Page 26 of The Duke's Rules Of Engagement
“That’s something I’m not likely to share with my closest friends. Why would I tell you? Who knows what you might do with that kind of information?”
“You will tell me because I’ve no wish to waste either of our time with someone who has the qualities of your least favorite people.”
She saw right away that her answer was an effective one. He’d made it clear, more than once, that he didn’t like wasting his time.
“And,” she continued, “I will do nothing with that information except use it to help you find your match. As I told you before, you can expect absolute discretion from me.”
He pressed his lips together, giving her that suspicious, narrow-eyed gaze that she found equally annoying and stimulating.
Finally, he said, “Very well. You must know already about my longstanding feud with the Duke of Edevane, since you mentioned him at our last meeting when you were trying to make your point about finding me a match specific to my tastes.”
Her lips twisted. “I see my point worked.”
“I admit…it did.”
“What is it you disagree with His Grace about?”
“Everything,” he said shortly.
“What do you disagree with him most passionately about?”
“His morals. His politics.”
“What about them?”
“Everything.”
“An example might help,” she said patiently.
The duke’s voice grew dark, and his eyes narrowed. “He was one of the lords to vote against the bill abolishing the slave trade.”
“I see.”
“He doesn’t seem to care that people are dying of disease and starvation every day because men like him are so busy stuffing wealth into their own coffers.”
Hmm. Perhaps she ought to stop grouping all the dukes and royals of England into the selfish bowl of inhumanity she’d shoved them into.
“All right, who else?”
“My father’s brother.”
Ooh, intriguing. “Why do you dislike him?”
“He’s an ass.”
She blinked. “I see.”
“He’s also my heir.”
Slowly, she nodded. “So your dislike of him has prompted your matrimonial pursuits?”
“It has.”
“How, may I ask, is he an ass?”
This time, he blinked at her. It was true, she didn’t use the word “ass” often, especially when referring to people and not donkeys, and certainly not in the company of dukes.
But he’d used it first.
