A Deal with a Duke (The Daring Drake Sisters 2)

Attractive? How was he supposed to judge that?

“Well-mannered,” she finally continued. “I sat near Deering at one of Lady Huntley’s dinner parties. The man was speaking with his mouth full of food. I felt dreadful for poor Mrs. Montgomery. She sat next to him, and by the time dinner was finished, she had food spittle on her silk gown.”

He blinked in surprise. “Very well, then. Walker?”

“Absolutely not!” She shivered. “That man is horrid. He was dreadful toward my sister when she came out of her last mourning.”

Harry sighed. “Two more to scratch off your list, then.”

Louisa picked up a small stone and skipped it across the water without looking at him. “What do you think about Ainsley?”

“Have you completely lost your mind?” The thought of her marrying one of his closest friends was beyond the pale.

“Why not? I realize he was a bit rakish in his day.” Louisa paused as if trying to put him in a good light. She continued to walk along the lake as her footman trailed behind. “But surely he has matured by now.”

“Louisa, I have been friends with Ainsley since we were children. He was my worst influence.”

She shrugged. “Rumor has it that Ainsley is looking for a wife this Season because of the estate debts.” She looked up at him from under her lashes with a sensual smile. “He is an earl from an excellent family. He won’t mind my small dowry with the money he is to inherit from his uncle. And he is rather attractive.”

Harry’s hands tightened into fists. He would see her everywhere with Ainsley. A man who knew exactly how to make a woman think she was in love with him so that he could—

No!

Anyone but Ainsley. “No, Louisa. He is not the right man for you. God knows he won’t be faithful to you.”

She shrugged. “How many men are faithful?”

“Many.”

“Yes, and many times it’s the men Society least expects. The reformed rake, for one.”

“And you think you could reform Ainsley?”

She shrugged again with a secret little smile that nearly drove him insane. Did she not realize how much of a reprobate Ainsley could be?

“I do believe the earl is not as much of a scoundrel as people like to say.”

Harry stopped walking and closed his eyes, debating how much he could tell her without breaking a promise he’d made to his friend. “Louisa, please listen to me. I know things about him that no one else does. Things of which even he is not proud.”

She glanced to the ground as her cheeks flushed. “Just as there are things that no one knows about my family, including you, that would ruin us all.”

“What things?” He’d never heard of anything, except the business with his father and Tessa.

She gave him a delicate shrug before continuing to stroll. “Let us say, something that many members of the ton would love to learn about to ruin my family for good.”

He had no idea what she was speaking of, which made no sense. They’d told each other everything. “Since when have we kept secrets from each other, Louisa?”

She abruptly stopped and turned to glare at him. “Indeed? Let me think...leaving for India without telling me. Then there was getting married while in India. Let us see, what else...oh, yes, a daughter!”

The heat of embarrassment and anger at the reminder of his transgressions crossed his face. “That was different,” he said, knowing it was not.

She rolled her eyes. “I must take my leave now.”

“We have yet to discuss your list for me.”

Pulling out a paper from her reticule, she handed it to him. “I’m afraid I only have three names. Once the Season starts, I shall have a better idea of who is coming out this year.”

“A debutante? She will only be eighteen.”