The Heart of a Duke (19 page)

“
Don’t you dare! I would never
forgive you.”

His sister’s lack of faith was beginning to
grate on his nerves. “I have no plans to help her make a match with
Langley. The cur doesn’t deserve Miss Bell, but her mind is quite
set on marrying him.”

“
Then it is settled. Jacob and I
will attend the theatre as well. I can speak with Val during
intermission and discourage her pursuit of the duke.”

His sister had just redeemed herself in his
eyes. “That’s a splendid suggestion. And I shall continue to think
of a suitable replacement for the duke.”

Elle’s lips quirked. “You are playing
matchmaker, are you?”

“
She wishes to make a match this
Season,” Alex said, pulling himself up to full height. “I see no
reason she cannot snag a gent. She’s pretty enough, and smart too.
Her humor is witty, which may not be well received by some, but she
makes me laugh and I enjoy it.”

A slow smile spread across his sister’s face
as his recitation of Miss Bell’s list of attributes
continued.

“
Why are you smiling?” he
demanded.

She shook her head, her smile growing wide. “I
am just happy to see you, brother.”

If he didn’t know his sister better, he might
believe her.

Valera’s legs shook as Alex led her up the
stairs toward his family’s box at the Royal Theatre. It wasn’t the
first time she had attended the theatre with the Barnabys, but this
was the only time she’d arrived on the earl’s arm. She could feel
the blatant stares burning into her skin as he drew her through the
scarlet curtains and showed her to a seat.

Elle chatted with her new husband as they
slipped into the vacant chairs in the back row. A spark of
admiration flared inside Valera. To see Elle now, no one would know
her hands had been shaking as they entered the theatre
arm-in-arm.

Valera sighed. Elle and Mr. Farrish would be
scrutinized by every gossip in attendance tonight. One couldn’t
jilt a duke, marry his cousin, and expect no one to notice. Valera
didn’t understand the reason her friend had insisted on coming, but
she was grateful for her presence.

Daydreams about Alex had been plaguing her
ever since their carriage ride in the park. And when he had arrived
at her father’s town house this evening, her heart had fluttered,
her palms grew moist, and she had the overwhelming desire to throw
her arms around him and hold on tight.

That would never do.

Elle would keep Valera from behaving
foolishly. Friends did those sorts of things for one
another.

When she stole a glance at her handsome
escort, her breath hitched. Lord Turpin, a gentleman in the
neighboring box, had engaged Alex in conversation, providing her
with a rather close up view of Alex’s breeches-clad derrier.
Fumbling for her fan, she whipped it open and waved it vigorously
to cool her hot face. She really shouldn’t be admiring one
gentleman’s physique when she was here to snare a different man,
the Duke of…um…of…

Alex’s calves bulged when he
shifted his weight.
Oh, dear heavens
above
. She waved the fan
faster.

His mother lowered to the seat beside her and
patted her arm, jarring her from her improper thoughts. Valera
snapped her eyes forward to discover the Duke of Langley across the
theatre. His gaze was locked on her, his eyebrows arched ever so
slightly. Valera squinted back at him. Was he looking at her or
Elle? She couldn’t tell from this distance.

Valera glanced back at her friend to see if
she had noticed Langley across the way. Elle offered a strained
smile, then trained her gaze on the empty stage. Valera suppressed
a sigh and touched her fingers to her forehead where a dull ache
was forming. What was she doing hoping for a match with the duke?
The union might please her parents, but her best friend would
always be uncomfortable around the man she married. Valera would
rather remain a spinster.

She turned back toward the duke, intent on
delivering a chiding glare in return for making her friend
uncomfortable, but he surprised her. Langley inclined his head in
greeting toward the Barnabys’ box.

Nothing to see here. No scandals
from this direction. Move along.

Valera sagged against the seatback in relief.
She could almost hear the collective sigh from the gossips. Langley
might not be a warm person, but at least he’d proven he had a
heart. Perhaps he would make some lady very happy one day. It just
wouldn’t be her.

Alex sank onto the seat beside her. His hand
at her elbow sent tingles racing up her arm. A smirk edged across
Langley’s face, and his brow lifted sardonically as he locked gazes
with Alex.

Alex’s fingers wrapped more tightly around her
arm, making her light-headed. He turned his smile full force on
her.

“
When was the last time you
attended the theatre, Miss Bell?”

“
I don’t—I can’t…” She drew in a
deep breath. It was hard to recall anything with him so near. “A
few weeks after Christmas, I believe.”

She’d been allowed to come to London early
with Janine and her husband, Lord Fairlight. Mama had thought her
chances of securing a husband might be improved with less
competition, but it hadn’t been helpful in the least.

The muscles in Alex’s jaw shifted as he leaned
closer to her. “Langley is going to lose an eye if he doesn’t stop
gawking at you,” he said under his breath.

Valera’s lips parted on a soft gasp, her gaze
flicking to Alex then across the theatre to discover the duke was
indeed watching her. The corners of his mouth inched up. A light
perspiration dampened her hairline, and she glanced down at the
toes of her satin slippers peeking beneath her peach skirts. The
duke’s attentions were uncomfortable, like an ill-fitted
corset.

