Darian Hunter: Duke of Desire (Dangerous Dukes 3)

To no avail, unfortunately; his amusement was such that it refused to be denied and he found himself chuckling with husky appreciation for Mariah’s obviously heartfelt sentiments.

‘You are incorrigible, madam,’ he admonished once he had regained his breath enough to speak.

‘I, sir, merely remain unimpressed by any gentleman’s angst,’ Mariah returned disparagingly.

‘But more so when that gentleman is me,’ Wolfingham acknowledged drily.

‘Yes.’ She did not even attempt to deny it as she gave an impatient shake of her head. ‘It was you who asked if you might call upon me today, Wolfingham, so I ask once again that you state your business and then leave. I find maintaining even this level of politeness between the two of us to be taxing in the extreme.’

Darian knew he fully deserved Mariah’s lack of enjoyment of his company. He had made so many mistakes in their short acquaintance, it seemed. Too many for her to forgive him? Easily, if at all.

He drew in a deep breath. ‘I needed to speak with you again because it appears that I owe you an apology, Mariah.’

Her eyes widened in obvious surprise. ‘Indeed?’

His jaw grated he held it so tightly clenched. ‘Yes.’

‘For what, pray? You have made far too many insults, to me and about me, for me to ever be able to pick out a specific one for which you might apologise.’

Darian bristled. ‘Such as?’

‘The disgusting thoughts you so obviously held two evenings ago, with regard to my friendship with Aubrey Maystone, for one.’

Ah. Yes. Well, there was that, of course…

He shifted uncomfortably. ‘It was a natural conclusion to have come to, surely, given the circumstances of the ease of the friendship between the two of you?’

‘Only if your mind was already in the gutter, as yours so often appears to be where I am concerned!’ Her eyes flashed.

Darian could not deny that he had thought the worst of Mariah before he had even met her, hence his initial alarm regarding Anthony’s involvement with her. But in his defence Mariah Beecham’s reputation in society was such that surely, at the time, he could have formed no other opinion, in regard to Anthony’s obvious and public attentions to her.

At the time.

Darian knew differently now, of course. Which was the very reason he had been so determined to speak with Mariah these past two days. So that he might apologise and, hopefully, discuss the matter with her further.

‘It was doubly insulting, when you had already accused me of being involved in an affair with your younger brother,’ she now accused coldly.

And now, Darian recognised heavily, was the perfect opportunity in which to make that apology and inform her of his mistake.

He grimaced. ‘I have had the opportunity to speak with Anthony again, since the two of us parted

so badly at the Stockton ball.’ He ignored her scathing snort; she knew as well as he did that it had been Anthony’s parting remark—promise—that had caused the two brothers to talk again later that very same night. ‘And it would seem—it would seem—’

Darian was not accustomed to apologising for his actions, to anyone, and yet in this particular instance he knew he had no choice; he had seriously wronged Mariah and now he must apologise for it.

He sighed. ‘My brother has now made it more than clear to me that his affections lie elsewhere than yourself.’

‘Hah!’ Those turquoise-blue eyes gleamed across at him with triumphant satisfaction. ‘Did I not tell you that you were mistaken in your accusations?’

‘It is very unbecoming in a woman to say “I told you so” in that gleeful manner, Mariah.’ Darian scowled, still more than a little irritated with himself for having initially jumped to the wrong conclusion where his brother’s affections were concerned, and even more so for having then acted upon those conclusions by insulting Mariah to such a degree he now owed her an apology.

He was equally as irritated that by doing so he had now placed himself in the position of being the one to tell Mariah the truth of that situation.

‘Not when that woman has been proved right and you have been proved wrong.’ she came back tartly.

Darian chose his words carefully. ‘I was only half-wrong—’

‘How can a person, even the illustrious and arrogant Duke of Wolfingham, be half-wrong?’ she scorned. ‘Admit it, Wolfingham. In this matter you were completely and utterly in the wrong.’