Page 23 of How to Seduce a Duke this Autumn
“Lessons,” he repeated, the faintest hint of amusement curling at the edges of his mouth. “Should you wish to ease your difficulty, I would be glad to assist.” She wasn’t sure if he winked at her and barely had time to complete the thought when he added, “To maintain the truce, of course. Nothing else.”
I don’t believe him.
Charlene’s pulse quickened, but not from surprise. Her cheeks felt hot beneath her mask, and she counted every delicate footfall as though it might disguise the sharp anger twisting beneath her ribs. “How very magnanimous of you, Your Grace, but I would rather endure my shortcomings than accept your tutelage.”
“We don’t have to make our interaction a battleground, you know.” His voice softened then, carrying just enough intensity to pull her eyes back to his. “What I mean is simple—I wish to help. And to encourage something I daresay would suit us both.” He paused briefly, then added with a clarity that made her wish they weren’t crossing the center of the ballroom. “I want to be friends again.”
Friends. The word hung in the air between them, incongruous in its simplicity. Charlene’s gut twisted, though not in the way she might have expected. She averted her gaze, watching how her skirts brushed against her feet, the hem threatening to catch in the delicate arches of her slippers. A thousand retorts swirled in her mind, yet none seemed sufficient for the weight behind his offer.
“I am not certain what you expect of me,” she murmured at last, just above the swell of the orchestra. “Friendship under these circumstances feels unsuitable. And unwelcome.”
He didn’t release her hand, didn’t falter in his steps. “Then consider it patience. I’ll wait until it becomes welcome.”
“Why?” she all but croaked.
His mouth twitched as if he were suppressing a laugh. “My mother said these balls are to forge connections. Let’s connect.”
She tightened her grip on his shoulder. “You misunderstand me, Your Grace. What you ask is not merely unwelcome. It is impossible.”
Charlene was glad her mask offered her a layer of protection from the heat she glimpsed in those eyes. They had no business looking so sincere, so utterly determined. The realization chilled her more than she wished to admit. And when the violins began to ease into the final stretch of the waltz, and he steered her into a graceful turn, she counted the seconds until she could slip free of his touch.
“I hope you don’t think these dances will soften my resolve,” she said stiffly as the music slowed, her curtsy already forming in her mind. “Whatever lesson it is you imagine teaching me, Adam, I have no interest in learning.”
He bowed as their movements came to a natural end. “Perhaps not yet,” he said softly, his gaze lingering on hers. Then, with a bow sharp enough to suggest he meant every word, he stepped aside, leaving her with the space she had craved.
Charlene clenched her gloved fingers at her sides, standing tall even as her breath wavered. She refused to look back at him as she turned and moved toward the edge of the floor. But his words lingered behind her, daring her to dwell on them. Friends. Lessons. Patience.
Impossible. And yet somehow, impossibly tempting.
Chapter Six
Charlene groaned whenthe music stopped, and she made her way back to her friends in a daze. They stared at her wide-eyed, Maddie fanning her face furiously. This time, she did groan. She’d practically fled the dance floor the moment the orchestra’s last note struck.
Just feel my body.
Her heart hammered within her breast, her breath coming out short. The heat of his hand on her waist lingered, a strange, discomforting feeling.
Relax, his soft timbre whispered in her head.
Why was he so nice to her? She’d distance herself from him and hadn’t even been there for him with his father’s death, and also… the same blood that pulsed through his hateful brother pulsed through him. That could never be changed.
She had not forgotten the promise she’d made to herself—never again, she had sworn, would she entangle herself with a Cross. So, why had she agreed to dance with him?
They were all the same.
He wasn’t her orchid.
He was just some plant in some pot.
No steady fern.
Her hands shook as she adjusted her mask again, praying it concealed the heat radiating from her face.
“Char,” Maddie said, her gaze flicking beyond her before meeting her gaze again. And then she felt it. His presence. She didn’t need to glance over her shoulder to confirm.
He had followed her.
She turned, her eyes locking with his.
