Bewitching the Duke

“Good evening, Kate,” Colin said, then kissed his sister on the cheek. “What have you been doing today?”

“Mother brought in a dance instructor to teach us some new dances.”

“New dances?” he asked as he took a seat on the sofa. “The Season only ended a few weeks ago. How could there be any new dances?”

Randall brought glasses of sherry to all of them. Selina remained standing near a window. Randall gave her a wink as he handed a glass to her.

“Actually,” Kate continued with her lie, “there are a couple of new dances and I finally received permission to waltz so I needed to learn that dance.”

Selina shook her head as she sipped her sherry. The lies kept piling on. Kate danced the waltz like an expert. Why was Kate refusing to tell Colin that the teacher was here for her?

The duchess arrived just as Randall announced dinner. They all retired to the dining room.

“Good evening, everyone,” she said as she took her seat.

“I heard quite the tale of you helping one of the tenant boys last week,” Kate said as she glanced between Selina and Colin.

“I could never have helped Davie without the duke’s assistance,” Selina replied as heat filled her cheeks.

The duchess stared at Selina for a long moment. “Tell me, dear, how exactly did the duke decide to join you?”

Oh dear, the woman was prying. “The servants could not find me so they asked the duke if he had seen me. He decided to help them look for me. Once I heard what had happened, I went outside and the duke insisted on accompanying me.”

The older woman pursed her lips before nodding. “I see.”

“It was good fortune that he did,” Selina continued. “Davie’s shoulder was dislocated and I needed someone strong to help hold him down while I set it.”

“Good fortune, indeed,” the duchess remarked with a sharp look at Colin.

“Leave it be, Georgina,” Colin said sharply.

“Leave what be, Colin?”

“You are trying to determine if one of us is lying. Though why, I should like to know.”

The duchess laughed softly. “Oh my dear boy, you are imagining things. Why would either of you be lying?”

“Why indeed, Mother?” Kate interrupted. “Selina did nothing but attend to one of our tenants.”

“And walked alone in the dark with the duke. It’s highly suspicious. If a woman did that in town, she would be scandalized.”

Colin’s fork landed with a clink on his plate. “This is not London, Georgina. Would it have been better to let Miss White go alone?”

“Of course not, but a servant could have assisted her. There was no need for you to do so.” She picked up her cup and sipped her tea.

“Excuse me,” Selina said, scraping back her chair. “I have lost my appetite.”

“Selina, wait,” Kate called after her.

Selina didn’t stop. She walked back upstairs and to the bedchamber where she’d slept last night. How could a man walking with a woman be so scandalous? She would never understand Society’s rules.

And why would the duchess remark on it? Selina could have sworn the woman was involved in the scheme to get her to the ball. Perhaps good sense had finally overcome the duchess’s delight in seeing Selina in a beautiful gown and dancing.

She plopped on the bed and curled up. She had to leave. Her feelings were too conflicted when she was so near Colin. She’d fallen in love with a man who was so completely out of her reach that any relationship, save mistress, was out of the question.

Although not one of the tenants, nor her friends, would condemn her for such a liaison with him, she couldn’t continue it. Her heart was far too involved now.

But where would she go? The first place he would look for her was the cottage. Kate knew about her hiding place on the third floor. Mia really didn’t have room at her mother’s home. Tia’s house on Middleton’s land was just too far away to reach Colin’s tenants should they need her.