Page 9 of Taken By the Duke of Stone

Those blue eyes narrowed at her and then he took a step back and the moment of madness was broken.

"Run along then."

It took Lavinia a moment to gather her senses back and then remember her previous indignation.

"You are impossible and I shall not spend one more second out here with you," she wagged a finger at him.

"A most excellent idea since after all, contrary to what you think, I was here first and you are intruding on my moment of solitude."

"Ugh," she huffed and flounced off in a mass of ruffles and indignation.

With the way the rest of the girls oohed and aahed over him, one would think that he was the most polite, gentleman in the country. Instead, he was a bully and a bit of a cad.

"Lavvie, where did you run off to?" Noah asked, approaching her from the opposite corner.

She flushed, "I was on the balcony getting some fresh air. It is horribly stuffy in here and I think my lady's maid did up my corset too tight."

His eyes widened and he glanced around to make sure they didn't have anyone listening to them. "You must not say such things in public!" he admonished her.

"It's a good thing I do not want to be in public anymore then," she said then placed the back of her palm against her forehead in a dramatic rendition, "I feel rather faint, Noah. Can we call it a night?"

He hesitated, "we have been here barely an hour."

"Barely an hour!" she squeaked. It felt like they had been there a whole lifetime. She couldn't breathe properly and her feet were starting to hurt. She wanted her bed, to take all the pinching pins out of her hair, and a book.

"Noah, I may pass right out any moment from now," she pleaded. "I'm sure you do not want all of that drama. Can we just leave?"

He sighed, shoulders dropping in defeat, "alright. Let us leave."

As she settled into the carriage, she couldn't help the way her thoughts kept going back to the Duke. She didn't want to spare that man a second thought, so why couldn't she stop thinking about him.

"What do you know about The Duke of Wyld?" she blurted out.

Her cousin faced her, surprised, "not much. His father died about three years ago and he took over as the Duke. I was at Eton with him, but we never really spoke to each other. He had a different set of friends. I remember that they liked to ride horses. The Duke is an excellent rider."

She glared at him, annoyed. She didn't know what she had been expecting. Some raunchy gossip and a big scandal perhaps.

Lavinia didn't need one more reason why the Duke of Wyld was so arrogant. Next, she would probably find out that he was a terrific fencer.

"Why are you suddenly curious about him? Don't tell me that you've joined the gaggle of ladies who swoon over him."

"I most certainly do not swoon," she snapped. "And I was just curious. Jenny pointed him out and it came as a bit of surprise that someone so young would be in that position."

Liar, liar,a voice inside her was taunting.

"I would not want to be him," Noah shuddered. "At a time when his mates were still at school joking around, he was running a household, several estates and businesses. So many lives in his charge."

Lavinia felt a pang of sorrow for him and wondered where it had come from. They weren't friends, she didn't even know him so where was the overwhelming urge to go back and be kinder to him come from.

She pressed her forehead to the cool glass window. She didn't like this unwelcome curiosity about him and she decided that it was best they didn't have any more future meetings.

Twice was more than enough.

Her aunt, the Countess of Hartfield was waiting for her in the sitting room and as soon as she walked in, the woman sat up and beckoned at her.

Felicity was a beautiful woman with dark gold hair and brown eyes. Her eyes were always soft and full of kindness.

"Why are you back early? Tell me everything my dear."

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