Page 21 of It's All About the Duke
“No need. I’ll help you with them,” he said and tucked his hat under his arm. He picked up the other bottle and three more of the satin pillows. If a lady couldn’t have too much perfume, she couldn’t have too many sachets, either.
After his purchases had been secured in a fancily trimmed package of lace and ribbons that no man would want to walk through Town carrying, he shrugged. The deed had been done. Time to make a hasty exit. But suddenly a bell chimed as the door opened and feminine chatter overtook the shop.
Familiar voices.
His stomach tightened. His steps slowed. Stopped.
The Duchess of Griffin and the Duchess of Hawksthorn walked inside, not looking in his direction at all, but immediately heading for a display of underclothing.
The wives of his two best friends and ladies he adored.
“Oh, look at these?” Loretta said. “These weren’t here last time we were in.” She picked up a gossamer-fine chemise, held it next to her body, and said, “What do you think of this?”
“That there’s hardly anything to it,” Esmeralda answered. “You can see right through it, but Hawk will love it.” She then studied a very lacy corset and pondered, “I wonder if this will fit me?”
“Try it and see,” Loretta suggested.
And then the ladies turned toward the counter and saw him. Loretta jerked the chemise behind her, and Esmeralda threw down the corset as if it had been a hot poker. They both stared at him in disbelief. With good reason, admittedly. He probably should have paid a little more attention to his gut instinct and kept walking when he saw the shop, but he’d let what Miss Fast needed rule his decision.
Esmeralda’s golden-brown eyes widened, and Loretta’s dark-blue orbs were firmly fixed on Rath’s neckcloth rather than his face. Both of the ladies’ delicate cheeks had turned a shade of pink. They were clearly horrified to see him, to know he’d seen and heard them. Their combined gasps had Rath wiping the corner of his mouth with his thumb in the hope of hiding his amusement. Perhaps they thought he’d never seen a pair of silk stockings, a lacy corset, or a see-through shift? By the saints, he’d probably loosened more stays and rolled down more stockings than the two of them had put together.
Be that as it may, the way Rath saw it, he had two choices. He could be himself or be as uncomfortable as the ladies were at catching him among the unmentionables and continue his hasty exit.
The choice was easy.
Rath had never been one to shy away from a situation just because it was awkward, and he’d never been one to stand on ceremony with friends. Besides, he wouldn’t be the rake Society considered him to be if he let this situation pass so easily.
He didn’t try to hide beneath his coat or lay aside his purchase onto the shop counter. In fact, looping a ribbon through his forefinger, he tauntingly swung the box as if it were a clock’s pendulum keeping perfect time.
He smiled and said, “Esmeralda.” He bowed and thenreached for her gloved hand. She slowly gave it. He kissed the back of her palm and said, “You’re looking lovely this afternoon. How is Griffin?”
Without waiting for an answer, he immediately turned to Loretta and did the same thing, after she managed to wiggle the chemise enough that Esmeralda got the hint and took it from the hand she was holding behind her back, so she could extend it to Rath for his waiting kiss. “And how are you two fetching creatures today?”
Esmeralda finally took the first bite of conversation and said, “I must say it’s a bit of a surprise—”
“Shock,” Loretta finished.
“Indeed. To find you in here.”
“Oh?” he responded, in no way deterred by the awkward shift in their stances.
He looked from one lady to the other. Their gazes kept sweeping down to stare at the purchase he’d made—both curious but neither daring to ask him what he’d bought.
Esmeralda turned to Loretta. “You know, I don’t believe I see what I was looking for today. I’d like to try another shop.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Loretta said just as quickly with relief washing down her lovely face. “If you’ll excuse us, Rath, we’ll take our leave.”
He should bid them farewell without question or comment. It was the gentlemanly thing to do, but the rake inside him wouldn’t acquiesce to the polite rules of Society. He’d never been any good at following them anyway, so why change now.
Even if Esmeralda and Loretta hadn’t known about his reputation, his penchant for ignoring rules, before today, his presence in this shop proved his aversion to what others deemed proper. He knew letting them leave without further words or more embarrassment was the right thing to do, especially since they were the wives of hisbest friends and he’d dined in their homes on many occasions—but that’s also what made detaining them a little longer all the merrier.
Besides, a little playful diversion might help settle their rattled nerves at seeing him in such an inappropriate place.
“What did you two come in for today?” he asked.
“Silk,” Esmeralda said at the same time Loretta said, “Lace.”
It took great restraint not to smile. If there was one thing this shop had plenty of, it was lace and silk. He knew they’d tell their husbands they’d seen him in here, and he’d catch hell from them for it. It wouldn’t be the first time they’d peppered him with hot coals. Yet opportunities like this didn’t often land in his hands.
