Page 30 of Not the Duke's Virgin

She turned with resignation to find Oliver offering his arm, his eyes glinting. Forcing a polite smile, she had no choice but to take it. “You are too kind, Lord Oliver.”

As they passed the Duke, who was standing grim-faced at the maze entrance, Oliver leaned closer. “Play along now, darling. We must give a good show.”

Victoria stiffened but said nothing, determined not to let him goad her. Madeline and Lord Alfred Chauncey entered the maze ahead of them, chattering happily. Victoria envied their carefree attitude.

They strolled down the gravel path, hedge walls looming overhead. It was a true puzzle, with countless twists and turns that obscured any sense of direction. Madeline’s delighted exclamations floated back to them as she and Lord Alfred explored.

When they reached the first fork, Oliver suddenly pulled Victoria down the left-hand path. She resisted, casting a nervous glance back at the main trail.

“Where are you taking me?”

“Somewhere we can speak privately,” he murmured, quickening his pace. Victoria hurried to keep up, uneasy at leaving the group behind.

After several more turns, Oliver stopped in a secluded cul-de-sac. Victoria turned to retrace their steps, but he caught her arm, yanking her close.

“Let go of me!” she cried, trying to twist free.

He pushed her against the hedge, caging her there. “Not until you convince me you are taking our arrangement seriously throughout this house party and the planned activities.”

Victoria turned her face away from him. “I told you, we must be subtle for now. If I fawn all over you, the Duke will never believe it is real.”

Oliver grabbed her chin roughly, forcing her to look at him. “I don’t recall asking for fawning. But you will show me affection, or else?—”

“There you are!” Madeline’s voice rang out brightly as she appeared around a corner. “Oh, gracious, I didn’t mean to interrupt…”

She blushed as Oliver hastily released Victoria and stepped back.

“You weren’t interrupting anything,” Victoria said quickly, silently blessing her cousin’s timely appearance. “Lord Oliver was just… pointing out a unique feature of the hedge.”

Oliver flashed his most charming smile. “Indeed. Let us rejoin the others before they think we are lost.”

He headed back toward the main path.

Madeline gave Victoria a reassuring squeeze before following. Victoria trailed behind, her heart pounding. The maze had been even more treacherous than she had anticipated. But she had survived this round.

As they left the shadows of the hedge, she blinked in the late afternoon sunlight. Across the lawn, the other guests were emerging from various maze entrances, laughing and chatting happily. But one dark figure stood apart, watching her intensely.

The Duke’s piercing gaze seemed to see straight through to her soul. Victoria shivered despite the warm sun on her skin. Somehow, she must convince him of this courtship, or all would be lost.

Squaring her shoulders, she joined Madeline to walk back to the manor, acutely aware of both brothers’ eyes following her every move.

* * *

The drawing room of Hayward Manor buzzed with genteel chatter as the guests gathered for evening tea. Victoria sat primly amidst the flock of chattering ladies, half-listening as Madeline prattled on brightly about the lovely weather they were having.

“Don’t you agree, Victoria?” Madeline asked, turning her cheerful gaze toward her.

“Oh, yes, quite,” Victoria murmured absently, forcing a polite smile.

In truth, she felt restless and desperate for a moment alone to gather her tangled thoughts. Between maintaining the charade and resisting the unwanted attraction she felt toward the Duke, Victoria felt constantly on edge. The inane small talk of the ladies only grated on her nerves further.

As a footman offered them refreshments from an ornate silver tray, Madeline helped herself to a cucumber sandwich and continued conversing in her bubbly fashion. “The grounds here are just lovely. Why, only this morning, I took a long walk through the gardens and saw the most delightful blooms. The irises were in full bloom, such a gorgeous shade of violet-blue…”

Victoria nodded along mechanically, making the appropriate noises of agreement while subtly looking for any opportunity to slip away unnoticed. Fortunately, Madeline was too absorbed in her chatter to notice Victoria’s distraction.

Madeline was mid-ramble, going on about the burdens of societal expectations for young ladies. “Oh, it’s just so tiring to always be polite and proper! I wish I could speak my true thoughts sometimes instead of making boring small talk!”

Just then, Lady Pemberton approached her with a warm smile. “Good day, my dear! How lovely to see you again.”

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