Page 13 of His Forbidden Duchess
“First, you must start calling me Felix, at least when we are alone. We have known each long enough.”
“But—”
“But nothing,” he said. “And I shall call you Eloise.”
His tone was so authoritative that she didn’t think she could refuse. Besides, the idea of such familiarity between them excited her.
“Very well. What is next?”
“Appearance,” Felix said without missing a beat. He looked her over, though not in a crude way but more like an artist evaluating a fine painting. “First impressions are everything. You could have the most dazzling wit and charm in the room, but if you fail to catch his attention in the first glance, all of that is wasted.”
“Do we need to start with something so shallow?” she scoffed softly.
“We do, because every man is that shallow,” he countered smoothly. “Especially men like Mortcombe. You do not need to alter who you are, but certain… enhancements can make all the difference. And no, I do not mean anything drastic,” he added quickly when he saw her frown. “But presentation matters.”
Eloise’s steps slowed as she mulled over his words, trying to decide whether to be offended or not. “You think I do not know how to present myself?”
Felix chuckled. “You know how to beproper. You are lovely, no doubt. But seduction? That is a different game. If you want Mortcombe—or any man for that matter—to see you as more than just another debutante, you will need to play the game differently.”
She rolled her eyes. “All right. And how do I go about accomplishing that?”
He glanced at Eloise with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “You need to begin wearing…differentdresses.”
Eloise frowned, confusion clouding her face. “Different how?”
“More revealing.”
Felix grinned, the flash in his eyes clearly lewd. She supposed she should have expected nothing less from the Duke of Kingswell. Her eyes widened in shock, and she immediately crossed her arms over her chest, a defensive gesture that only made Felix chuckle.
“What exactly do you mean by ‘revealing’?”
With a devilish smirk, Felix’s gaze flickered—just briefly—down to her bodice before quickly meeting her eyes again.
“You need to display what you have to offer. Mortcombe may not have much between his ears, but he is still a man. And men are drawn to… well, let us just say, certain visual cues.”
Eloise glared at him, a flush creeping up her cheeks. The very notion was humiliating. However, she could not deny the thrill she felt upon realizing that Felix had noticed her potential ‘visual cues’.
“Are you suggesting I prance around like some kind of harlot?” she asked, pushing the thought away.
Felix shrugged casually, his smirk never fading. “Not a harlot, Eloise. But you need to catch a man’s attention. And especially in Mortcombe’s case, that involves being more… eye-catching.”
She pursed her lips, unamused but begrudgingly aware that he was right. “So you want me to parade around half-dressed?”
Felix chuckled. “No, no, not half-dressed. Just a little more suggestive. Show off your assets but in a way that is still tasteful. You want to make him look twice. Trust me, Mortcombe will not even know what hit him.”
At least, he thinks I have assets.
Eloise sighed deeply. She was willing to listen, but she would not allow Felix to think she was anything less than disgusted by his suggestion. “Fine. Anything else?”
Felix leaned in closer, his tone lowering as if sharing a secret. “It is not just about the dress, though. It is about how youlookat a man.”
Eloise raised an eyebrow. “Look at him? What do you mean?”
Felix took a step back, folding his arms as if he were an instructor in front of a pupil. “You need to look at him like he is the only man on earth. Like he is the center of your world. Flutter your lashes a bit, look up at him from under them, and hold his gaze for just a moment longer than what feels comfortable. That is how you draw him in. Make him believe that he fascinates you. That you cannot bear to look away from him.”
Eloise frowned, skeptical. “Flutter my lashes? That is ridiculous.”
“Go on, try it,” Felix encouraged, gesturing for her to give it a go.
