Page 15 of Duke of Destruction
When Catherine’s attention wandered this time, it was not because she found the earl to be too self-important and too flirtatious—although shedid,as he was now talking aboutplucking flowerswith the energy of a person who thought himself getting away with oh so subtle innuendo.
No, what captured her attention completely was a pair of intense blue eyes, a shock of dark hair, and a frame that looked as though it was liable to burst into motion at any moment.
God above, how was the Duke of Seatonstill glaring at her?
If Catherine had not conveniently erased last night’s misadventure from her mind, she would not have been terribly proud of it. It had not precisely been her finest hour.
Which was why she had the good sense to not draw attention to it by doing something like—oh, just as an example plucked right out of the air—glowering like a villain from a melodrama while, all around her, people strolled and chatted and played idle games of cards.
Stop that this instant, she tried to convey with her eyes.
When that didn’t work, she tried to ignore him.
Whenthatdidn’t work, she decided to resume listening to the earl’s monologuing, which was now about the many impressive horses that he owned, as well as their lineages going back far more generations than one should ever track in a horse.
“Of course,” he said sternly, as if Ariadne had interpreted him incorrectly—though how he could tell, Catherine didn’t know, as her sister hadn’t spoken in at least four full minutes, “I haven’t much time for leisure, as I have many, many lucrative business opportunities that demand my attention.”
Good Lord, this wasnota helpful distraction.
Catherine could feel the pricking of the duke’s gaze upon her. Except today was even worse than the night before, as yesterday, she’d felt it as a needling annoyance.
Now, she felt it like a caress. Like his lips against hers.
The man was apparently some kind of witch, because the sensation didn’t stop there, either. Instead, Catherine felt the warmth of his eyes on her move down her neck, and further, causing her to be oddly aware of her breasts in the confines of her corset.
She couldn’t help it any longer; she darted a glance over her shoulder.
He was still watching her.
Like a predator watching its prey, Catherine thought, a nervous giggle threatening to bubble up inside her.
It was absurd. She didn’tgiggle.
Even more absurd, however, was the clench in her belly when her eyes met his, when she saw the burning in his gaze that was not just hatred?—
“Right!” she said briskly, interrupting the earl’s speech about all the eminent figures with whom he socialized. It was rude to interrupt, but Catherine and Ariadne might very well have been standing there all day if she hadn’t. “Well, my lord, this has been most diverting, but I am afraid the sun has become rather too much for me this morning.”
This was…a moderate excuse at best. The sunwasshining, a rare blessing from the gods of weather in an English autumn, but it wasn’t particularly hot. Several of the ladies had light shawls drawn about their shoulders.
Even so, Catherine pasted on her most winning smile.
“Please excuse us, my lord,” she went on. “My sister and I will take to the shade.”
And then she all but dragged Ariadne away.
They made it to a sequestered corner of the veranda, where a cooling breeze snaked around the side of the house. They werenearly alone, and their only company was an elderly aunt of one of the young ladies present. The aunt wasmeantto be chaperoning her niece, who appeared to be amassing a small fortune at whist, but instead was napping.
“Not that I’m not grateful for the rescue,” Ariadne began, “but why…” She trailed off as she glanced around. “Oh. Is that mean old duke at it again?”
It really was a sign of how deeply the past day had affected Catherine that her first impulse was to argue that the Duke of Seaton was not old. Nor did she necessarily think he wasmean. He was just…angry.
And handsome, her useless brain supplied.
“I might protest your characterization, if only on a point of politeness,” was where she landed. “But indeed, the Duke of Seaton appears to be looking our way.”
Ariadne stole another glance. “I…think he’s mostly just looking at you, Kitty,” she offered.
“Thank you,” Catherine said dryly to her little sister. “So helpful.”
