The Heart of a Duke (28 page)

“
He’s what?”

“
Foppish.”

Aldora remembered the midnight black morning
coat and expertly tailored matching black riding breeches. Fops
wore vibrant colors and peacock feathers. “He is not.” She held her
breath hoping Valera’s vehement denial of the marquess’s
suitability would stop there.

“
A terrible scandal follows his
younger brother.”

“
That is hardly his fault, Valera.
It would be wrong to judge a man for the sins of his family.” She
wouldn’t mention the fact that St. James’s slightly tarnished
family lines made him more than acceptable for her financially
ruined one.

Valera made a non-committal sound. “And he has
a rather poor view of the role of women.”

Aldora frowned, her stomach roiling
unpleasantly at this serious offense. “On what grounds did you make
such a determination?”

“
I had the misfortune of sitting
beside him at Lord and Lady Savage’s dinner. He expressed great
disapproval in any academic ventures, insisting that a lady mustn’t
exert her efforts beyond her needlepoint and pianoforte skills.”
She held Aldora’s gaze, reminding her with pointed precision that
Aldora was far less than skilled when it came to embroidering or
singing or playing.

Aldora’s heart fell as disappointment drowned
out her hope for a match with St. James. “I can’t believe it,” she
murmured to herself. Although it should come as no surprise; the
nobility did not prevaricate when it came to expectations for what
constituted ladylike behavior. Yet, she’d hoped that the man she’d
set her sights on would be…well…different.

Valera’s brow furrowed. “But you don’t even
know….” Her foot froze mid-motion, ending the incessant tapping.
“You have met him. Alone?” she hissed.

That was the sole problem in having a friend
who knew you better than you knew yourself. Secrets were absolutely
forbidden.

“
When?”

“
It was a chance meeting,” Aldora
said. A chance meeting that she’d taken care to orchestrate, but
now that her friend was here and aware, Aldora could enlist her
help.

Valera frowned. “Nothing improper occurred,
did it?”

“
What is this about improper?” a
low-voice drawled.

The young women spun around.

Lord Ravenswood stood off to the side, his hip
propped against a tall Doric column, broad arms folded at his
chest.

At the unexpected intrusion, Valera’s eyes lit
up and she smiled widely. A charged look passed between the couple,
as though everything, including Aldora, had faded away and all that
remained was the two of them.

Deep inside, a yearning filled Aldora. To have
someone look at her the way Lord Ravenswood studied Valera. Not for
the first time, Aldora ached to secure a match based on mutual
respect and genuine love—and not necessity, which was what had
driven her in her pursuit of the marquess.

Valera walked over to her husband and swatted
him on the arm. “Were you following us?”

Oh, it hadn’t been ‘us’ he’d been
following.

He offered a delayed bow. “Lady
Aldora.”

She dipped a curtsy. “My lord.”

“
So who is—?”

Valera took her husband by the arm, and
steered him toward the house. “I believe you owed me the next set,
dear husband.”

Bless Valera.

“
Why do I feel like you are trying
to usher me away, dear wife?”

“
Don’t be ridiculous, my love,”
Valera murmured. She glanced over her shoulder and winked at
Aldora.

Aldora tipped her head in
appreciation.

The look in her friend’s eyes promised future
questions, but for now Aldora had been spared.

Aldora should return indoors. She took a step
forward. Then another.

And froze. The lilting strain of the
orchestra’s waltz danced around the night air.

Aldora drew in a deep breath. If she were
wise, she’d return to the hall and use every last moment at her
disposal to try and make a match. In spite of the cool night, she’d
rather remain outside with nothing more than her quiet company. She
gripped the edges of the balustrade and stared out. The full moon
played off the lush gardens, casting mysterious shadows.

She ran her palm over the surface, stroking
back and forth as she considered her precarious situation. Just
that morning another creditor had come calling. Hardly anything
remained of their previous lifestyle. All the fripperies, all the
trappings that hadn’t seemed to matter were gone. The porcelain
shepherdess and her flock of sheep. The collection of china dolls
Aldora and her sisters had played with as young children. The
chintz tea set she’d first sipped tea from. All of it had been sold
off to cover Father’s many debts. At the time, all Aldora had cared
about was her family’s survival. But now she found herself mourning
the loss of those small tokens.

Those items represented memories.

Her vision blurred. Aldora removed her
spectacles and made to move the smudge of dirt from the glass as a
teardrop slipped down her cheek.

“
We meet again, my
lady.”

Aldora gasped. Her spectacles slipped from her
fingers and toppled to the gardens below.

She spun around, a hand pressed to her breast
as she came face to face with the Marquess of St. James.

Michael Knightly had battled through the
tedium of the evening. He’d not turned from the sickeningly
fascinated stares and the curious whispers tittered behind fans and
hands.

Except after the monotony of it
all, he’d needed to escape. Just for a short while. The crush of
the ballroom reminded him of how much he loathed
ton
functions. He far
preferred life in Pembrokeshire, overseeing the men who worked in
his coalmines. Hundreds of families were dependent upon the success
of his operation, and Michael prided himself on the quality work
conditions and benefits he offered to those who worked for him.
Those men and women were honest. They appreciated the value of hard
work and were fair. Unlike the
ton
, those who found work in the
mines were not self-serving, driven by only material gain and
societal standing.

