Page 9 of A Duke's Scandalous Obsession
“Riding the waves could be the same as riding a horse, I can agree there,” he smirked. “But do continue, Lord Stanhope. I am eager to hear more of Captain Hawthorne’s exploits.”
Reginald didn’t need to be told twice. He painted a vivid picture of the woman’s encounters with unexplored lands, each harboring its own secrets and peculiarities. Catherine listened, but she couldn’t stop occasionally glancing at the duke, who in turn refused to look in her direction even once. That made her even more annoyed, as if he had won some unspoken battle they were in, and he knew it.
Instead of escaping the charged atmosphere they were in, it only grew more tense, although to an innocent bystander, everything seemed normal. However, Catherine knew better than to trust that smirk which didn’t leave the duke’s lips.
Even worse, the man seemed to look twice as handsome with it on, if such a thing was even possible. She tried to focus on the fact how annoyed and conceited he was, yet her admiration for his jaw and deep, dark eyes seemed to pierce through that veil.
Fortunately, the other guests seemed to be immersed in the topic and joined in the conversation, which allowed Catherine to withdraw from it politely, glancing at the clock on the wall, counting the minutes until it would be time to go home. Reginald on the other hand, seemed to fit in perfectly,recounting the tales of other explorers, much to everyone’s amusement.
The dinner was slowly coming to an end, and Catherine was ready to go home.
“Won’t you stay for another drink?” the duke suggested to them both.
Catherine was about to thank him for the offer then refuse, but fortunately, Reginald decided to do that on behalf of them both.
“We appreciate the offer, Your Grace, but it is getting quite late,” Reginald said politely.
“Oh, nonsense,” the duke waved his hand dismissively. “There is always time for one more drink.”
“Perhaps if I didn’t have a meeting with Lord Burlington,” Reginald clarified.
Catherine raised an eyebrow. She knew that her brother’s meeting was in the afternoon. There would be no need for him to get up early for it. When Reginald glanced quickly in her direction, she understood everything and smiled gratefully.
“Well, in that case, why don’t I walk you to your carriage, then?”
The duke’s question stunned Catherine. That wasn’t a usual occurrence for a host, especially a duke, to see his guests out. That was not his job. Yet, there he was, offering. Catherine placed her hand on her brother’s arm gently.
“Oh, no need, Your Grace,” she smiled. “You have already been a most gracious host.”
“Please,” he said, surprising her with the choice of his words, which she honestly thought he was unfamiliar with up until that point. “Allow me to send you away with a better impression than I received you with.”
Chapter 5
Dominic couldn’t remember the last time a lady had provoked him to such an extent that he could barely think straight. Her retorts were praise-worthy, and the mere fact that she refused to agree with him for no reason other than to appease him titillated him beyond description. That was why he knew that he could not allow her to leave without informing her that he had plans to court her.
He, of course, expected her to agree. After all, he was an eligible bachelor, and she was a lady who needed to get married. Things were really simple. He didn’t understand why some people had to make it so complicated. Also, their little banter during dinner was just that, a game that proved to him that she was different from all the other ladies of the ton, and as such, he wanted her and no one else.
Two other guests of his had also readied to go, so a small group stayed behind, while the rest of them, led by the duke, headed out into the courtyard. Dominic walked by Reginald’s side, who stood between him and Catherine. It was impossible for Dominic to tell her anything at that point. Also, he was not particularly keen on her brother overhearing it. At least, not yet.
Dominic’s plan was simple. Announce to Lady Catherine that he found her most charming and beautiful, and as a result, he had decided to court her. She would, of course, swoon over his offer,and everything would go according to that simple plan. Dominic grinned at the thought.
He was smiling even more when he realized that Reginald had approached the two other guests, finding unexpected, common ground, which gave Dominic exactly the window of opportunity he had been searching for. He looked at her, resisting the urge to gently caress her cheek. That would be too obvious.
“You are utterly ravishing Lady Catherine,” he said in a way he didn’t expect himself to sound. He cleared his throat a little, then he continued more confidently. “I don’t think I have ever seen a more beautiful lady.”
“Oh… thank you, Your Grace,” she responded, slightly confused by this sudden and unexpected compliment, especially after the banter they had shared.
“I would consider nothing a greater honor than to court you,” he informed her with carefully chosen words. He doubted that there was a single scenario in which a lady would refuse his offer of courtship, but still, he knew that the right words were crucial.
She locked gazes with him, almost startled. Her eyes fluttered at him, but she refused to look away first, even for a single moment. She endured his gaze, then graced him with a response that felt like someone had planted him a facer right out of the blue.
“I am very flattered, Your Grace,” she spoke slowly, calmly, almost as if she had practiced for this exact scenario and she also knew when it would happen, so she seemed to have the whole situation under her control. “But I do not believe we are a good match.
That is why I believe you would be better off turning your attentions elsewhere, to a woman who would simply be nodding to everything you say, as that is truly what you are looking for.”
Dominic had never been more embarrassed or infuriated in his life. No one had ever dared to speak to him in such a manner, with such defiance, let alone a woman who had just been told that she managed to capture his attention. Any other woman would be ecstatic to be told such things, but obviously not Lady Catherine Stanhope. Before he could say anything to that, Reginald joined them.
“Alright then,” he said, blissfully unaware of the tense situation he had just interfered with. “Are you ready to go, Cate?” he asked, glancing at him, then at his sister.
