Page 10 of Three Nights with the Beastly Duke

“It’s just by the way he looked at you, the poor boy has always been infatuated with you. And when you brought up his wife? Well, it was like watching a wretched dog get kicked. Quite sad, actually.”

Lavinia rolled her eyes, starting to question her loyalty to her plan. “You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about, Your Grace,” she replied matter-of-factly, her nose gravitating upward.

“As you say,” Arther agreed, putting his hands up as a sign of surrender.

Before they could continue, the bell for the dinner began to ring, and their host’s voice called for everyone to join him in the dining room.

“Shall we?” Arthur asked, holding his arm to her.

Lavinia said nothing as she accepted his arm, and together, they walked into the dining room. She had already spoken to the host’s wife, who had agreed with little fuss to seat her with the Duke at the same table. Personally, Lavinia thought the woman was relieved that anyone would accept the Duke’s presence.

As they took their seats, they were quickly joined by two other ladies she knew and their husbands—all of whom were known to be vicious gossips.

“Why, Miss Dennis,” Lady Lewis greeted, her voice light and airy as she took the seat her husband held out for her. “How lovely that we are dining together.”

Lady Tinsel, Lady Lewis’s friend, smirked. “Yes, and you’ve brought a friend with you. How lovely.”

“You are the Duke of Whitekin, are you not, Your Grace?” Lord Lewis asked, stretching out his hand toward Arthur. “I must say the Whitekin stockholdings are legendary. There hasn’t been a business yet that has failed with your investments.”

“I am,” Arthur agreed cordially, shaking his hand. “And, indeed, my family does quite well.”

“Glad to hear it,” Lord Lewis continued. “After all, you deserve some sort of victory after what the war did to you. Bloody shame about all that.”

Lavinia watched as Arthur stiffened beside her, and she felt a protective surge go through her.

“Actually, His Grace was well awarded for his valiant efforts in the war,” Lavinia explained matter-of-factly. “He was not only given a sovereign medal for his service, but he also received a healthy land donation. The success of his business ventures, however, is due to his work, and his work alone.”

For a moment, the table grew awkwardly quiet, and Lavinia caught Arthur giving her a look of appreciation as he sipped his wine.

Then, Lord Tinsel cleared his throat and nodded. “Quite right,” he agreed, raising his glass to Arthur. “To the Duke of Whitekin.”

CHAPTERFIVE

“You surprised me this evening,” Arthur admitted, his voice low.

After the dinner, many of the guests took to walking in the gardens under the twilight sky. They were not alone, but if they kept their voices down, they could have an honest conversation privately.

“I have no doubt,” Lavinia replied playfully. “I knew from the moment we struck our deal that you underestimated me.”

A smile tugged at Arthur’s lips. It seemed so difficult to keep a straight face around her, despite his damnedest. Normally, it wasn’t an issue at all, and his stony face kept people from approaching. It was a tribute he greatly appreciated. Under normal circumstances.

“Even if I did underestimate you,” Arthur retorted, “that does not mean I am sold on this exchange. It will take much more than that to change my mind.”

“I had no doubt that it would,” Lavinia replied haughtily. “But I am not one to give up so easily. Especially when my sister’s happiness is involved.”

A pang of guilt shot through Arthur at the mention of Rebecca. He had seen through the course of the evening, but Lavinia hadn’t mentioned her once, and he felt no inclination to go over to her. It was strange, he realized, that despite his stubbornness toward Lavinia’s idea, he was still drawn more to her than his intended.

“Tell me,” he implored, changing the subject, “how did you know all of those things about me? My awards for my service to Her Majesty are not commonly talked about.”

Lavinia stayed quiet a moment as they walked, and it gave him a moment to take her in. She had worn a white gown with black lace trim. Under the moonlight, it practically glowed, creating an aura around her. Arthur felt a warm sensation slide through his cold heart, and he quickly looked away.

Now, now, none of that.

“I know being a spinster is often viewed as a horrid thing,” Lavinia said at last. “But what most people don’t know is that when you’re not chasing a husband, you can indeed chase an education. I had my father find any newspapers he could about your service from the hall of records and read them thoroughly.”

“And why would he do that?” he asked.

Lavinia looked at him sideways with a small smile. “I told him that I wanted them for Rebecca.”

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