He’d made his way to the balcony, craving the
crisp, clean night air.

Of course his lovely vixen would be
here.

He grinned, feeling lighthearted for the first
time since he’d entered Lord and Lady Aldridge’s soiree.

Lady Aldora’s quiet curse reached his
ears.

His smile grew. “Did you just curse, my
lady?”

She ignored him, feeling around the balustrade
wall.

His smile grew. “It appears you’ve lost
something—again,” he murmured. “Tsk, tsk, I’m beginning to think
that perhaps this is more than mere—”

“
Will you help me or not, my
lord?”

He opened his mouth to correct her, then
paused. The words died on his lips. He knew the moment she learned
his real identity he’d see the loathing in those brown eyes. Time
would come soon enough for that, but for now he wanted to enjoy the
joy in being with someone who did not know he was the scandalous
younger brother who’d killed his friend.

Michael inclined his head. “How can I be of
assistance?”

“
I don’t normally lose things, you
know.”

“
Oh?” From their brief meetings,
it appeared she did.

Lady Aldora must have assumed he was passing
judgment. A little frown formed at the corners of her bow-shaped
lips. “I don’t,” she insisted. “And if I need point out, the only
reason I lost my necklace was because you nearly bowled me over in
the park.”

“
Because you were walking down a
riding path,” he said.

“
And now I dropped my
sp—belongings, because you startled me with your unexpected
intrusion.” She went on as though he’d not spoken.

Michael moved alongside her. The heady citrusy
scent of lemons that clung to her filled the air until he was
nearly drunk with a desire for the tart fruit. He gripped the edge
of the balustrade and leaned forward. Peering into the gardens
below, he took a deep breath as he tried to rein in his
emotions.

He frowned.

“
That bad?” she said.

He glanced down. Just five or six inches shy
of his six foot three inch frame, Lady Aldora towered over ladies
and most lords. All he had to do was angle his head ever so
slightly and their lips would brush. “There is a row of hedges
below,” he explained, his voice hoarse to his own ears.

She caught her lower lip between her teeth and
leaned forward.

“
There is only one
solution.”

“
We must go below,” she finished
for him.

He’d been going to say that he would have to
go down and search for the missing item, but her breathy suggestion
danced around them. His gaze wandered back toward the empty
gardens. Only now that Lady Aldora had raised the scandalous
possibility, he found he rather liked the idea of dancing with the
danger of discovery and leading her down into the forbidden gardens
below.

“
My lord?” she prodded.

Michael held out his arm.

Lady Aldora hesitated for the slightest moment
before placing the tips of her fingers on his coat sleeves and
allowing him to guide her toward the steps.

“
I must thank you for your help,”
she said.

“
You do know if I’m to help you
that you’ll eventually need to confide what it is you’ve
lost.”

If he hadn’t been peering at her from the
corner of his eyes, he’d have failed to note the way her mouth
tightened into a firm, unyielding line. He waited.

“
It really wasn’t my fault,” she
confessed.

“
I’m sure it wasn’t.”

At the dry humor lacing his words, her pursed
lips slanted down at the corners. Even frowning she possessed a
unique beauty that Michael believed could rival Athena.

“
My lord—”

“
If we are to avoid discovery, I’d
suggest you lower your voice, my lady. That is if you are
attempting to avoid discovery.” He shot her a bemused look. “Ahh,
so it would seem you are planning to meet someone out here. Tell
me.” He leaned close. “Has a certain lord garnered your
affections?”

“
You presume too much, my lord,”
she said a touch too quickly. The pale moonlight highlighted the
splotches of color that heightened her cheeks. Hmm, so the young
lady had put rather a lot of thought into securing a match with the
Marquess of St. James. The thought shouldn’t rankle…and yet, it
did. Very much.

Jealousy churned in his gut. Michael shoved
aside the unpleasant (and unwelcome) emotion.

They moved through the grass still slicked wet
from an earlier morning shower. Lady Aldora slipped and he wrapped
an arm about her waist, holding her up.

“
Thank you,” she
whispered.

Michael led her to the row of shaped topiaries
that rested at the base of the balustrade and stopped. He gestured
to the ground. “What is it we are looking for this time? An
earbob?”

She shook her head. “Though if it were an
earbob, I venture it would be nigh on impossible to
find.”

“
You are right there, my lady. A
glove?”

“
No.”

“
A fan then?”

Pale pink color continued to grow in her
cheeks until blazing red splotches glowed in the moonlight. Hmm,
fascinating. Michael fell silent. What had his vixen lost this
time?

“
Uh-you see I dropped my,
my…”

“
Your?”

“
Spectacles.”

Michael grinned. So the lady wore
glasses.

Lady Aldora’s lips tightened. “Do you find
that funny, my lord?”

Somehow it made her all the more perfect. It
also well explained her inability to see him or her missing
necklace in Hyde Park those two days ago.