Page 30 of Last Night with the Duke
“If our circumstances were different, I would want you to.”
Much to her consternation, his softly spoken words made her heart trip. She quickly changed the tone of the conversation by asking, “Do you have any special instructions for me?”
“Lady Evelyn’s maid, Harper, will be your messenger while you’re here. She will deliver everything to you that you need, and if you have questions for Lady Evelyn, all you have to do is let Harper know. She’ll relay them. Harper has organized my desk in the book room for you. All the invitations, notes, queries, or whatever you might need will be left for you there.”
“I don’t want to intrude in your private area. I can keep up with all correspondence in my room.”
“No need. I won’t be using the area while you are here.”
“All right,” she agreed. “And since that is now settled, there is something else I wanted to discuss with you”—she paused—“if you have the time.”
“You will be taking care of my sisters. I will always have time for you.”
Esmeralda’s stomach tumbled deliciously. “I will always have time for you.”
Oh, why was he always saying exactly what she wanted to hear? The duke was dangerous. With a simple turn of phrase, he could make her lose all perspective. It was as if he knew exactly what to say to make her want to melt into a puddle of wonderful feelings right before his eyes. Why did such innocuously spoken words from him seem, at times, so intimate and heavenly to her ears?
“Yesterday,” she said, swallowing past a shaky sigh, “Miss Truth’s tittle-tattle said there might be someone out to ruin the twins’ Season. Is there any validity to that claim?”
A fleeting expression of apprehension crossed his face. “There might be.”
“You must have known this when you visited me a couple of days ago. Why didn’t you mention it?”
“I was having a hard enough time as it was trying to get you to agree to help me. I didn’t want to give you one more reason not to accept my offer of employment.”
“If you thought this news would scare me off, you’re wrong.”
“I’m pleased to hear it, though considering how difficult it was to obtain your services you’ll understand why I couldn’t be sure.”
“Has your aunt heard this rumor as well?”
“She wouldn’t miss reading the weekly offerings from all the scandal sheets in London. It gives her great pleasure to inform me what they say whether or not it concerns me or one of my friends. I indulge my aunt and listen respectfully because it gives her such pleasure to fill me in on the latest gossip.”
“It’s kind of you to do that,” Esmeralda said. “But do you actually think Lady Vera and Lady Sara could be pursued for meanness by an unscrupulous man? I mean, I find it hard to believe anyone would dare to ruin a duke’s sister.”
“There are some young men who would dare anything, Miss Swift.”
Of that she had no doubt. And perhaps she felt like most everyone else. There had been no retribution to the rakes for what they’d done that Season.
“Yes, I suppose that’s true.”
“The source of the rumor looks to be reliable, but I have no proof anyone will be foolish enough to try anything. It may be something as simple as playing them for a fool. I don’t know. That is why your job is so important. Every man who comes near them is a potential threat to their happiness. I won’t take that possibility lightly.”
“I agree you shouldn’t. Do they know about this yet?”
“No.” He paused as if thinking about what to say next. “I wish they didn’t have to find out. I would rather they have as normal a Season as possible and be free to choose the man they want to marry without having to worry if his attention is true or false.”
“It does seem unfair that they should be sought out for retribution rather than you and your friends.”
“You don’t pull your punches, do you, Miss Swift?”
“I am only stating the truth of what most people are thinking.”
“Including you?”
A braver person might have answered affirmatively, but she would not be ensnared in that trap today. She would answer with some of his own words. “Why would I want to answer that and possibly incriminate myself?”
He lowered his voice. “You learn quickly.”
