time to catch my breath, Harriet. Marriage is a very irrevocable step to take. Did you not think so?”
“Yes,” she said. She looked at the palms of her gloved hands for a few moments before turning them over to restin her lap.
“But for you it lasted only a short while after all,” he said. “How long?”
“A little over four years,” she said.
“Do you miss him, Harriet?” he asked. He looked at her curiously.
“All the time,” she said quietly. “Sometimes marriage can bring rewards that you did not dream of even if youenter into it in perfect good faith. Perhaps you will find thattoo, your grace.”
With Lady Phyllis? He doubted it. But really, he was beginning to feel, it was damnable bad luck that had brought Harriet to town at this particular time. He had been so determined to grit his teeth and do his duty this spring. Hestill was determined. In fact, he had even made up his mindto rid himself of Bridget before the Season’s end, since itseemed to him rather distasteful to be courting a bride andbedding a mistress all at the same time. But Harriet’s arrival had thrown everything into turmoil. He wanted her.And yet somehow the desire he felt was different from thesort of desire with which he was long familiar. It was notjust the desire to get a mattress at her back and his body inside hers. Somehow there was more to it than that. But hewas on unfamiliar territory. He did not know what thatsomething was.
“And what about your prospects?” he asked. “Did you come to town in search of a husband, Harriet?”
