Page 20 of Taken By the Duke of Stone

The two women went silent and exchanged a confused glance before turning to him.

"Oh, who is it, brother?" Georgie cried, "Do not keep me in suspense. Do tell! Is it Lady Hannah? I never suspected you had a fondness for her."

He made a face, "It is not Lady Hannah."

"Well, I for one am just glad you've gotten around to doing your duty," his mother nodded at him, "Now I trust that you have selected a woman of good breeding and mannerisms. Not just anyone would do as your duchess."

"As long as it is not that horridly dull Miss Proctor, then all is well," his sister said magnanimously, "I doubt a lady like that would have knowledge of anything past the books she always has her nose stuck in."

Victor went eerily stiff, "Miss Proctor is in fact the woman who will be the next Duchess."

"Do not play such games. They are beneath you," the dowager duchess groused, "now tell me the truth, who is she?"

"Georgie has the right of it, Mother, it is Miss Lavinia Proctor."

His mother exploded out of her seat, practically foaming at the mouth, "I knew there was something afoot when you so willingly took her to the dance floor the other night. Oh, Victor, how could you?"

He crossed his legs and leaned back into his seat, "how could I what? Finally do what you have been prodding me to do for weeks? Why am I not surprised that I have done what you have always wanted and somehow, you are still not satisfied."

"Anyone but her," his mother roared. "There are dozens of unmarried girls who would have made wonderful duchesses. There is Lady Amelia, Lady Hannah. I made you a list. Did you not see the list I made you?"

"You did?" Georgie asked, mouth trembling with suppressed amusement.

He shot her a quelling glare, "I saw the list, Mother. I doubt there is anyone in this household who did not see that list. It was not exactly small and easy to hide."

"Victor!" she chided.

"Your list was unsatisfactory to me," he continued, "I have made my decision and there is no amount of dramatics you can display to make me change my mind. The title requires a duchess, well, now it has one, end of the matter."

"I know you only did this to punish me," his mother sucked in a breath.

The Duke, who had had quite enough of his mother and also had a meeting with his soon to be duchess, rose up from the chair and straightened the labels of his waist coat.

"If you will excuse me," he said.

"Where are you going?" the older woman asked.

"Good day, Mother," he cheekily saluted before grabbing his coat and walking right out.

CHAPTER 7

Lavinia was already leaning against a secluded tree at the park when the Duke joined her.

"Miss Proctor," he said from behind her, and she started.

She turned to face him, and he braced for the inevitable attraction he felt towards her. Still, he wasn't ready when her startling green eyes met his.

"Your Grace," she dropped into a pale imitation of a curtsey and he bit back his smile.

"We should do away with formalities. After all, we are to be married, aren't we?"

She hesitated momentarily before letting out a sigh, "Y-you can call me Lavinia then."

"And you should call me Victor."

"Victor," she tested the words on her mouth and the sound of his name from her did something to him. He bit his tongue to hold back the urge to demand she say his name again.

This was the sole reason he hadn't wanted to have anything to do with a woman like her. There was something about her wide, guileless eyes and the bow of her mouth that drove him a little bit insane.

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