Page 62 of Dukes Are Forever
Or defanged, he'd said, with a wry little smile.
Ha. Ha. Ha.Adele had laughed politely, for she was an expert at playing the game.
She hadn't trusted Devoncourt—she never truly trusted any blue blood—but he'd been polite and charming. And worse, he'd paid her enough attention that she'd begun to think him harmless enough.
He'd even set one or two of his little lickspittles into place when they'd treated her condescendingly.
Now that she knew who he was, she could see right through his ploys.
By the time the morning's sunlight began to brighten into midafternoon, she'd compiled a good four dozen potential SOG members; another dozen or so who were too brainless to be involved, but might have kissed enough boots to be useful; and several dozen other young blue bloods who she was fairly certain weren't involved.
And she'd circled the top five potential ringleaders or influencers.
Malloryn might not want her involved, but perhaps she could help in some small way.
With a sigh, Adele collected her pages and headed for the door. Who was she fooling? Whether he wanted her insight or not, at least she felt like she'd contributed.
As if to spite her, Malloryn was just making his way up the stairs when she strode into the hallway. For a second their eyes locked, and she was right back there in his study in Hardcastle Lane, staring into his eyes as he slowly kissed her.
A rush of heat went through her, and curse her treacherous body, but a shiver of tension curled deep in her abdomen.
"Duke," she said coolly, to cover the reaction.
"Duchess." He paused, his gaze sliding slowly over her. "You look like you've been up to some mischief."
"I wouldn't dare."
"Somehow I find that difficult to believe. You live for such mischief."
The teasing way he said it hearkened back to the flirtation of the previous couple of days.
Adele did not take the bait. "If you'll excuse me, I have matters to see to. You want to find your SOG?" She slammed the pieces of paper against his chest. "Then I suggest you start here. It's a list."
Swishing past him, she summoned the nearest housemaid for her hat and day jacket.
"Where are you going?" Malloryn demanded, following her down the stairs.
"I'm fairly certain I have some jewelry to purchase. Maybe a little mindless giggling on Bond Street with some of my friends? Or if I'm really lucky, a thrilling encounter with the milliner."
"For a second I thought you were referring to your new modiste," he mused. "The one you spoke of the other day."
Adele paused in the entry as the maid slipped her day jacket over her shoulders. Was he referring to—?
He was.
It was as if the yesterday hadn't happened.
Flirt with other men, he'd told her. Make a disparaging comment or two in public. But right here, right now, he was the one flirting with her, as if nothing had changed. As if they could both pretend in private there was something more between them.
She was growing so tired of playing pretend.
Malloryn lounged on the stairs, his hands in his pockets and no sign of the papers she'd given him. His eyes glinted with challenge, but what was the point, really?
"You thought wrong," Adele told him, tipping her chin up. "I canceled my order. It seems there was no point in it. And I thought it was what you would want."
And then she smiled at the maid and accepted her hat as the door opened before her.
Adele did not look back.
