Page 35 of Five Nights with a Rakish Duke
“Right on time,” he said and pushed the door open further for her. She tried to clamp down on the lurch happening in her stomach. Her mind went wandering, thinking of how he had offered to show her what he had done with his other ladies.
I do not want to know. Keep telling yourself that!
“I have dinner prepared for us both,” he said, closing the door behind her.
“Dinner?” she said in surprise.
“You seem startled I am capable of any normal event,” he chuckled as he removed her pelisse from her. “A game of cards baffled you the other night; now dinner?”
“You simply confused me; that is all,” she said, frowning at him. Her frown was of little use, for he smiled something of a devilish smile and offered his arm to her.
“Why do I confuse you?” he asked, keeping his voice low.
“You say you are a rake,” she said. “You acknowledge it openly, and you have me here alone in your house, yet you are merely going to feed me dinner?” She slipped her hand through his arm. He adjusted the hold immediately, drawing her hand down to his and clasping their fingers together. The touch made her gasp in surprise.
“I could show you more of my rakish ways if you like,” he said in a whisper that made her heart thud harder, “but I have made a promise to you, Penny, and it is one I intend to keep.”
Penny?She thought in surprise.
“This way.”
No one has called me Penny since my father has died.His new name for her suddenly made things more intimate.
“You called me Penny,” she said gently as he led her through the corridor, heading straight toward the dining room.
“Do you like it?” he asked with a small smile. “You certainly seem to be smiling at the use of it.”
“I do like it,” she confessed, “but why?”
“I have no wish to keep calling you Lady Penelope. Penny suits you. It is much more… personal.” The way he said the word made Penny look down at their joined hands. It certainly felt as though things were becoming more and more intimate between them.
They stepped into the dining room together where she found the room completely empty. Usually, a butler or a footman would stand at the side to attend with food, but this evening, there was no one. The table was set grandly though, full of platters of food, capons, roast chicken and vegetables, adorned with candlelight in ornamental candle holders.
“We are alone?” she asked in surprise, gesturing to the empty space where a butler should be standing.
“I told you, I am discreet,” he replied as he led her toward a chair. “And I rather like having you to myself,” he whispered in her ear as he pushed the chair in behind her, making goosebumps raise on her skin. He stepped away and took his own seat.
As soon as he sat, he fixed her with a gaze that had her pinned to the spot. No one had stared at her so intently before.
“I wish we were playing cribbage again,” she said softly.
“Why?”
“Because you would be looking at the cards so intently instead of me.”
“I rather like looking at you rather than cards, but as you are fond of games, let us play another game,” he said, leaning forward and lifting the carafe to pour her a glass of claret.
“What kind of game?” she asked in suspicion, frowning at him. “I hope this game has no more wagers in it. I lost enough kisses to you the other night.”
“You did not seem to mind kissing me as much as you thought you might.”
“Well, you are a better kisser than I expected,” she said, watching as he laughed heartily.
“Have no fear, this game is of a different kind,” he said slowly. “It’s a game of questions. You can ask me a something about my life, and I can ask you something too. What do you say?”
“I can only presume there is some kind of purpose to this game of yours,” she said, pausing with her food and looking up to him.
“That would be telling you if I confessed as much,” he said with a mischievous smile.
