“That too, is not like you,” the duke returned quietly and gritted his teeth. For no discernable reason he wanted to plant Reinhart into the ground. Odd that, since they had often enjoyed a wild evening in one another’s company.
“No, not like me, and, I might add, Felicia is not like any other woman I have ever encountered. She is a breath of fresh air.”
“You must remember she is still young and not quite up to snuff,” the duke cautioned, his fingers folding into his palms as they formed fists.
“I am aware … the question is, are you?”
Right then, the swine was looking for a facer. The duke nearly brought up his fist but managed to control himself.
“Hallo!” Felicia said, tying her blue velvet cloak with its pretty white ribbon at her neck as she stood in the open doorway.
The duke thought her the most beautiful woman he had ever clapped eyes on. Whenever she entered a room, everything glowed. Her smile absolutely took his breath. Her eyes twinkled and took his thoughts and got them all coiled into a knot, and her lips … made him hard, made him remember their night together in his bed.
Reinhart bent his arm for her gloved fingers, and as the duke watched the devil lead her away, he cursed under his breath.
“I don’t like him,” Scott said as soon as they heard the front door close and the duke turned to walk over to the coffee pot at the sidebar.
“He may be a good sort of fellow,” Becky said. “But he is not at all the thing for Felicia.”
“No, he is not,” the duke agreed.
“The trouble is,” Becky added. “I do think Reinhart is in earnest. He may be smitten with her, and Felicia, when she discovers this, will feel very badly and worry that she led him on.”
Lady Daphne came into the morning room at this juncture and with a teasing eye said to her brother, “Well, as to that, Reinhart is a perfectly wonderful match for our girl. Don’t you think, Glen?”
He missed the tease and the twinkle in her eyes and snapped, “No, no I do not.”
“It is of no matter,” Scott put in reasonably. “She won’t choose him. I know her, and while he may be smitten with her, she is not smitten with him.”
“I am not so certain,” Becky said gently while regarding the duke. “She could have her head turned, for he is the most sophisticated and exciting of all her suitors.”
“He shan’t have her as long as I have something to say!” the duke snapped irritably.
“Ah, but you won’t have much to say … your guardianship will soon be at an end,” his sister provided and turned away.
“Bloody hell!
” the duke said and stomped out of the room. “I’m off for Whites’.”
~ Twenty-Eight ~
THE DUKE RETURNED to his sister’s house a few hours later and asked Jeffries, the Waverly butler, where his sister was.
“Ah, her ladyship advised me that since Miss Felicia was late, she was taking Miss Rebecca with her shopping.”
“And Miss Felicia?” the duke’s ire snapped to attention. What the devil? Had Felicia been with Reinhart all this time?
“She came in a few moments ago. She was distressed when I gave her Lady Daphne’s message, and she hurried off to the library to await her ladyship’s return.”
He stomped off, opened the library door, and stood staring at Felicia, who was on tiptoes and thumbing through a shelf of ancient books.
His heart stopped.
She was a sprite of a woman forever throwing convention to the wind. She was a rough and tumble girl, unafraid of breaking rules, taking on life just as she should, and he adored her. Did she want Reinhart? Was that it? If so … what would he do?
She turned, and the smile that immediately curved her lips warmed him as he stepped forward and said, “In the suds once again, my girl?”
“Yes, I am, and I am so sorry for it, but you know, I had so much more fun that I would have had going from shop to shop with dear Daffy. I have never enjoyed shopping.”