Page 13 of The Duke's Ultimatum

“This is now the second time you have offended me since I came in here. How dare you!” Eleanor stomped closer to him, jutting her pointer finger into his hard chest. “You know nothing about me. If you did you would know that I am a highly respectable young woman who is known by her peers to be levelheaded and quite intelligent. I, sir, am no wanton creature.”

The Duke nodded in agreement. “A respectable young woman… who likes to watch,” he said with a wink.

Eleanor opened her mouth to respond when the Duke raised his hand. “I suggest you leave through the main door since your friend knows you’re in here. I’ll leave through the door to the veranda.”

“We are not done talking about this.”

The Duke slid a warm hand around her hand that was still pointing into chest. He slowly traced his thumb across the back of her hand before lowering it. “I think we are.”

He turned on his heel and walked towards the veranda door. Eleanor stood staring at his retreating back, reeling at how quickly the night had spun out of control.

“Oh, and Eleanor?” He turned back towards her when he reached the door. “I’d be careful if I were you. It seems I have some leverage over you now, don’t I? Enjoy the rest of your night.” With that he disappeared into the shadows of the veranda leaving Eleanor alone with her thoughts.

The only saving grace was she now truly did feel sick.

CHAPTER 5

The bright sun made Eleanor’s eyes water. She always enjoyed taking tea in the garden after breakfast, but after last night, she longed for the security walls brought her. Her interaction with the Duke unsettled her and she felt exposed in the open garden.

If she were being honest with herself, it was her own actions that worried her more. Had she actually leaned into him? She brought a hand up to her throat to cover the area where his lips trailed.

Never had she imagined she would be the one to turn her back on years of modesty and discretion for a pair of deep blue eyes and a tall, lean body.

“Ladies! Last night was an absolute success!” Charlotte pronounced with a loud clap. She bounded down from the veranda steps, pride expounding with every step.

Her mother’s entrances were never subtle.

“It was a wonderful night, Mama. Congratulations!” Sarah preened. “I got to dance with Lord Bishop’s son.”

Eleanor couldn’t help but smile. Sarah was so invested in thetonthat even waiting one more year for her debut was torture for her.

“That’s wonderful, Sarah. Was he a good dancer?” Eleanor asked.

She knew it was rude, but as soon as she asked the question, Eleanor tuned her sister out. She needed time this morning to process what happened last night. The only way to do that was to be left alone with her thoughts. However, taking tea in a garden with her sisters and mother was not the ideal time, nor place, for any intelligent thoughts to happen.

Luckily, her younger sister was known to blabber endlessly until someone reprimanded her or left.

Eleanor looked around at the table. Sarah was gibbering on about her evening while Beatrice nibbled on biscuits. Her mother sat like a queen on her throne. Unfortunately for Eleanor, her mother’s eyes were glued to Eleanor even though Sarah was talking.

Eleanor sighed. She would not be able to leave the table without partaking in some discussion. Letting her sister ramble on about her evening would have to do.

“I could have danced all night!” Sarah’s voice trickled into Eleanor’s thoughts.

“Speaking of dancing, Eleanor, I saw you were speaking with Lady Marsh. You know, I hear her son is in town again. I heard he wanted to ask you to dance. Did he get a chance?”

Eleanor slouched in her chair. “Oh, not you, too, Mother.”

“What? I know he’s a bit older than you, but your father was older than me, and look at the life we had. We were very happy.”

Eleanor nodded in agreement. Her parents were very happy; in fact, it was their example of marriage that Eleanor weighed every suitor against. Unfortunately for her, and her potential suitors, she could never imagine them creating a life with her that matched her parents.

“I know that, but I just don’t think her son is the one for me, so why try?” Eleanor lifted a shoulder.

Charlotte bristled. “My dear, if that is the way you’re approaching this, you’ll never find happiness. More often than not, you will have to work on a marriage. It never starts off with the perfect mate. Your father drove me batty in our first fewoutings. But then I got to know him, and that’s when the loved developed.”

Eleanor contemplated her mother’s words for a moment before quickly dismissing them as preposterous. No matter what length of time she spent with Lady Marsh’s son, she couldn’t see herself forming any sort of bond with him.

“What of the Viscount? If we are speaking bluntly, I think he would be a lovely match.”

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