Page 20 of One Night for Seduction
Careful to stay out of sight, she moved closer to the open door and listened.
“I disagree,” said a male voice. “Defining the pound sterling relative to gold was the wisest act Parliament made last year.”
Diana blinked. This was definitely not the drunken banter she had feared.
“Don’t let Colehaven hear you go on about it,” said another. “You’ll fill his head with flowers.”
“That was one of his?” The first man asked.
“On the committee,” a third voice confirmed. “Don’t you remember when he barely stayed for more than a pint before going off to shut himself in his office to rewrite drafts?”
“No,” the first man said with a laugh. “I drankmypints. Can’t recall a thing.”
Glasses clinked together.
With a little smile, Diana shook her head and turned to go.
“Think he’ll have married off that Middleton chit by now?” asked another voice.
Diana froze in place.
“He’s on a winning streak, isn’t he?” Said one of the men. “Besides, I hear she’s comely enough, if you catch sight of her.”
“Mayhap,” another said slowly. “Then again, didn’t Thaddeus claim she was nigh unmarriageable?”
“Not ‘nigh’ unmarriageable,” corrected his friend. “Unmarriageable.”
Diana swayed, her head dizzy.Thadsaid that? Her stomach sank. He wasn’t just her guardian. He was her cousin and only friend. Everyone thought of them as practically siblings. Diana loved him like a brother.
And he could not wait to be rid of her.
“That’s as may be,” said another. “But Colehaven would not have agreed to the scheme unless he was confident he’d come through a winner. I imagine he has a whole host of potential suitors in mind.”
Her stomach sank. The news was worse by the second.
“Wager you’re right,” said the first man. “Colehaven’s probably drafting up marriage contracts as we speak.”
She curled her shaking fingers into fists. To the devil with the duke’s potential suitors—and her cousin’s lack of faith in her worth. She was no man’s pawn.
Diana definitely wasn’t going to be married off against her will because some opinionated duke believed he knew what she wanted better than she did. Or maybe he didn’t care what she wanted at all. She was just a wager. Another notch on his fancy winning streak.
Without a word, she stalked out through the kitchen and into the sunlight. A grim smile curved her lips.
The Duke of Colehaven believed himself capable of playing puppet-master over Diana’s life? He had vastly underestimated his opponent.
She’d be the one to playhim.
Chapter 8
Cole strode through the main entrance of the Wicked Duke with his brow furrowed in thought.
“Colehaven!” came the rallying cry. A dozen mugs toasted him in unison.
He took his usual seat amongst the usual crew, but little about his life seemed usual anymore. He didn’t even want the frothy ale the barkeep slid in his direction. Instead of drinking, Cole glared at the monogrammed mug in silence.
“Why the scowl?” Jack Barrett asked. “Your sister take apart your curricle again?”
“Worse,” Giles Langford teased. “He’s been sacked from the Proper Planting of Plums committee.”
