Page 53 of Love, the Duke
“You will stay where you are,” Hurst said with the precision of an arrow hitting the center of its mark. “You and I are not through.” Turning his attention to his friends, he glowered. “As far as you two go, I don’t believe an explanation is necessary. Miss Stowe and I are simply trying to come to an understanding about something. I’m sure we will have reached a conclusion before she leaves.”
The dukes looked at each other. Ophelia didn’t think they were going to acquiesce to Hurst’s subtle hint they should be the ones to excuse themselves.
Finally, the Duke of Stonerick chuckled. “I recall the days when we had to muddle through trying to explain the unexplainable. It’s impossible.”
“Indeed,” the Duke of Wyatthaven agreed with merriment in his eyes, as Hurst remained silent. “Now we are happily married to them.”
Ophelia could only assume that they were talkingabout their own wives while Hurst was dealing with the shenanigans of an unmarried young lady, regrettably dressed as if a man.
“Don’t worry, Hurst. We will keep the club members settled until you join us. Take your time. No doubt you have a lot to get through.” Then both nodded to her and took their leave, low-voiced chuckles echoing between them as the door shut behind them.
Alone with the duke in the sprawling room, Ophelia regretted coming. Her disguise had been a rushed and foolish choice. But desperate emotions had led to desperate decisions that demanded she do so. But now he would be forced to try to explain her, the way she was dressed, and what they had been talking about to his friends. That might be harder to do.
Running a hand through his blond hair, he gazed at her through hooded eyes. She watched his exasperated expression change to resignation. “Why was it you said you couldn’t have just sent me a note?”
She appreciated the calmer, lower-spoken voice he used. “I did, but I didn’t receive an answer.”
“I don’t always look at messages when I first come home. I was running late for the meeting. Couldn’t you have at least waited half an hour before dressing in such a way and coming over?”
“That is not fair,” she said, filled with indignation. “It was several hours.”
“Perhaps my timing was off, but I would have come to you when I read your note.”
“Do you mean that?”
Culpability softened her, and she had no more defense on which to plead her case. She had been reckless and turned away from delving too deeply into consequences.
Hurst moved close to her as he nodded. She could feel his breath caress her cheek, her nose, and her mouth. A cascade of shivers rained through her very core. She wanted to look away from him but couldn’t.
In a tender voice, he said, “Of course, I mean it, Ophelia. I asked you to marry me. Why would you think I wouldn’t come to you?”
His closeness made tingles zing across her skin, and she could hardly form her next words. “Because I rejected you.”
“I didn’t lose sleep over it.”
His blunt response unsettled her. Worry festered in her mind, and she all but wrung her hands in hopelessness that he would now help her save her brother’s legacy.
Maybe she was right when she’d thought earlier that he might have proposed to someone else already. The very idea left her chilled, but she asked. “Are you already betrothed to another now?”
He didn’t readily answer, and the longer he went without speaking, the more her heart swelled to a squeezing ache in her chest.
“The woman I desire heats my blood, occupies my head morning, noon, and night. She’s quite unique but too daring for her own good. She sets me back on my heels, makes me want to throttle her and ravish her at the same time.”
Sailing on a ship of despair, Ophelia knew she had come too late. It was none of her business, but she couldn’t help blurting, “Who is she? Has she come out this Season? Georgina?”
“Miss Bristol? No, my beautiful, strongheaded Ophelia. She’s you.”
The rhythm of her heart rate accelerated. Did that mean there was still time for her to make amends? In lightof all things in the past, he did just declare he carried a fondness for her as well as desire. Gathering every ounce of courage, she said, “Since you are not already betrothed to another, I would like to discuss the matter again.”
His brows rose with interest and his handsome features relaxed into a twinge of a smile. “I take it Debrett’s book didn’t help as much as you’d expected it to.”
She slowly shook her head with much chagrin. At least he wasn’t exactly saying,I told you so.
“The volume is quite detailed with its information, but too late, I’ve realized that Mrs. Turner simply didn’t see enough of the crest to remember clearly what was on it. And there were far too many possibilities. Perhaps I pushed her too quickly right from the moment she’d mentioned overhearing the suspect’s conversation with Winston. She became too confused to adequately be of any help.”
“That must have been difficult for you to accept.”
She startled when Hurst brushed the backs of his fingers slowly down her cheek, but the shock was quickly replaced by warmth and comfort. His touch caused the breath in her throat to feel thick and heavy.
