Page 27 of A Virgin for the Duke of Depravity
Leo felt he should take his leave of her. She had one red curl dangling by her cheek, and he wished to tuck it behind her ear. Slowly, he reached for that curl, but then thought better of it and dropped his hand.
Without another word, he turned to leave.
At the door, he said, “You are free to explore the mansion. And come down for breakfast. I will not bother you beyond what you wish.”
“Thank you. Truly.”
Leo walked away from her room and back to his study. He could not keep drinking after every interaction with her, but he had no other idea how to handle this situation with her.
How could he truly protect her if he knew nothing about her? If he kept thinking of her ashis?
Margaret took Leo’s invitation to heart and finished getting ready for the day. She felt conflicted; she wanted to feel his touch again, and yet she had chastised him for it. The only remedy for her conundrum was to escape the mansion for a little while, but she knew better than to brave the streets for fear of who she might encounter.
Instead, she slipped out the kitchen door to explore more of the orangery. The breeze delicately brushed her face, her neck, her hands, calming her instantly. Inhaling deeply, she enjoyed the scent of the orange blossoms.
Finally left to her own devices, she found a tree away from the prying eyes of the servants and sat on its gnarled roots. For the first time in a long time, she was able to take another deep breath.
Her fingers plucked the wildflowers that grew around the tree, and she absentmindedly wove them together to form a crown. She had just put the finishing touches on it when she heard laughter from a few rows away.
“It seems there must be ghosts in the orchard,” she called out with a laugh.
The girls squealed with delight when they realized Margaret was hidden among the trees. She could hear the patter of their feet as they ran around, trying to find her. When Kitty finally found her, both girls tumbled down to lie beside her.
“Would you like a flower crown?” Margaret asked, holding up the one she had already made. Annie nodded, and Margaret reached out to place it on her head. “If you can help me pick more flowers, I will make one for Kitty, too.”
The girls needed no prompting to pluck the small purple and white wildflowers around them.
“Where did you learn to make flower crowns?” Kitty asked.
The girls watched, enthralled by Margaret’s skilled hands.
“It was something my mother taught me,” she said with a wistful smile. She placed the finished crown on Kitty’s head. “There. Now you are both princesses.”
“Do you want to play tag with us?” Annie asked, sitting up straighter. “I bet you won’t be able to catch us.”
Margaret pulled herself to her feet, her inner turmoil cast aside for the moment. The girls scurried off, laughing, and she hiked up her skirts and chased after them.
Until Annie took a tumble in the dirt.
“My dress,” Annie complained, a frown creasing her brow.
“It is not ruined,” Margaret said kindly.
“But itisgoing to require you to change,” Leo said from behind her.
Annie froze, but Margaret kept an easy smile on her face.
“Your Grace, there is no point in changing dresses as long as we continue to play,” Margaret interjected smoothly, turning to face him.
“And what, pray tell, are you playing?”
“Tag,” Annie volunteered. “And Margaret is chasing us.”
“I would like to see this very much,” Leo said with a tight smile. “But I do believe it is my turn to give chase.”
The girls’ eyes grew round at the idea of their uncle playing with them, but Margaret only laughed. “Catch me if you can.”
She took off running through the orangery, the girls close behind her. The reliable thud of Leo’s footsteps followed them as they wove in and out of the rows of orange trees. Until he reached out and grabbed her by the arm.
