Page 12 of A Scandalous Love for the Enticing Duke
“I beg your pardon?”he finally spoke, his voice a rich tenor, soft and smooth that it sent waves of tingles over her body. This shook her, so much that she flinched as though she had been hit. Deciding not to give her response to his voice too much thought – at least for now – she blinked, keeping her composure.
“I asked if you are in need of my assistance, seeing as you followed me into this enclosed space.” She knew he had not followed her. The incredulous look he gave her as she said those words confirmed her thoughts. Then his lips curved into a big smile, revealing clean white teeth, so bright that he dazzled her. She saw nothing else for split seconds, only that bright smile until she shook her head, accompanied with a mental slap.
“Ahh. I see. You have got it wrong, I am afraid, for I did not follow you. In fact, before I turned just now from locking the door, I have never set my eyes upon you in all of my years! I would know, for one never forgets such ethereal beauty that makes him wonder if he were still on earth or has died and gone to heaven.”
The way he said it, like he meant every word and was not just simply reciting a line of Shakespeare settled well with Eleanor, too well. For the first time in ages, she felt heat begin to crawl up her cheeks. It simply could not be, could it? How could this man who had not said more than a handful of words, achieve a feat so many had tried to, only to fail hopelessly over and over?
“So, you mean to tell me you have come to this library on your own?”That came out wrongly for she had not intended to add the note of accusation to her voice, but it snuck in, anyway. She set her lips in a stubborn line, determined to offer no apology.
“Would you believe me if I said yes?” he countered. She opened her mouth to reply, but he stopped her.
“Never mind. It matters not, for the truth remains the truth, whether you believe or not. I believe I too should ask what a fair damsel, such as yourself is doing in this place...” He paused to look around, and she followed his gaze. When he looked back at her, their eyes met, and her heart skipped a beat.“...When the soiree is in full swing below. Mayhap, you won’t find it impertinent of me if I enquire whether you are here for a secret rendezvous? If that is the case, then I shall just pick a few books and be on my way.”
Secret rendezvous? Eleanor wondered to herself. What was that supposed to mean? She was about to ask when it suddenly came to her. Amused, rather than cross at his imagination, she found herself smiling as she asked,“Oh. You mean a meeting with a secret lover? Mayhap, an affair that would be a scandal if discovered? Indeed, My Lord. You are right. I am here for a secret rendezvous.” The twinkle in her eyes increased as she saw the horror on his face. Oh, how disappointed he must be to know that a lady such as herself would engage in such illicit activities. He must be even more shocked that she had agreed to the accusation, so willingly. She wanted to laugh but managed to keep the laughter in for long enough to add her finishing piece.
“My first love, after all, are these fine persons in the shelves, and I have come here to meet with them, spend some private time in our own little previous world. Surely, I cannot be crucified for that?”
She knew when realisation hit. His head dropped, and he raised his right hand to give himself a small smack in the forehead.
“You mean the books, do you not?” He looked up, anticipating her reply, and she found herself enjoying this too much.
“Indeed. That is right. One’s true love cannot be headline for a scintillating scandal, now, can it?” She wondered if her eyes twinkled as they always did when she got up to mischief of her own.
The strange man dropped his head again, but she caught the huge smile that had taken over his face, just in time. Unable to hold it in anymore, she finally let the laughter out. She laughed loud and long, unable to control herself. Her hands flew to her stomach as they started to hurt from the cracking of her ribs, while the other hand remained over her mouth, to account for some amount of courtesy.
By the time she could regain control of herself, tears lingered in her eyes, and she had to blink repeatedly to keep them in, lest they smeared the black liquid that lined her eyes.
“You must consider yourself a jokester, My Lady.”
He started moving towards her then, and as he stepped closer, she could see his face more clearly. But oh, he was even more handsome at a closer range, she mused, as she began to note the finest features she had ever seen on any man – not that she had ever cared to notice, but somehow, she just could not miss this man. He was blond, the hair atop his head, his moustache, his stubble, all were the colour of the sun. The way he advanced towards her, with the pride of a man who knew his worth on his shoulders, his gait, light on the floor and smooth. He entranced her, and Eleanor deciphered with a start, that for the first time in her eighteen years of life, she was attracted to a man – this man. Swallowing hard, she struggled to remember what they had been discussing and grappled for a witty response.
