Page 80 of It's All About the Duke
Marlena found herself staring at yet another magnificent-looking man. She had looked around the room, more than once, searching for Rath, and most of the gentlemen she’d seen were not as tall and handsome as Rath, Lord Henry, or the Duke of Griffin, but here was another man who stood as tall, handsome, and powerful-looking.
“Wise and helpful,” Lady Sara said. “I haven’t received this much attention since my debut Season.”
“You know we only want to take care of you,” the new gentleman said, before looking Marlena’s way.
As soon as she looked into his eyes she knew he was the third Rake of St. James. Instinct told her no man could wear his title, privilege, self-confidence as strikingly as the rakes.
Another quote that Marlena had written as Miss Truth suddenly flashed through her mind.Rumors still abound that mischief is in the air. And said mischief could be directed against Lady Adele and Lady Vera because of their brothers’ past misdeeds as the Rakes of St. James.
“Lady Sara, may I do the honors?” the Duke of Griffin asked.
“Please do,” she answered.
The introduction to the Duke of Hawksthorn went as smoothly as the one to the Duke of Griffin. Marlenastood with them, trembling inside because they didn’t know who she was and what she had done. She didn’t want them to know.
“I remember your cousin Mrs. Abernathy. We had a dance a few years ago.”
“Really?” she asked.
“You seem surprised.”
“No. Not at all. I mean most ladies remember their dances with a duke. I‘m thinking she may have confused you with the Duke of Rathburne and thought she’d danced with him.”
Hawk quirked his head and smiled. “He probably told her it was him.”
She smiled, too. “Perhaps he did.”
Their conversation continued and Marlena answered their questions but at the back of her mind was the fact she’d written gossip about them before they married. Still wrote gossip about Rath. She’d always considered these men to be scoundrels of the highest order, having no care or even respect for a young lady. Yet here they were being considerate, asking about her well-being, the issue she had at her house with the rodents, though neither of them ever saidthatword aloud.
“Yes,” she answered quietly. “I feel certain we’ll be back in our home within the next couple of days. Justine is now feeling more comfortable the problem has been eradicated.”
“Lady Sara.”
Marlena turned to see Lord Henry bow to Lady Sara. He then turned, bowed, and spoke to the two dukes, and lastly he turned to her. “Miss Fast, they’ve called for the dance and I believe you promised it to me.”
Grateful for anything to get her away from the dukes and her turbulent feelings, she smiled and said, “Yes, of course.”
“Lord Henry,” the Duke of Griffin said. “I wonder if you might relinquish your dance with Miss Fast to me. You don’t mind, do you, Miss Fast?”
Yes! She did. She wanted to get away from him, Lady Sara, and the Duke of Hawksthorn, too. In truth, she wanted to get away fromMiss Truth’s Scandal Sheet.
“No, let me have the honor, Griffin,” the Duke of Hawksthorn said. “You stay here and visit with your sister. You don’t mind, do you, Miss Fast?”
Feeling her insides turning over and over, the only thing she knew to say was, “I don’t, no, of course, but I, but Lord Henry asked.”
Lord Henry took a step back, gave a humorless smile, and bowed first to the Duke of Griffin and then the Duke of Hawksthorn. “Another time, Miss Fast.”
That’s when Marlena understood. The dukes knew how he’d treated Lady Vera and they were showing him that Marlena was under their protection and Lord Henry wasn’t to pursue her. If she hadn’t been so stunned, tears would have filled her eyes.
“This way, Miss Fast,” the duke said.
Marlena didn’t know how her legs were moving as she walked beside the duke. Her feet, her whole body felt numb. How was she ever going to manage a dance? A waltz?
As they took their place on the dance floor and waited for the music to begin, Rath came up beside the Duke of Hawksthorn. “I’ll take over from here.”
“I was beginning to wonder if you were going to show up in time.”
“I had to make sure you were going to do your duty first,” Rath replied with a hint of a grin.
