Page 28 of It's All About the Duke
The wrinkle suddenly extended to between his eyebrows and deepened. His bit of smile faded. “The only thing not appropriate about the package was me walking down the street to my carriage carrying it, but I did for you. Besides, it’s not perfume, Miss Fast. It’s smelling salts. I thought you might benefit from having some on hand in case Miss Everard faints again.”
“Smelling salts come in a small clear or brown vial with a plain cork stopper, not in a beautifully shaped crystal bottle with a silver closure!”
The duke shrugged in a noncommittal way. “I suppose that depends on whether you go to an apothecary’s shop for it or a la—” The duke stopped abruptly for a second or two and then continued. “Or a different kind of shop. It doesn’t matter where they came from. I assure you they are smelling salts.”
In what appeared to be one seamless motion he reached down, picked up one of the bottles, pulled out the stopper, and waved it swiftly under Marlena’s nose.
A strong, offensive whiff assailed her. “Heavens!” Shequickly turned her head away but not before her eyes watered and she coughed. “What is that?”
“Mostly ammonia, I would assume. Now do you believe me when I say it’s not perfume?” he asked, replacing the top and settling the bottle back between the sachet pillows again.
Marlena coughed again. “You—you have vividly made your point, Your Grace, but there are three bottles and at least four or five sachets in here. How many did you think I needed?”
“I don’t know,” he said innocently.
He was impossible. “Well, let me enlighten you. This is enough for almost every house on this street to have one.”
Seeming to remain quite comfortable with the conversation as it was going, he said, “Miss Everard faints a lot.”
“No,” Marlena said, wanting to stomp her foot in frustration at the imposing man. She managed to resist the urge. “I told you she really doesn’t. Except that one time.”
“Twice,” he reminded her as one side of his mouth lifted with an attractive grin again. “She fainted twice.”
“All right,” Marlena agreed, reluctantly, and found herself giving in to a smile as well. “But the second time she woke with a strange man carrying her in his arms. I’m sure that would unsettle anyone.”
“She seemed terrified.”
He was right, but that was one admission Marlena would take to her grave. “She was dazed.” Which was also true.
“Then perhaps she simply needs to eat more, Miss Fast. She’s slight and fragile-looking. She hardly weighs more than a few feathers. It might do her good to go into the garden with you once in a while and get some naturalcolor to her cheeks as you have. Whether or not it’s fashionable to do so.”
Marlena lifted a hand to her face, and her fingers caressed her cheeks.
“Yes,” he said softly, his dark-brown gaze sweeping slowly up and down her face. He stepped closer to her. “You look as if someone dipped a paintbrush in gold dust and skimmed it across your cheeks.”
A strange and wonderful feeling washed over Marlena. Her breasts tingled, her abdomen tightened, and her stomach did a slow enticing roll. Something was blooming inside her. She could feel it. His expression, the way his gaze combed her face, made her feel as if the duke was staring at her and thinking to himself that she was the most beautiful lady he’d ever seen.
Why was she so attracted to him?
It seemed unfair she even wanted him in the same room with her, much less enjoyed their banter. He shouldn’t be making her feel these wonderful sensations. He was a known rake. He’d ruined Veronica’s life with his selfish prank years ago and thereby Eugenia’s, too, for she had to live with Veronica and see how unhappy she was every day. Knowing that, Marlena should be appalled at the very sight of the duke. She’d always thought she would be should she ever meet him.
But she wasn’t. She found it difficult to be upset that he’d teased her about an insect on her cheek, and even now his charm was soothing and enjoyable.
To cover the intense, pleasurable sensations budding inside her, she coughed again and cleared her throat. “None of that is here nor there at the moment, Your Grace. What is—” She looked down at the tin of beautiful bottles and satin pouches in her hands and extended it toward him for the second time. “—is this. As thoughtful and considerate as it was of you to think of my dearfriend and her needs, I can’t accept anything this personal from you. No matter what is in the bottles, they are beautiful and have expensive silver stoppers.”
He didn’t make a move to take back the package; instead, he clasped his hands together behind his back. “They are pewter, Miss Fast. You’re mixing your metals.”
Determined he take the box, she stepped closer to him, extending the box so close it almost touched the velvet-covered buttons on his waistcoat. “And you are mincing your words.”
“I’m forced to when I’m with you,” he answered.
“Because you seem to ignore the accepted rules of propriety and I have to remind you.”
He moved so that the tin pressed against his middle and he leaned into it. Marlena hadn’t expected him to do that and for a moment her throat seemed to close on her. Should she accept his challenge and hold the tin firm against him or pull away?
No, she wasn’t going to surrender. She held her ground.
Keeping his hands behind his back, he pressed harder against the box between them. “You know, you’re still as precocious as you were when we met long ago,” he said.
