Page 30 of An Inconvenient Duke

But then his gaze fell to her mouth, and the memory of last night’s kisses returned unbidden and with enough intensity to make her tingle. The tension hummed between them like electricity.

“What happened to the chicken?” Mr. Trousdale asked as he raised his wineglass to his lips, not knowing the viscountess’s stories well enough to avoid stepping into that trap.

She matter-of-factly dabbed her napkin to her lips. “We had it for dinner.”

He choked on his wine. “You’re making that up!”

Her aunt feigned insult. “Would I lie about the fate of Major Andre?”

“To finish a good story?” Claudia piped up from across the table. “Yes, you would.”

As the three of them argued good-naturedly about chicken dinners and American rebels, Dani took another glance at Marcus, this one curious as she tried once more to fathom why he insisted that they still have this dinner, even after all of last night’s revelations.

But this time when he smiled at her, she didn’t look away. Her pulse surged at that subtle connection between them. Wariness lingered inside her because she still expected him to corner her and interrogate her more about Elise and Nightingale, but now there was…curiosity. About her.

She’d rather have had his ire. Anger she knew how to deal with, while his pointed interest in her as a woman completely undid her.

Needing air—and distance from his dark stare—she placed her napkin on the table. “And on that, Claudia, perhaps you should take us all through to the drawing room so we can change the conversation to the reason we’re here tonight.” She flashed Claudia a happy smile. “Your upcoming wedding.”

“Hear, hear!” Harriett seconded.

While Marcus assisted Harriett from her chair and Mr. Trousdale helped Claudia from hers, Dani took the opportunity to slip quickly from the room. She needed a few moments to herself, to attempt to relax before subjecting herself to the rest of the evening under Marcus’s dark stare. She also desperately needed to collect her thoughts so that she could keep her wits about her and prevent him from catching her alone, when he would undoubtedly press her for more information about Nightingale. Information she refused to give.

And why not sneak upstairs to look in on Pippa in the nursery while she was here? Oh, how she missed that precious little girl!

“Danielle!” Claudia ran down the hallway after her. When she reached Dani, she linked their arms. “I need to talk to you.Alone.”

Worry tightened her belly. “What’s wrong?”

Claudia placed a finger to her lips and glanced up and down the hall to make certain no one saw, then reached for the nearest door. “In here.” She led Dani into Marcus’s study, which was lit by a single lamp and the mellow glow of a banked fire. She closed the door to ensure their privacy and sent wariness spiraling through Dani when she leaned back against the door, as if she were afraid Dani might go running out. Did she know about last night with her brother?

Or worse…had Marcus told Claudia the truth about Elise’s death?

“You know how much you mean to me,” Claudia announced in a nervous rush. “You’re like a sister to me.”

“I feel the same.”

“And I’m so pleased!” Claudia surprised the daylights out of Dani by throwing her arms around her and hugging her tightly.

“Oh?” Dani stiffened.

Claudia nodded as she took both of Dani’s hands in hers and squeezed them. “Having you and the viscountess help me with my wedding like this is such a relief. You have no idea how worried I was that Marcus would try to interfere with it. If he had his way, we’d be married in some dank parish church without any wedding breakfast or party whatsoever.”

“I doubt that.”

Claudia silently arched a brow in challenge.

“I don’t believe the church would be dank,” Dani corrected with a knowing smile, collaborating in Claudia’s characterization of her brother.

“No dank churches, no dour vicars…and an absolutely grand party!” She bounced with happiness. “You will help me plan every detail, won’t you?”

“Well, the viscountess would be better at planning a party than I would be. But I will help you secure the church and vicar.” Or more than likely, once her aunt was given free rein, St Paul’s Cathedral and the archbishop of Canterbury.

“Thank you!” Another tight hug. When she pulled back this time, a seriousness that made Dani uneasy darkened her face. “There’s one more thing.”

“Oh?”

“Marcus is going to walk me down the aisle, of course, and Pippa’s going to be my flower girl.” Claudia hesitated before adding, “And if Elise were here, she would have been my matron of honor.”