Page 31 of How to Seduce a Duke this Autumn
“Well, one chose me,” he muttered offhandedly. “I can’t answer that question, Mother, since they were masked.” And why would Charlene come to see his mother?
Her eyes narrowed on him, something no man wanted from their mother. “You didn’t ask for their names?”
“That would defeat the purpose of a masquerade, would it not?”I live and breathe the only name that matters every moment of my life—Charlene. Nobody else holds any sway over me.
His mother studied him for a short, but severe moment before she leaned back in her chair. “Very well. Hold onto your stubbornness, Adam. But you cannot hide behind your ledgers indefinitely.”
“Is that not the very definition of stubbornness?”
His mother’s lips twitched as though suppressing a smile. “You’ve inherited your father’s penchant for deflecting. He always thought he was terribly clever at it, too.”
Adam arched a brow, leaning back in his chair. “Is that so?”
“Quite,” she replied smoothly. “But I always knew when he was hiding something. Just as I know with you.”
“I’m not hiding anything,” Adam said, his tone flat.
“Then why do you look like you’re debating whether to blurt something out? The quill will snap if you keep toying with it like that.”
Adam glanced at the quill in his hand, realizing he was pressing the thing into the desk. He set it aside. “I’m not in the mood for this discussion.”
His mother laughed, a soft sound that softened the usual sharpness of her gaze. “Men usually aren’t.”
He debated whether to tell his mother about David but thought better of it. He’d only be sullying her mood and might cause her unnecessary concern for something that might not occur. Given the beating and warning he’d given his brother never to set foot in England again unless he wished to die, the man shouldn’t dare disobey him.
However, David had more courage than sense.
“Wife aside, the estate won’t perish if you leave the study occasionally. At the very least, go have a bit of fun.”
“I believe our definition of fun is different.”
His mother pointed to the ledger. “I know this is not yours.”
“I’ve changed since I was a boy.”
She inclined her head. “Indeed, boys do change, but some things remain ever constant—such as their penchant for keeping secrets from their mothers. Now, what is it you are concealing?”
He hesitated, his thumb brushing the edge of the desk. “Nothing of consequence, I assure you.”
“Nonsense,” she said firmly. “That answer alone is trouble enough as it is.”
“Only because your curiosity knows no bounds,” he countered, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
She laughed lightly, the sound warm and teasing. “That much is true. I do delight in unearthing secrets, particularly those that leave you brooding so. Mark my words, my dear—I shall uncover it. I always do.”
Ah, the delight of meddling mothers.
He didn’t reply, and after a moment, his mother rose gracefully.
“I trust you will do the right thing,” she said, moving toward the door. She glanced over her shoulder, adding, “And try not to brood too much. It’s unbecoming.”
When the door clicked shut behind her, Adam exhaled and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. Despite his mother’s nagging, despite whether his brother would be returning, he couldn’t stop thinking about her.
Would she come?
Chapter Eight
The next morningat dawn, she found herself in Green Park, where the crisp breeze nipped at her cheeks and tugged at the edges of her cloak. She drew it closer, the heavy folds of wool warding off the chill. But the shiver running through her wasn’t from the cold. It started somewhere deeper, stirred by the mere thought of Adam and the quiet intensity he carried, a presence so steady and unshakable it seemed to linger even in his absence.
