Page 22 of Love, the Duke
CHAPTER7
MAN’S PRACTICAL GUIDE TO APPREHENDING A THIEF
SIR BENTLY ASHTON ULLINGSWICK
If you don’t come across a clue the first time, keep looking.
The duke’s head snapped back, and shock seemed to rumble through him. He hadn’t seen that coming. Neither had she. If anyone had ever asked, she would have denied being capable of such an act as to strike another person. No matter the offense. Usually, she trusted her instincts, but she wasn’t sure they had served her well this time. Certainly, her family wouldn’t have approved.
He rubbed his lower cheek as he worked his jaw and grimaced. “What in the devil was that for?” he demanded.
Finding her breath, she took a step away from him. “Coming into my drawing room without being invited. You should have waited. And then you didn’t leave when I asked you to.” She didn’t want to think about the strange feeling she had that he might want to kiss her a few moments ago. Or the surprising feeling that she would have let him. That was preposterous and might have had a little something to do with the slap too. She really didn’t know and wasn’t going to reveal that to the duke.
“But I helped get you out of there.” His tone rose in volume as he argued, clearly irritated as he pointed toward the chest.
“You should have left the room immediately and saved me the embarrassment of you being a witness to me in a very compromising position that no lady should have to endure.”
His brow wrinkled and mouth tightened as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “I wouldn’t leave without helping you or anyone else out of a situation like that. There is no such thing as embarrassment when someone is stranded. You get help from wherever it comes from. And the usual response people give is a polite thank-you!”
“I wasn’t in distress until I heard you were behind me,” she defended just as firmly as he had spoken.
“And a good thing I was, no matter what you say to counter it,” he responded in a louder tone and as irritated as her own.
“From the night we met you have been hard on me about everything I do. According to you I’ve done nothing right.”
“That’s because most of the things you do usually land you in a heap of trouble.”
“I would have eventually gotten myself out,” she insisted indignantly. “And then received you properly.”
“And more banged up than you are now.”
“But with my pride unbruised.”
Ophelia realized she was favoring her elbow, and he must have noticed. Reasonable thinking helped her to see they were at an impasse about who was the most wronged and outraged. Her, for showing her rear end, or him, for being slapped. She supposed she was responsible for both. No need to admit it to him. It was hard enough admitting it to herself.
But perhaps she should try to save her respectability before sending him on his way. “I’ve never slapped anyone before.”
His frown relaxed. “And I’ve never been struck by a lady.”
She cleared her throat as she clasped her hands together in front of her, still trying to recoup her aplomb. “I’m not happy you put me in a position that I had to. I don’t even know what you are doing here. Following me again, I presume.”
“What?” His back stiffened, as he pushed his coattails aside, shifted his stance, and sucked in another startled breath. “Following you?”
“You admitted to doing so last night,” she accused, with all the self-righteousness she had been taught to use when necessary.
“That was different,” he snapped, more annoyance creeping into his features. “You were snooping in someone’s home.”
“For a good reason.” Ophelia deepened her glare at him, thinking there was no difference from what he was doing.
“No,” he insisted. “It’s not. I don’t know how you can think that.”
“It doesn’t matter. You caught me unaware both times.”
He nodded slowly. “You are quite unbelievable, Miss Stowe, and I don’t like you implying I make a habit of following women.”
“I don’t believe I was going quite that far in my accusations.”
“It’s a good thing you aren’t and a good thing I caught up with you when I did. Both times you were in the act of doing something you shouldn’t have been doing and I helped you out with a bundle of problems. Someone needs to keep an eye on you to make sure you stay out of trouble.”
