Page 80 of His Forbidden Duchess
“Mmm, that’s my good girl. You are quite the student, darling,” he murmured.
The implication behind his words set her heart racing once more.
“Delicious,” she murmured, licking a stray bit of juice from her lip.
Felix’s gaze followed the movement, his eyes glowing slightly although he kept his tone light.
“I am glad you think so.” He reached out, brushing a crumb from her cheek, his hand lingering a moment longer than necessary. “Though I’m not sure anything here before us this morning could compare to last night.”
Eloise’s cheeks flushed, but she didn’t look away, holding his gaze as she tilted her head.
“It was certainly not what I was expecting,” she replied with a soft giggle.
He glanced at her, momentarily worried. “But you enjoyed it, yes?”
Eloise laughed, slapping him playfully on the arm. “As if you could not tell.”
He smirked then nodded his agreement. An intimate silence settled over them, filled with a comfortable familiarity that felt new yet natural. Felix cleared his throat, his voice becoming deeper and more thoughtful.
“Do you know,” he began, his gaze dropping to the teacup in his hands, “long before you arrived here, I often pictured you at Kingswell Hall?”
“You did?” she asked, her heart fluttering at his admission.
Felix nodded, his expression contemplative. “I spent years watching you at family gatherings, wondering what it would be like if you were here. And then when you approached me with your silly little bet, well…”
“Perhaps,” she said, leaning in for a kiss, “it was not that silly after all.”
Later that afternoon Eloise walked along the grand hallway, her bare feet sinking into the thick pile of the carpet. The rain pattered against the windows, but the house was warm, and Eloise felt truly at home.
As she neared the staircase she heard the hushed voices of two maids whispering near the entrance to the servant’s corridor. She slowed her steps, pausing in the shadows to catch snippets of their conversation.
“…and can you believe it?” one of them said, her voice tinged with astonishment. “The Duchess spent the night in His Grace’s chambers. They say they are… well, you know.”
The other maid giggled, her excitement poorly contained. “It is about time! He has never been one to invite anyone to his room, not even a duchess.”
“Well, sheishis wife,” the first one said. “Maybe Mrs. Thorpe’s grand plan has been working after all.”
Eloise fought back a smile, her cheeks flushing slightly. She smoothed down her gown and continued on her way.
She normally detested gossip, but this snippet of conversation warmed her heart. It pleased her that even the household staff could see the connection developing between her and Felix.
She was just outside the drawing room when Felix appeared in the doorway, leaning casually against the frame, his arms crossed.
“Ah, there you are,” he said. “I was about to go looking for you.”
The mischievous grin on his face was lit up by the flames flickering in the fireplace.
What did I do to deserve to be such a lucky woman?
“You were?” she asked, tilting her head as she approached him. “And what, pray tell, do you need me for? Do not tell me that you arestillnot satisfied…”
“My satisfaction only last minutes when I am constantly being tempted by such a wicked duchess.”
Eloise gasped, swatting his arm as she laughed. “I am not evil. I am an exceptionally good girl, I will have you know.”
He looked at her lewdly. “Yes, I am aware.”
She giggled again. “Is that really what you wanted me for?”
