Page 34 of A Duke's Scandalous Obsession
“You always know how to make an old woman feel special, Dominic,” she said, her eyes sparkling, almost as if Dominic’s words made her twenty years younger. “I’m just so happy to have you and Catherine here with us.”
As Dominic and his aunt shared a tender moment, Catherine couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to that man than met the eye. His aunt seemed to be a good judge of character, and she was utterly mesmerized by him. That much was evident. The twoshared a bond that transcended mere family ties and spoke of a deep and abiding love.
Shortly after, someone suggested a game of croquet. Everyone seemed to love the idea, even the hostess herself.
“Only if I can be in Catherine’s team, and we shall play against Dominic and his team,” Aunt Penelope revealed, and everyone seemed to agree.
“Oh, is that how we are going to play?” Dominic stood up theatrically, shaking his fist playfully at his aunt. “You ladies are going to lose!”
“We shall see about that!” Aunt Penelope chuckled, getting up as well, then turning to Catherine. “How about it, my dear? Shall we show them how this game is played?”
“Most certainly,” Catherine giggled, enjoying the competitive nature that the game had taken on.
The rest of the guests divided themselves between their two teams and the lush lawn was soon transformed into a makeshift croquet court, with colorful hoops and mallets scattered about, ready for eager participants to test their skill.
Aunt Penelope’s team lounged against a bench as they watched Dominic and his team take their positions on the croquet court.The air was alive with anticipation and amusement, as the gentle murmur of conversation could be heard, mixed with the occasional thud of mallets against the ball.
Aunt Penelope leaned closer to Catherine, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. “I have a feeling our team is going to give them quite the run for their money, my dear,” she whispered conspiratorially.
Catherine couldn’t help but chuckle at Aunt Penelope’s confident assertion. “Oh, I have no doubt about that,” she replied, her tone laced with amusement. “Although knowing Dominic, he might have a few tricks up his sleeve.”
As if on cue, Dominic approached them with a sly grin, his eyes dancing with a playful challenge. “I hope you ladies aren’t too confident in your abilities,” he teased, his tone filled with mock concern. “I wouldn’t want you to be too disappointed when my team emerges victorious.”
Aunt Penelope chuckled at his comment. “Oh, Dominic, my dear, dear boy. You still haven’t learned not to underestimate a clever woman. And here you have two,” she replied with a wink, much to everyone's amusement.
With a playful roll of his eyes, Dominic took his place on the croquet court, ready to lead his team to victory. Catherine watched with a smile as the game unfolded, the friendlybanter and light-hearted competition only adding to the overall excitement that seemed to reign in the air.
As the game progressed and the tension mounted, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of exhilaration coursing through her veins. With each swing of the mallet and each strategic maneuver, she found herself drawn to this man who seemed to awaken all sorts of emotions inside of her, none of which she could explain.
How could she possibly be attracted to someone who forced her to marry him? How could she laugh at his funny retorts? How could she think him so devilishly handsome? How could she wish to be in his arms in the darkest hours of the night? She scolded herself silently for those thoughts, yet she knew that she could not banish them no matter how hard she tried.
As the final shot rang out across the croquet court, Catherine’s team erupted into cheers, their mallets held high in victory. Aunt Penelope and Catherine exchanged triumphant glances. Aunt Penelope couldn’t resist a playful jab at Dominic as he approached, with an expression of disbelief and good-natured amusement on his face.
“Well, well, well,” Aunt Penelope teased, “it seems that the ladies have emerged victorious once again.:
Catherine was unable to resist joining in. “It appears you did underestimate us, Your Grace,” she quipped, her tone light and teasing, as she purposefully used his title and not his name.
Dominic chuckled in a way that made Catherine’s knees weak. It was one of those carefree, genuine chuckles that she loved so much. The sound was melodious, and it made his features even more handsome, even more striking.
“I must admit, I stand corrected,” he said much to her surprise. She was yet to hear him admit that he was wrong. And now, that was exactly what was happening. It had to be because of his aunt. With her, he was not pretending to be better or smarter. He was simply himself, and Catherine was curious to catch a deeper glimpse into who he was when no one was looking.
“Do you now?” his aunt teased again.
“Absolutely,” he nodded, conceding defeat with a gracious smile. “You ladies certainly put up quite the fight.”
As they gathered to celebrate their victory with a round of refreshments, Catherine couldn’t help but feel a sense of gratitude for these joyful moments. She couldn’t even imagine that she would have any by Dominic’s side, but fate was proving her wrong.
***
“I do like having guests,” Aunt Penelope said, raising her glass of wine during dinner that same evening. “But you two are my favorite.”
“Thank you, Aunt Penelope,” Catherine gushed, raising her own glass.
She welcomed the peaceful dinner after what was an exhausting, but a fun filled day. The three of them were gathered around the elegant dining table, over which Aunt Penelope presided with grace and charm.
“It was really a lovely party,” Catherine added.
“I am very happy you enjoyed it, my dear,” Aunt Penelope smiled. “But I do believe I am not as energetic as I used to be. They tire me out much more than before, these parties.”
