Page 34 of The Duke's Gamble
Tears formed behind her eyes and she pulled her hands out of his, hating the confusion that roiled within her. Why did she want him to think well of her? What was this force that seemed to pull her towards him and why could she not hate him with the same passion as she had once had? Angry at her own growing affection—for that, she saw, was what it was—Florentina rubbed one hand over her eyes, feeling them hot and gritty.
“You shame me, Florentina.”
She blinked furiously as the Duke finally lifted his head and, seeing her expression, quickly pulled out a handkerchief and offered it to her. When she took it, his hand lifted to her cheek and, much to her astonishment, he let his fingers brush along her skin, making her shiver lightly.
“You shame me,” he said again, a crack in his voice now. “We have spent a good deal more time together of late, have we not?”
Nodding, Florentina dabbed the handkerchief to her eyes, sniffing gently.
“And in that time, I have seen more and more the sort of gentleman that I ought to be but that I know I am not. The truth is, Florentina, I have been reflecting upon myself a good deal of late and I find myself in your shadow.Youare the one who ought to be honoured here in society for your character alone is worthy of it! I, on the other hand, have done nothing that would be worth anyone’s notice, thinking that my wealth and my property would be enough to make thetonthink well of me.”
Florentina swallowed at a sudden lump in her throat. The Dukehadbeen altering in his character of late but she had struggled to trust it, still afraid that there might be something more hiding there but now, as he spoke, she found her heart open and trusting, finally believing that all he now said was quite true.
“The ball I am to throw is to be in your honour.” He caught her hands in his again, his handkerchief falling to the ground though he did not seem to either notice or care. “I wish to make the announcement there, Florentina, that we are betrothed and will marry. What say you to that?”
For a moment, Florentina could not even take a breath. She stared back into his eyes, seeing the way he looked back at her, his hazel eyes swirling as he waited. Could it be that this was truly the same Duke as she had first been introduced to; the one who had marched into her brother’s manor house and declared it his own? He seemed so very different now, almost tender in his manner towards her and certainly caring enough for her so as to make certain she was happy and contented with the notion of a betrothal celebration.
Florentina could not help but smile. “That, I think, would be quite wonderful.”
“Truly?” The Duke exhaled loudly, looking away for a moment and Florentina laughed softly.
“Did you think I would refuse you such a request?”
The edge of his mouth lifted. “Truth be told, Florentina, I was not certain what you would say. I am overjoyed at the deepening of our connection of late, but I know that I must earn your trust, and that shall take a long time. All the same, what I have said to you this afternoon is the truth, and I will not be pushed back from it.”
She took a small step closer, her heart leaping up as his breath brushed lightly across her cheek, suddenly captured by a growing desire in her heart to be close to him… closer than she had ever been before. “I do not know why you wished to keep our betrothal from theton, but if you are determined now to announce it, then I am glad of it.”
A flush crept into the Duke’s face as he shook his head, his mouth all pinched. With a heavy sigh, he looked back at her. “Do not question my reasons for doing such a foolish thing, Florentina, for then I shall have to explain to you the extent of my foolishness, and I believe I have already dropped very low in your estimation indeed.”
Florentina smiled gently. “Though that has improved of late, Dartmoor.”
This seemed to astonish the Duke, for his eyes rounded and he gazed back at her in silence for a few moments, only to lean closer to her. The sun seemed to grow suddenly warmer, the bird song all the sweeter, and Florentina closed her eyes, her heart quick with excitement as she waited for him to close the distance between them.
And then, it came.
It was the briefest of kisses, the lightest touch of his lips against her own but it was enough to make Florentina feel as though fireworks were exploding all around her. Her breathhitched and she stood completely still, wanting the feeling to linger, for the sensation to last for as long as it might.
And then, a clamour of voices made her eyes flare wide, one hand going to her mouth.
The Duke chuckled. “If you return to the path this way, I shall make my way through the shrubbery and come out at a different place. Then I shall meander back towards you, and no one present will have any reason to suspect that there is only a brief acquaintance between us.” He took her hand and pressed a kiss to it, looking up at her as he did so and making Florentina’s whole body tingle with just a look. “After all, I would very much like it to be a surprise to all of theton… and perhaps, most of all, to Lady Dinah.”
“Lady Dinah?” Florentina began to move away from him, praying that no other couple might think to come into the shrubbery for their own few moments of solitude. “She knew of your intention to throw the ball before I.”
“Only because she does not ever release me from her conversation!” the Duke answered, with a roll of his eyes. “No, my dear Florentina, I shall look forward to making that announcement on the day of my ball, and then all will know of our intention to wed. And that, I believe, shall make me very happy.”
Florentina smiled back at him, relief pouring into her. “As it shall make me,” she whispered, before turning around and hurrying back towards the path and, thereafter, her sister.
Yes, the Duke of Dartmoor had altered his character so greatly, that Florentina did not quite know what was happening to her. Her heart was clearly affected, now pulling towards him with a strength that utterly astonished Florentina but she was quite determined not to try and restrain her feelings any longer.
Perhaps, despite it all, despite the upset, the pain and the fury which she had felt, there might come a greater happinessthan she had ever known; and it was to be found solely in the arms of the Duke.
Chapter Fourteen
Samuel pressed his lips flat as he paced up and down the room, wondering what he ought to do. He was a little frustrated with Lord Crawley’s manner towards him of late given that Samuel himself felt as though he had altered a good deal. He had tried to speak with Lord Crawley in the park some three days ago now, but Lord Crawley had not been willing to speak with Samuel and he had made that quite clear, given the way he had poured every bit of attention into Lady Christina and practically ignored Samuel.
But I should like him to be beside me when I wed,Samuel thought to himself, a little wry smile on his lips.Despite the fact that he has rejected our friendship—though I cannot blame him for it—I would like to hope that there might be something worth restoring.
With a sigh, Samuel pushed one hand through his hair and then shook his head to himself. He had thought that, after his sincere apology to Lord Crawley, there had been something of an improvement between them but for whatever reason, Lord Crawley had been entirely unwilling to engage in even the smallest conversation with him during their walk in the park with Lady Christina and Lady Florentina.