She folded her hands in her lap as she
directed her attention to the front of the theatre where the
players had appeared stage left. Soon act one was well underway,
and while she would normally have become hopelessly engrossed in
the make-believe world, an eerie crawling sensation along the back
of her neck kept her from relaxing. When she could stand it no
longer, she spoke in Alex’s ear. “Is he still watching?”

“
He hasn’t stopped,” he ground
out.

Elle, who was sitting directly behind her
brother, lightly smacked him with her fan. “Shh.”

He glowered at her in return.

Valera laid a calming hand on his forearm.
Alex and Elle had been known to get into a row now and again, but
this wasn’t the place.

“
Ignore her,” she
whispered.

The muscles in Alex’s forearm shifted,
reminding her that she was taking liberties, but before she could
withdraw, he covered her hand with his and held it in
place.

“
If we are putting on a show for
the duke, let’s make it believable,” he murmured. “You are with me
tonight.”

She glanced up and her breath caught. His deep
blue eyes glittered darkly—possessively—as if she belonged to him,
and he wasn’t about to give her up to any man. How she wished they
weren’t pretending.

Mentally, she shook free of this ridiculous
thought. Alex didn’t think of her in that way. As he had said
yesterday during the carriage ride, they were friends. Nothing
more. He was playacting for Langley’s benefit, just as she had
requested.

Still, she couldn’t help enjoying the warming
brand of his hand upon hers or the heady scent of his amber
cologne. For now, she would lose herself in the moment and forget
his show of affection was all an act. Later, when they could steal
a private moment together, she would tell him she had changed her
mind about Langley. If Alex wanted her to meet other suitors, she
would try to keep an open mind. Although it would be hard to turn
her attentions toward another man when Alex loomed in her
thoughts.

She sighed and fingered the pendant,
considering which friend she should pass it to next since she had
no need for it now. Alex met her gaze, his mouth turning down
slightly. When he inched away from her and turned back toward the
stage, her heart sank. Maybe he wouldn’t want to hear she no longer
believed Langley was her destiny. If Alex meant to keep his word
and help her make a match this Season, he could be stuck with her
longer.

After all, she didn’t have a magic charm to
catch a regular gentleman.

Chapter Five

The evening was going exactly as
Miss Bell had hoped. Alex was not pleased. Langley
had
noticed her, and he
was winding through the crowd gathered in the grand saloon during
intermission, headed in their direction.

Alex caught his sister’s eye, and she nodded
slightly.

“
Will you accompany me to the
retiring room, Val?” Elle didn’t wait for a response. She linked
arms with her friend and whisked her away. Elle’s husband also
spotted Langley and mumbled something about needing to speak with
someone, leaving Alex to deal with the duke alone. Not that he
blamed Mr. Farrish. If Alex had stolen his cousin’s fiancée, he
couldn’t imagine he would have much to say to his relation
either.

Langley sauntered up to Alex, his sharp gaze
boring into him. The duke never wasted time with polite chitchat.
“You arrived with Miss Bell on your arm. What are your intentions
with the girl?”

His blunt manner grated on Alex, and he made
fists at his side. “It is none of your concern, Your
Grace.”

Apparently no one had ever told the duke to
mind his own affairs, because the man wasn’t deterred. “Is there an
understanding between you and Miss Bell, or will there soon be an
understanding?”

“
The lady is a dear family
friend,” Alex said through clenched teeth as he searched the area
for eavesdroppers. He didn’t want rumors about him and Valera
keeping other suitors at bay. She would never choose Langley if she
had a more suitable gentleman vying for her attention, and Alex
intended to find other suitors for her.

“
That is as I had hoped,
Ravenswood. I thought it prudent, however, to speak to you
man-to-man first.”

First
?
Before what,
exactly
?

A small curve of the duke’s lips created a
soft whooshing noise in Alex’s ears. The duke inched closer and
lowered his voice. “My great aunt, Lady Severus, overheard Miss
Bell talking with another young lady at the Glenhaven’s ball.
Apparently Miss Bell has set her sights on me. My aunt and mother
assure me she comes from a decent family. Wife hunting is not
something I ever thought to engage in. I must admit I will be
pleased to have this matter behind me.”

This matter
? Valera wasn’t a matter. She was a lovely, kind, clever
young woman who deserved better than a man who thought her
a matter
to put behind
him.

“
Your aunt has wool in her ears,”
Alex said, fighting to keep the growl from his voice.

The duke eased back with a frown and rubbed
his jaw. “That is what I said, but Mother insists my aunt’s hearing
is excellent. Has Miss Bell hinted to you or your sister that she
would welcome a courtship from me?”

“
No.” It wasn’t a lie. There had
been no hinting involved. Openly declaring her wish to snare the
duke? Well, that was another story.

“
I see.” Langley released a weary
sigh. “Perhaps she plays her cards close to her chest. Since you
are old family friends, could you arrange a proper
introduction?”

Alex mentally shook his head in disbelief.
Langley truly seemed to think Alex had agreed to play matchmaker
for him. He mumbled something vague that may have passed as consent
and excused himself to wait in the corridor for his sister and
Valera to return to the saloon. When he spotted the ladies, he
hurried to Elle and pulled her aside.

“
You have a headache,” he
whispered.

“
I do?”

He widened his eyes at her.

“Oh! Yes, I
do
.” She held her temples and
winced.

Valera came to her side, just as he knew she
would. “Is everything all right?”