To Bed a Beauty (Courtship Wars 2)

Perhaps she should have been born male, Drew thought, still amused, although it would have been a damned shame to waste all that remarkable beauty. A beauty she didn’t even appreciate.

Chapter Eight

Why do I feel such a vexing attraction for one man when I know I want another one entirely?

– Roslyn to Fanny

Roslyn returned home an hour later, disgruntled and severely disappointed in herself. She would rather not have to face the duke, but she found him awaiting her in the library as promised.

“So how did your seduction go?” he asked when she entered.

“Not as well as I hoped.” Moving across the library, she sank heavily into a chair.

Arden left his place at the window seat to resume sitting on the sofa. “That’s all you mean to say? Did you attempt to apply our advice?”

Roslyn summoned a wry smile. “Oh, I tried. But I was too self-conscious to be very successful.”

The duke regarded her curiously. “But you contrived to touch Haviland?”

“Yes.” But it didn’t work. At first she couldn’t bring herself to be so forward as to accidentally caress Haviland, or even to flirt with him. Her efforts felt too calculating. But just before she left, she’d let her fingers brush the earl’s as she handed him her notes about the ball.

“And?” Arden prodded.

“And nothing.” Roslyn made a face. “He didn’t appear to feel anything at all.”

“Perhaps you weren’t overt enough.”

“Perhaps.” Yet she didn’t believe that was the case. She hadn’t elicited any reaction from Haviland whatsoever. Even more troubling, she hadn’t felt the expected spark between them, either.

What vexed her most, however, was that while she was trying to kindle sparks in the Earl of Haviland, all she could think about was the flaming response that the Duke of Arden had ignited in her so effortlessly earlier this morning when he’d conducted his demonstration of the effectiveness of touching.

“You will have to be less subtle next time,” the duke advised.

“There may not even be a next time,” Roslyn said crossly. “We have already decided on all the details relating to the ball, such as where to place the flowers and musicians and reception line.”

Arden gazed at her with amusement. “Then invite him over for luncheon or tea tomorrow.”

“On what pretext?”

“I’m sure you can think of something. Tell him you want to learn more about his family, the haughty relations he wants to impress. Or you can discuss taking protective measures against the highwayman.”

Roslyn frowned. “We held that discussion today. Haviland means to have armed grooms patrol the roads during his ball to thwart any holdups like the one Lady Freemantle and I suffered, even though there has been no further sign of the highwayman since.”

“Good,” the duke replied. “It will be best if he assumes responsibility for the safety of the district. I plan to return to London tomorrow, since Lady Freemantle seems fully recovered from her ordeal.”

Roslyn roused herself from her morose thoughts long enough to offer him a faint smile. “I wish to thank you again for staying to comfort her. It was very noble of you.”

Arden grinned. “Indeed it was. So what do you mean to do about Haviland? Are you certain you even want to continue your campaign to win him?”

“Yes,” she said stubbornly. “I am certain.”

“Perhaps he isn’t the right husband for you after all.”

“Perhaps not, but I mean to discover that for myself. I still have hopes he can come to love me.”

Arden cocked his head, surveying her. “Why this insistence upon marrying for love? Members of our class usually settle for marriages of convenience.”

Roslyn couldn’t hide her wince. “Because I don’t want to end up like my parents. They were bitter enemies who relished hurting each other.”