“A jokester? Not entirely. Howbeit, you cannot deny that that was clever. My apologies, but I could not resist, seeing how quickly you jumped to conclusions about my person.”
“I did not mean to make improper assumptions my lady, I beg for your forgiveness. It was merely a question, mayhap, not so innocent, but I assure you it was asked out of plain curiosity, not from any hasty judgement of your person.”
“So, being curious about the promiscuous ways of a stranger is common to you, My Lord? That is not a noble way to live, if you ask me.” At least, this would teach him to be more careful, so as not to shoot himself in the foot next time.
“That is only fair. In answer to your question my fair lady, no. It is not a tradition for me. I only found the situation rather, unusual.”
He finally stopped in front of her and towered above her by at least a good six inches. She raised her head higher, so that she could look him in the face. The first thing she noticed this close, was his chiseled jaw. Then, his eyes. They were the grey of a thunder cloud. Unique and beautiful. Focus, Eleanor! Drawing herself back to the conversation at hand, she smiled at his words, understanding now, why he had such unbelievable thoughts about her person in the first place.
“I suppose you are right. It is not often one finds a lady in a library, having a rendezvous with books especially when she should be in a ballroom, dancing into the night with men of her choosing.”
“Ah. You do get my point. I suppose we are both cut out from the same cloak. Look at me, here in a bid to find some worthy books to keep myself occupied for some weeks, after my best friend tried to persuade me to join him in the wooing and winning. He was of the opinion that there would be many fine ladies whose acquaintance we would be fortunate to make. I would like to see his expression when he finds out the good fortune my odd quest has brought me.”
For the third time that night, Eleanor blushed at the words of this very intriguing man. Having him so close, she felt her body begin to warm and tingle from the pure male heat he exuded, especially when he spoke and his voice washed over her. Especially when his eyes held hers so intensely, like he could see into her innermost parts, discover the secret desires she kept hidden. An alarm sounded in her mind telling her to put as much distance as possible between herself and this man. She had always thought it silly when ladies fawned over a gentleman and claimed that their bodies threatened to turn into puddles after melting from so much heat. Now, she found herself in that exact position and feared that the same fate may befall her.
Her decision was made immediately. She had to stop this chit chat with this man once and for all and move on with the business which had brought her here, in the first place.
“Mayhap, you shall find the time to tell him this tale before the ball sees its end. If you would excuse me, My Lord, I rather hope to commence that tour I had in mind, before the interruption.”
With this, she dropped a little curtsy and turned to go over to the first shelf, not even waiting for an answer. No matter how much he drew her into him, keeping a safe distance was the best thing to do.
Chapter 9
Nicholas knew rejection when he got one. That he did not live the kind of life Benjamin lived, did not mean he was totally inexperienced. He had had his own fair share of women. So indeed, he knew rejection when he saw one and this lady had just rejected him, even so subtly. Still, he was intrigued. Intrigued as he never had been in his entire life. This woman, whoever she was, was making him feel things he had never felt before. Ever. How, in such little time, he wondered. He was aware that this could pose a problem, especially since he was no longer a free man, but a man promised to a lady whom his parents had sworn was fair and lovely. Still, he could not deny the way his heart swelled, the way his pulse jumped when she smiled. There was also the fact that he had had to call himself back from watching her lips move several times in the last few minutes. Each time, he had experienced a stirring below his belt, and the knowledge of what she was doing to him was near driving him mad. He didn’t even know her name!
All that he knew was that she was witty, sharp-tongued, and she loved books. He was certain that those were the requirements of his ideal woman, the one he often dreamed up in his head. Now she had a face. It only came as a bonus that she was beautiful. Oh yes, she was. When he stood so close to her, he had seen her face quite clearly, thanks to the gas lamps that burned brightly in the room. Bloody hell! She was even more beautiful on a closer look. Her eyes were the most beautiful colour he had even seen on any woman. Sparkling violet, a rather fitting colour for a woman as unique as her.
