Page 23 of Taming a Beastly Duke
Adelaide bit her cheek to keep from disputing the lady’s maid’s claims. To present her proof would be to reveal her inappropriate behavior with the duke. She was surprised to realize that she was not worried about her reputation being further ruined. She was worried that if their secret was discovered, she might never get the chance to be alone with the duke again. The thought of never again feeling his lips on hers or pressing herself against his hard masculinity was horrifying. It would have to be enough that she knew he could be gentle and tender, even if she could never tell another person.
When she was dressed, Edith met her in the hallway above the stairs. Edith embraced her, examining Adelaide’s dress while Adelaide admired the soft silk of her white lace-trimmed blue gown.
“You look beautiful,” she said, kissing Adelaide on both cheeks before linking her arm through Adelaide’s.
Adelaide smiled, smoothing a wrinkle on one of Edith’s matching gloves.
“You are a vision, Edith,” she said. “You look like a princess.”
Edith laughed, blushing at the compliment.
“We will be here all evening if we continue comparing who is prettier,” she said. “Come. I cannot wait for us to go to that soiree.”
Adelaide held her smile, but she swallowed nervously. She wondered if Lady Beatrice knew anything about her scandalous past, and how she would react if she did.
As the women descended the stairs, Adelaide saw that the Duke and Lord Thomas were both waiting. Helena and the dowager duchess had not yet arrived, so the men stood alone. Adelaide’s heart raced once again when she saw that the duke was dressed in a green suit that closely matched the color of her dress. It was a plain but fashionable velvet suit trimmed with thin gold rope around the sleeve cuffs and complimented with a gold cravat. The pantaloons were plain green velvet, but his shoes were embroidered with green to match his whole attire.
Adelaide was taking in the firmness of his body beneath the sleeves of his coat when he looked up at her. Her breath caught as the stern set of his jaw softened and his eyes warmed in a way she had never seen. The warning note she had received that morning was forgotten as he gave her a smile as soft as his eyes. She had longed to melt into him and allow him to take her earlier in the library. But as his gaze, intense in a brand-new way, thrilled and heated her with more passion than ever before, she was desperate to make that happen.
***
Edith was taking note of the apparent attraction between Adelaide and Marcus. She smiled softly to herself, noticing how her brother smiled so gently at Adelaide, and how Adelaide’s cheeks turned a faint shade of pink. She bit back a giggle when Adelaide’s grip tightened on her arm. However, all that was forgotten when she realized that Thomas was looking up at her. She faltered, grateful for Adelaide, who glanced away from Marcus and gave her a concerned look.
“Are you all, right?” she asked.
Edith nodded, unable to look away from Thomas.
“Yes,” she whispered. “I just… I am well.”
Adelaide followed her gaze, giggling softly.
“I see,” she said.
Edith nodded, but she said nothing more to her friend. Instead, she stared in awe at Thomas. The admiration was clear in his eyes, and she wondered if hers was, as well. His dark blue suit was almost black, whereas her dress was azure. But they complemented each other so well that she was tempted to believe that he had read her mind about her choice of attire. And his suit fit him so well that she could see the muscles in his shoulders and thighs, causing a slow heat to build in her stomach.
When the women reached the men, it was a long moment before any of them spoke.
“Edith, you are a vision,” Thomas said. His smile was just the right balance of warm and polite, but his eyes belied his effort to keep his voice steady.
Edith blushed and curtseyed.
“Thank you,” she said. “You look rather fetching, as well.”
Thomas grinned, his eyes still flickering with a rising flame.
“I humbly accept your compliment, my lady,” he said with a grand bow.
Marcus chuckled, studying his friend with an inquisitive eye.
“You are as humble as I am short,” he said dryly.
Beside her, Adelaide giggled. It was an odd sound, strained by an unseen tension and filled with surprise. Edith recalled when her brother was once full of jokes and humor. It was refreshing to hear one after such a long time. But she did not miss Adelaide’s odd reaction, and she gave her friend a sidelong glance. Yet when she saw her brother smile in much the same manner, she began to understand.
Could it be that Marcus fancies Adelaide, after all? She wondered with a secret smile.
The group fell silent once more as the couples stood beside one another. Edith was aware of the heat from Thomas’s arm due to his proximity to her. The citrus fragrance from his perfume made her body tingle, longing to be closer to breathe deeply of him. Adelaide and Marcus continued staring at one another as if they shared an intense secret.
“Darlings, you all look wonderful,” Augusta Lockhart said as the older women descended the stairs.
