Page 54 of In Scandal with the Duke
Her heart skipped a beat. “James!” she said softly, half in protest, half in anticipation.
He winked. “It’s the fifth door on the left. Worry not, I will not ravish you.”
As their dance concluded, he escorted her back to her mother, engaging in a few minutes of polite conversation with them. Gratefully, he then turned his attention to other ladies, dancing with them and thereby deflecting the speculative gazes from Elizabeth.
During the next hour, she engaged in polite conversation with her aunt and mother, who introduced her to several ladies whom she had not met before. Though she tried to find a moment to slip away and meet James as planned, extricating herself proved challenging. She noticed James discreetly leaving the ballroom and realized, with a hint of disappointment, that nearly another hour had passed without an opportunity to see him.
As her mother continued to monopolize her time, Elizabeth resigned herself to the likelihood that she wouldn’t meet him that evening. Her aunt approached, a hand pressed to her forehead. “I have the most dreadful migraine coming on,” she lamented. “The noise is not helping.”
“We shall leave,” her mother decided swiftly.
Very well,” her aunt agreed. “It is so dreadful to come now. I am sorely vexed.”
Elizabeth said, “Aunt, once we reach home, you will need a tisane.”
Aunt Sally squeezed her arm. “Oh, no, my dear, I would never forgive myself if you had to leave too. This is a great opportunity.”
“No, Aunt, it is not,” Elizabeth responded, her voice tinged with exasperation. “It does not mean anything that our family received an invitation. The duke has no intention of marrying, and the most our family can claim is a friendship.”
“I still will not forgive myself if you have to leave as well,” her aunt insisted, her tone firm. “The night is young, not yet midnight. Enjoy yourself and dance the night away. We will send back the carriage for you.”
“Are you certain?” Elizabeth asked.
“Yes,” her aunt confirmed with a nod.
“Are you not worried I shall be alone without a chaperone?”
“Pish,” her mother dismissed lightly. “You are a young lady of three and twenty and with good sense.”
If only they knew the scandalous nature of her planned meeting with the duke, Elizabeth thought wryly, her mother might indeed expire from shock. With a mix of relief and anticipation, she watched as her mother and aunt departed from the ball. She waited a few more discreet moments before slipping away, her heart beating with excitement and nerves.
She hurried down the hallway and knocked softly on the library door before entering. Inside, James was lounging casually on a large oak desk, a glass of whisky in his hand. At her entrance, he set the glass down and stood up, his eyes lighting up with amusement and something warmer. Elizabeth closed the door and locked it.. Laughing, she rushed toward him and leaped into his arms.
CHAPTER19
James chuckled and effortlessly caught Elizabeth. She wrapped her legs around his hips, her arms sliding around his neck.
“Your Grace,” she drawled playfully. “I’ve kept you waiting.”
James responded by spinning her around and setting her gently atop his desk, her legs still wrapped securely around his hips. He traced the bridge of her nose with his fingertip, his touch light and sensual down to the hollow of her cheek and the shape of her bottom lip. His fingers, long and warm, stroked down her neck
“I have an unusual confession,” he said softly.
“Oh?”
His eyebrows quirked teasingly. “I missed you.”
Elizabeth’s breath caught and her heart ached. She wanted this man with a breathlessness that knew no bounds. “I am remarkably lovely; of course, you would miss me.”
His eyes danced with amusement and something tender. “Ah, now I see the appeal of charming arrogance you mentioned.”
She smiled. “I missed you too, James, so very much. How was your trip?”
“It was good. I will let you know more about it tomorrow.”
“Where are we going tomorrow?”
“We will visit The Royal Museum and then have a picnic in Kensington Gardens. I will collect you in my phaeton.”
