Page 40 of A Translation of Desire
That seemed to fill him with even more alarm. Before he could ask anything else, Lady Viviene appeared with her mother. “Your Grace, may we join you?”
He forced himself to smile. “Of course, Lady Viviene.”
This was Rose’s opportunity to escape. She smiled sweetly at the ladies. “Enjoy your conversation. I have something to speak with the Duchess of Lusby about.”
They both beamed and turned their attention to Sinclair. Lady Viviene fluttered her eyelashes dramatically. Annoyance flared in Rose, and she pivoted, heading as far away from them as possible. Behind her, Sinclair said to Lady Viviene and Lady Baston, “I will fetch you champagne and return in a moment.”
Her annoyance intensified as she sensed the duke behind her. She stopped and glanced back. “Stop following me.”
He scowled. “Our conversation isn’t done.”
“Why? Why does this matter to you?”
“Because I care about you,” he snapped.
She gasped, shocked. He gritted his teeth and took a deep breath. “We have become friends. I want to make sure you are safe. Additionally, there are other things we need to discuss. This theft may have some unusual connections. Meet me in the library later tonight, after everyone has gone to sleep. We need to talk.”
Rose nodded, confused by his statement. What did he know that she didn’t? She hated to admit it, but she would have met him even without the added intrigue. She wanted to spend time with him. It was that simple.
He sighed. “I have to fetch champagne. I’ll see you later tonight.
She watched him stalk to a table filled with glasses of the bubbly liquid. Confusion swarmed through her. What was she doing with the duke? An image of him running his lips along her jaw flashed in her mind, and she flushed.Stop it, she told herself. She swore they would just be friends. Rose needed to stop fantasizing about him.
“Sorry if I caused trouble between the two of you,” Lisbeth said, joining her.
She shook her head. “It’s fine.”
A smirk formed on the duchess’s face. “He is rather protective of you.”
“We are just friends,” Rose said.
Lisbeth lifted a brow as if she didn’t believe her. “You can like him.”
“For what purpose?”
The duchess walked to a smaller sitting area along the wall of the great hall and motioned for Rose to join her. She plopped down in a wingback chair across from her.
“He seems to like you,” Lisbeth said. “A duke would be a wildly great match.”
“I didn’t come here to find a husband. I came here to decipher the tablets.”
Lisbeth shrugged. “Why can’t you do both?”
“We don’t suit,” Rose insisted.
“Why?”
“He is a duke, and I’ve spent most of my life living in tents. He told me he has never even left England. What do we have in common?” Rose hissed.
Lisbeth frowned at her, seemingly shocked at her temper. “He never shows anyone attention, and yet, when you are around, he can’t help but seek you out.”
Why did Lisbeth’s words fill her with both hope and concern? “Practically, we would never work.”
The duchess shrugged. “All is possible if the people it affects want it bad enough.”
Rose’s gaze drifted to where Sinclair still stood with Lady Viviene. The lady was perfect for him. She liked history, understood all of society’s rules, and seemed to truly care for him. She was a sound choice. Friends was the wise option for Rose and Sinclair.
*
