Page 27 of A Game with the Rakish Duke
She got up, smiling at him sweetly. “I am not the selkie. You cannot hide my skin from me.”
His jaw dropped.
Catherine suppressed a laugh before hiking up the skirt of her gown and hurrying to the door. She looked back at him. He was still standing at the pianoforte, rubbing his fingers. His eyes were fierce.
“I will take my dinner on a tray in my chambers,” she said in a lofty voice. “Good evening.”
She walked away, down the long hallway, smarting from the encounter.
The audacity of him!
She felt a stab of anger.
He wasn’t playing fair. He had agreed that this would be a marriage of convenience, and yet he just couldn’t seem to help himself. She supposed that dallying with a female was second nature to a rake like him.
Thank the Lord; Beatrice would be visiting the day after next. Catherine had received a short note from her dear friend in the afternoon. The visit would be a welcome distraction from the whirlwind in her mind.
And after Bea’s visit, the Dowager Duchess was coming to stay for a couple of days. Catherine breathed out a sigh of relief. It wasn’t going to be just the two of them for much longer.
There were only so many ways she could avoid him, after all.
Chapter Thirteen
“Are you going somewhere?” Thomas asked, watching the two ladies pull on their gloves as he walked into the foyer. Catherine’s friend, Lady Beatrice, had just arrived for a house call, but he didn’t know they were heading out. “Are you going far?”
Catherine smiled tightly. She had been extra frosty with him since the evening when he had dared to touch her while she played the pianoforte. His fingers were still sore from the encounter. The minx had slammed the hood of the instrument on them. It was a wonder his fingers weren’t broken.
“We are heading into the local village,” Catherine replied, avoiding his eyes. “I thought it might be fun to explore.”
“Crompton?” Thomas raised his eyebrows. “There is not much there. Some tearooms. A church. A tavern. That is about all.”
“We shall manage,” Catherine said in a falsely sweet tone. She turned to Beatrice. “Come along, Bea. The carriage is waiting.”
“I might see you there,” Thomas called, smiling just as sweetly. “As it happens, I am planning a visit to the village myself.”
Catherine stopped abruptly, turning to him. “You are? But I thought you said it held no amusement…”
“There is always amusement to be found if you are a gentleman,” he pointed out, his eyes narrowing. “I am meeting my old friend at the tavern for a pint or two. He was the groomsman at our wedding. You remember the Duke of Dunford, do you not?”
“Yes,” she replied, her eyes flickering slightly. She pursed her lips. “You shall be at the tavern for the entire day?”
He shrugged. “It really rather depends on how heavily we get into our cups,” he replied slowly. “Why? Do you expect me back at a certain time?”
“No,” she said quickly, shaking her head. “It is of no concern to me what you do with your day or when you return home.” She hesitated. “Do as you will.”
“Oh, I will.” He gave her a dazzling smile. “Don’t you worry.”
They glared at each other for a moment before she turned away, ushering her friend through the front door. She didn’t look back.
Thomas sighed heavily as he walked down the hallway towards his study. The tension between them was getting unbearable. She was so determined to fight the strong attraction between them that it was getting tedious. He reallydidneed an escape from the house.
He sat down at his desk, drumming his fingers on the wooden surface. The visit to the local tavern with Kenneth had come at the best possible time. He didn’t usually frequent it, but he was desperate. It was either that or a long ride over the hills, but there wasn’t any ale in the hills. None that he knew about, anyway.
I am dying of frustration. That is the problem. Being in close proximity to a very beautiful woman like Catherine without being allowed to touch her must be the definition of hell on earth.
He grimaced, running a hand over his face. He felt like he was on a trigger point—as if he were about to explode at any second. So much for thinking he could manage his desire for her easily.
But it must be managed. They had agreed to a marriage of convenience, and she refused to be with him, no matter how hard he tried. He was just going to have to find a way to live with it.
