Page 5 of It's All About the Duke
A quiver of humor hovered at the corners of her beautiful mouth. He found himself silently asking her to go ahead and smile at him without reserve.
Instead she said, “I’m always happy to hear from him,but why are you delivering this? I find it difficult to believe you have succumbed to becoming a common messenger.”
“Well said, Miss Fast.” He smiled at her. “Though I haven’t read the letter, I know what it says. I thought it best that I be here when you received it in case you had questions.”
“Why?”
“He’s telling you that his health continues to decline and he must transfer your guardianship to another.”
“Yes,” she whispered while expelling a deep breath. “Well. I knew it was coming. Just not when. He’s been ill for some time. I had feared he might be getting worse. His letters to me have become infrequent and almost illegible. Though I’ve asked several times in the past few months to be allowed to visit him, he always denies my requests.”
She suddenly turned away from Rath, walked over to the window, and looked out.
Rath stayed silent, giving her time to grasp what was happening to her future in her own way. There was no rush to do what must be done. He was content to watch her standing quietly, lovely with her straw hat resting on the back of her shoulders.
Tut wandered over to him and Rath reached down. This time Tut sniffed his hand and licked his fingers.Good boy, he thought. Rath rewarded him with a pat on the head and a rub down his warm neck and back.
After a few moments, Miss Fast slowly turned toward Rath. Her expression was quizzical.
He gave Tut a final stroke and then straightened to face her. She met his stare a few seconds longer before looking down at the sealed envelope again and tapping it against her palm a couple of times. He watched her expression turn thoughtful, resigned, and just when he wasabout to believe she had reconciled the matter to her satisfaction her brows knitted closer together, her lips pursed suspiciously.
“I’m curious, Your Grace. Why are you here delivering this news rather than a solicitor or my new guardian?”
The time had come. He’d delayed it as long as possible, hoping her cousin would decide to show herself and be present before he had to give Miss Fast the news.
“I am your new guardian.”
Chapter 2
He could be a rake if he looks so deeply into your eyes you know he sees all the way to your soul.
MISSHONORATRUTH’SWORDS OFWISDOMANDWARNINGABOUTRAKES, SCOUNDRELS, ROGUES, ANDLIBERTINES
Marlena Fast stared in awe at the Duke of Rathburne. Every word she’d ever read or heard about him was true. He was tall, broad in the shoulders, lean at the hips, and handsome beyond belief. He wore his title, privilege, and wealth as casually as he wore his neckcloth. He was a feast of handsome, desirous male for her eyes.
And he was to be her guardian?
Her guardian!
No, she wasn’t afraid. She’d always told herself she wasn’t frightened of anything. She’d had to say it to herself many times and would probably have to tell herself again there was no reason to be fearful. Her parents were with her. Watching over her just as they had when she was an infant and in danger. They had taken care of her then and they would now that she was under yet another guardian.
Marlena stared at the duke. No English duke should have hair that dark or eyes that penetrating. He looked more like the paintings she’d seen of dangerous pirates who captained their marauding ships on the high seas than the true highborn aristocrat she knew him to be. His waistcoat should have been made from braided wool and studded with metal buttons. Instead of fine trousers, he should be wearing trousers fashioned out of a thick, coarse burlap. A wide strip of black leather held together with a large silver buckle should have cinched his waist with the well-hammered hilt of a steel blade and a scabbard swinging by his side.
It was no wonder she’d felt light-headed, panicked even for a few moments after he’d identified himself. This man, who stood before her in all his male glory, was none other than the rake she’d written about for the past two and a half years inMiss Honora Truth’s Weekly Scandal Sheet. She’d just published a short book filled with snippets of warning to young ladies about this man and others like him! By all the saints in heaven, and if there were any on earth, too, she should have fainted.
What was she to do?
Fate had never favored her, and now it seemed as wicked as the rake standing before her.
It was no small wonder it took her so long to regain her composure and gather her scattered wits after he announced his name. She thought he’d come to expose her as the scandal columnist Miss Honora Truth. She assumed that, after much searching, he was the Rake of St. James who had finally figured out who Miss Truth really was, and he was making it his purpose to take her straight to Newgate, the gallows, or worse—if there was worse. However, at least for now, she was convinced the duke didn’t know her secret identity and he wasn’t there to have her arrested.
That and thoughts of her parents watching over her had calmed her.
Somewhat.
His arrival at her front door was nothing as simple as the rake coming with a band of armed guards to shackle her hands and feet and carry her off to a faraway dungeon in the middle of a dark forest. No, he was to be her guardian!
Marlena’s hands made fists. Denial rose up strong and eager inside her. She strode toward him while breathlessly whispering, “What you say can’t be true.”
