To Desire a Wicked Duke (Courtship Wars)

“Did no one ever teach you that it is impolite to eavesdrop?” she muttered.

He smiled at her question. “Any number of people have tried to teach me polite manners, but I fear little of their instruction took hold. In your case, however, it was not rudeness that led me to eavesdrop.”

“No?”

“No. I relish a mystery, and I was suffering a near fatal case of ennui. When I saw you disappear, I was delighted that finally something interesting was happening this evening. And then I remained here on the terrace because I thought you might need my protection.”

She shot him an irritated glance. “I did not need your protection. I can defend myself.”

“Obviously,” Ash said with dry amusement. Her hazel eyes were still shooting daggers. “If looks could kill, Deering would be six feet underground by now. As it was, you temporarily unmanned him.”

“I wish it could have been permanent,” Maura said through gritted teeth.

Her agitation was still visible, and she seemed intent on shredding her kid gloves against the rough stone.

Just then, voices from the ballroom grew louder, wafting through the open doors behind them. Not wanting an audience, Ash reached out on impulse and peeled Miss Collyer’s fingers away from the balustrade.

“Come with me,” he ordered, catching her hand in his. Turning toward the terrace steps, he tugged her behind him.

“Where are you taking me?” she demanded, trying to pull back.

“Only down to the garden so you can cool off. You need time to recover your composure.”

She accompanied him then, although rather unwillingly.

As he led her down the wide marble steps, Ash tried to analyze why he felt so protective of her, and more inexplicably, why he felt this unexpected possessiveness toward her.

Her statement moments ago about not wanting a lover of any kind gave him a strange satisfaction. He’d never heard of Maura Collyer engaging in any romantic affairs, yet that didn’t mean she hadn’t indulged discreetly.

He supposed his protectiveness was a result of her close connection to his sister Katharine and his cousin Skye. The three girls had become fast friends years ago at an elite boarding academy.

Like Katharine, Maura was unique in that she enjoyed more masculine pursuits than was typical of their peers. Breeding race horses was most definitely not a ladylike profession, either. After losing her father so unexpectedly, Maura had retired to the country and thrown herself into improving the breeding stables she’d inherited so that she could support herself.

Ash had always been impressed by her fire and spirit. Yet he’d kept his hands off her because he considered her off-limits.

Unquestionably he had noticed her, though. From the time she had turned sixteen, in fact. What red-blooded male wouldn’t? He’d have to be dead not to feel the rush of attraction for a beauty like Maura. But a gentleman did not go around seducing innocent schoolgirls, particularly a classmate of his sister’s.

Maura was clearly no longer a girl. Ash was intently aware of her lithe, ripe body as they reached the garden below the terrace. She was also out of mourning for her father now, which made her fair game if he chose to pursue her.

The notion intrigued him, yet he set it aside for the time being as he guided Maura along a path illuminated by the occasional lantern.

“Perhaps you should sit down,” he advised, leading her to a stone bench shadowed by a lilac tree.

She took no notice of his suggestion but pulled her hand from his and began to pace back and forth along the flagstone path.

Amusement tugged at Ash’s mouth as he settled on the bench in her place. Prepared to indulge her, he stretched his long legs out before him and crossed his ankles. Despite his pleasure in watching her, though, he knew it would be more gallant if he attempted to distract her from her agitation.

Accordingly, he broke the silence after a moment. “Allow me to offer you my apologies, Miss Collyer.”

“For what?” she asked absently.

“I regret that you had to suffer Deering’s lechery.”

“You are not to blame for his disgusting behavior.”

“No, but this is my home, and I am responsible for the actions of my guests.”

“Perhaps, but Deering is as far from a gentleman as it is possible to be. The gall of him,” she muttered under her breath, “thinking I would have any interest in selling myself to him.”