Page 192 of The Good Duke
Simon’s friend lifted the newspaper, concealing his face once more, but not before Simon detected another one of Pruitt’s waggish grins.
Simon growled. “Only,you, Pruitt would flirt with another man’s bride on his wedding day.”
“I cannot help I’m naturally charming, old chum,” he said before settling back into his reading.
Simon leveled a scowl on him. When Pruitt ceased his blithe existence and settled down, Simon would double—nay,triple—the hard time he gave him. That was if there existed a lady on God’s green earth who could bring the fellow to the altar.
“Among the esteemed guests included in the Duke and Duchess of G’s enchanting ceremony,” Pruitt droned on.
Persephone slipped her fingers into Simon’s. “Surely you know, dear husband,” she murmured softly. “I cannot be charmed or enticed. You’ve absolutely ruined me for all other men.”
Sitting upright, Simon inched closer to his goddess of a wife and touched his brow to hers. “I cannot tell you how happy it makes me to hear that, Your Grace.”
Persephone lifted her lips to meet his just as Simon lowered his to take her mouth.
“Ahem.”
Fuck.
Simon and Persephone jumped apart.
“As I was saying, the distinguished few included: this Season’s sparkling Diamond, Lady I. Lady I, who unbeknownst to all, was a former charge of the estimable Miss F, now Duchess of G’s ever-charming. Given her sly matchmaking between the duke and duchess, dare I say I spy the next great hostess amongst the ton? Between the lady’s cleverness, beauty, and pure heart, it is a certainty she won’t be on the Marriage Mart much longer.”
Pruitt stopped.
He’dfinallyreached the end of that blasted article. “At last.”
Instead of lowering the paper, however, Pruitt licked an index finger and flicked the page.
With Simon and Persephone’s attention back on him, Lord Kit continued.
Their unflagging narrator sat up even straighter. “Also included amongst the distinguished few to attend was none other than…” The bachelor paused—clearly for emphasis. “The dashing, the charming, wittiest, and most clever rogue,Lord K. He stood beside the Duke of G during the ceremony. Dare this author play matchmaker of her own and put forth an idea of a most perfect union between—”
Lord Kit dissolved into a paroxysm of choking. Bright red splotches formed on the gentleman’s cheeks as he struggled to get his breathing to rights.
For the first time since Pruitt settled himself in to join Simon and Persephone, Simon’s ears pricked up with genuine interest and he sat up in his seat.
“What was that, Pruitt?” he ribbed. “I’m afraid we did not catch all of that. The most perfect union between—”
Lord Kit snapped the newspaper closed. “Nothing of any real interest beyond everything I’ve already read.”
“Oh,” Simon stretched that lone syllable into four. “I’m not sure if I believe—”
“Do not encourage him, love,” Persephone whispered into his ear.
She needn’t have worried. Nothing would send Pruitt bolting faster than the thought, talk, or fear of him tied to a respectable miss.
Pruitt jumped up. “My goodness, is it truly…?” He fumbled about for his watch fob and consulted the gold, engraved timepiece. “Twenty-six minutes past two? Where has the time gone?”
Simon and Persephone joined him in standing.
Banishing all his earlier levity, Simon crossed over to Pruitt and stretched a palm out. “I truly am grateful,” he said quietly for his friend’s benefit.
Clasping Simon’s hand, Pruitt gave it a firm shake. “That I’m leaving, no doubt.”
“Yes. There issomeof that.”
Both men shared a smile.
