Page 34 of Destined to be a Duchess
Marianne’s lips parted slightly in surprise. He wished they hadn’t. The sight tortured him, only confusing him further. How easy it would have been to lean forward and kiss her. In the selfish second that followed, he imagined the feeling of her body in his arms, the taste of her in his mouth, like cherry ratafia, that damned perfume she wore, maddening him.
He wanted to kiss her more than he had wanted anything in his life, and then he hated himself for thinking it, wished that she would disappear altogether, hated himselfmorebecause of that.
He tried to rationalize his desire. It was not Marianne. It was his loneliness, their proximity, the stress of the party, a perversion on his part. He thought and kept thinking, and eventually, Marianne pressed her lips together again, breaking the spell she had unwittingly cast.
Anthony stepped back, horrified at himself, clearing his throat. “We should return inside,” he mumbled, scrubbing a hand over his mouth. “You should …Yes, you should go.”
He saw Marianne nod out of the corner of his eye. He couldn’t bear to look at her, and thankfully, she didn’t seem eager to look at him either.
“Of course, Your Grace,” she replied, curtsying.
Curtsying?
“I’ll see you inside at once,” she said as she left.
She disappeared like he had imagined her, leaving him alone on the balcony. He sought purchase on the railing, collapsing forward under the weight of his shame. She must have seen where he was looking, must have been able to read his disgraceful thoughts all over his face.
His gaze fell to the cheroot. The tip was still smouldering, glowing, despite his best efforts at extinguishing it:Perfect, contained destruction.
Chapter 14
“There’s not that much to it, surely. You’re telling me you never participated in one of the races at Oxford? Never rode in one of thosegondolas,notin all that time you spent in Italy with my father? What on earth did you occupy yourself with?”
Anthony scowled, staring across the water while Eliana blathered on beside him. He had found himself in the unfortunate position of escorting her down to the lake after breakfast, having been initially cornered by Warren and then stuck with her when the others had begun making their way towards their activity that morning.
The lake’s surface was gently undulating, a deep slate blue colour that looked unnaturally clear. Anthony could all too easily imagine Warren sending his manservants down into the lake with nets, tasked with purging the water of every blemish, living or otherwise, until it was deemed clean enough for the boating that morning.
“There was a war going on,” Anthony reminded her, toeing the bank of the lake with the tip of his boot. “I was there for study, not for pleasure. Most of my days were spent indoors sketching or visiting places that your father deemed educational to me.”
“Ah, so you’re one of thosescholarlyartists.” Eliana’s tone was teasing, and it grated on Anthony’s nerves. She gave herparasol a little twirl when he glowered at her. “You’ll have to forgive me. I’m sure the trip was perfectly necessary and not at all undertaken for any selfish reasons—even with that little war going on, as you said.”
“Yes, and I imagine you spent the last two years industriously yourself,” Anthony rebutted. There was no point mincing his words. “How were things for you in London?”
“Oh, you are so very boring, Anthony.” Eliana scoffed, rolling her eyes for emphasis. “It’s no fun to bicker with you because you always take things too personally.” She glanced over her shoulder, looking at the mass of guests accumulating around the lake. “But since you asked, my Seasons were fine. Surely you did not expect me to settle for the first suitor who came knocking? And they did come knocking, in droves.”
Anthony laughed under his breath. “Since I was not here, I will just have to take your word for it. Your mother—”
“What about her?”
“I only meant to ask what she had thought of your progress and where she had gone.” Anthony crossed his arms over his chest, surprised by Eliana’s barked question. It had been said viscously, even for her. “My own mother fully anticipated her presence here this week. When did the marchioness leave?”
“A few months ago, if you must know. And frankly, you do not need to know anything about her. It’s my father you are friends with, not my mother,” Eliana replied, her face falling. “She is with her family in Carlisle for the summer, though in her last letter, she mentioned wanting to return to our home in France now that the war was done. I should like to go there myself if she does.” She paused, looking up at Anthony through the line of her long, black lashes. “Perhaps you could join us.”
“I have rather one too many things that require my attention here.” Anthony shook his head at the understatement.
“Yes … I’ve met thethingsdominating your attention at present.” Eliana angled herself towards the crowd of guests. Anthony couldn’t see Marianne among them but imagined Eliana was looking for her. “She’s a lovely woman—if a little rough around the edges. Are you in love with her?”
Anthony looked at her so quickly that he got whiplash. He gritted his teeth together, rubbing his sore neck as Eliana burst out laughing. She was joking, thank God. To Eliana, Marianne couldn’t have been deemed well-bred enough to tempt Anthony. Little did she know, he thought, about his improper feelings the night prior.
Like the crick in his neck, he hoped they would pass in time.
“You shouldn’t joke about things like that—I know,” Eliana continued, imitating him. “It was worth it to see the look on your face. We may have our differences, but I know you’re not completely hopeless. Lady Marianne is pretty enough. Perhaps she could trap a knight if she plays her cards right.”
Eliana side-eyed him. “But I’d be careful around her. You know well enough that a match between the two of you would be impossible, but Marianne does not yet know the rules of our world. She could misinterpret your charity towards her as something more.”
“Lady Marianne is much brighter than you give her credit. She may not yet understand everything about theton, but she is naturally sensible and practical.” Anthony stopped himself, not wanting to fuel Eliana’s deranged suspicions by rightfully complimenting Marianne any more than was necessary to prove his point. “I enjoy her company. I see no reason why another lord should not get along with her just fine.”
Saying as much made a knot form in his stomach. He didn’t like to think of Marianne on the marriage mart, yet he wasn’t sure why.
