The Lady and the Duke (5 page)

In his experience, that made her unique.

He was eager to introduce her to his mother and sister, knowing they would value her pluck and wit as he did. The idea of creating a family with her, filling the empty, echoing endless rooms of Halford Castle with children and life, sent a warm rush through him. Children with her soft brown curls and saucy laugh.

He would be beyond a fool to walk away from all that.

First, to find Claremont and recover Lisle’s letters from the bastard. And make sure the man understood that if he breathed a word against Will’s sister that he would be living on borrowed time. Once he had assured himself that the matter was taken care of for good, Will could turn his attention to the lovely Miss Ellis. He sat forward, staring out the window, and began to plan.

Chapter Six

Audrey stepped into the cool, darkened interior of the lending library and breathed a sigh of relief. London was sweltering today, the air still and oppressive. Even the birds seemed to hover in the sky, cawing their displeasure at the smog and heat. She discreetly dabbed her sweat-dampened brow with a handkerchief.

"May I be of assistance, madam?"

The proprietor, a wizened man of slight proportions squinted at her from behind the counter. Audrey smiled and shook her head, gesturing to her maid Sybil to have a seat by the door. The young girl gratefully sank into the chair with a sigh, and Audrey turned to scan the shelves closest to her.

She had finished
Sense and Sensibility
just that morning, and felt understandably grumpy with the tidy, happy ending. What she needed was something more realistic, something that reflected how life truly unfolded—not some silly romance that, well,
romanticized
men and marriage. Perhaps a copy of
Macbeth
or a historical tract on Henry the Eighth would be more appropriate.

She snorted at her own melodramatic thoughts.

She had hoped, for a few moments, that Will
was
different. Unfortunately, almost as soon as his lips left hers, he had proved himself to be the same as all the others. Audrey was not the sort of lady that men liked to kiss. She wasn't elegant or wilting enough. Likely Halford was even now feeling the sharp prod of regret. Sending her flowers must be his way of smoothing things over. Pity it only seemed to irritate her all the more.

It seemed the truth was that gentlemen of the English aristocracy did not want solid country girls, who were more at ease participating in a sewing circle with the village women than dancing at Almack’s. Well, she wasn’t about to change the things she like best about her just because he made her dratted teeth tingle when he kissed her. Most of the time she quite liked who she was, despite Beatrice's persistent venom.

Her parents would just have to prepare themselves for the inevitable trip home in September with their daughter firmly in tow. With any luck Audrey would find some nice country gentleman to wed and not be forced into another fruitless Season next year.

She wandered down an aisle, absently browsing the books. No doubt her maid was glad for the reprieve. The woman had complained the entire way to the lending library, until Audrey was ready to strangle her. Sybil came from the far north, almost the Scottish border. Perhaps it was understandable that she wasn’t used to such heat, but it did not make it any easier to listen to for days on end.

Audrey bit her lip. The situation with Halford had her at sixes and sevens, and she was taking it out on everyone around her. She made a silent resolve to try to hold her temper better the next time someone irritated her.

The bells over the door jingled, and Audrey peered around the shelf to see the original source of her aggravation enter the library. With a gasp, she ducked back behind the wooden stand, heart thumping. Her palms went damp.

What was he
doing
here?

She heard a deep murmur and the higher voice of the proprietor, and couldn’t resist peeking again. Halford stood with his back to her, his tall, lean frame relaxed as he chatted with the older man. Her gaze travelled up his dusty riding boots, over the close-fitting buckskins to the wide breadth of his shoulders. How had she not noticed what a muscular back he had, showcased as it was in his fitted blue riding coat? He absently tapped his riding crop against his thigh as he talked, and Audrey’s gaze drifted back to his shoulders, desire creating a warm liquid pull low in her belly.

With a start, she realized she was still hiding behind the shelves and ogling the duke. Stepping back so he was out of her sight, she shook her head.

She was supposed to be angry with him, but it was all she could do to refrain from staring at his bum in those lovely, tight breeches. Well, that was slightly embarrassing. Although, he didn't know she was there, did he? So, she could ogle all she wanted. Audrey smiled, reluctantly amused at how childish she was being.

"Are you going to hide back here all day?"

Audrey let out an embarrassingly loud yip and Halford’s face creased into a wide grin.
Blast.
He had managed to catch her unawares. Sneaky man. How did he even know she was there?

"I am not hiding," she sniffed, avoiding his gaze. He leaned casually against the edge of the shelf she had been hiding behind. "I am looking for a novel."

She turned to the shelf and blindly snatched a thin book from its place and waved it under his nose. "See?"

"Mmhmm."

He took the book from her before she could pull her hand back, and turned it over, reading the title. "Very interesting.
A Detailed Essay on the Long and Glorious History of the Irish Wolfhound
? I didn't realize you so fond of dogs."

Audrey opened her mouth, then abruptly shut it again. Her feelings were ajumble, seeing him again had set her topsy-turvey. She felt all sharp edges and full of nettles, her heart beating loudly in her ears. Wanting to press her mouth to his again. Wanting him to just leave her alone. This unruly, unmanageable attraction to the duke was going to ruin all her practical, well thought out plans.

Because the urge to throw herself into the duke's arms was almost stronger then her good sense, Audrey did the only thing she could. She murmured her apologies, and fled.

***

Audrey pushed past Will, leaving him holding the book he had teased her about. Obviously she was still quite out of sorts with him, and he couldn’t blame her. He had acted like an idiot where she was concerned.

Her anger was going to put a wrinkle in his plans for coaxing her into courtship, but he did not give chase as she rushed down the aisle to collect her maid. It was clear the lady did not desire his company at the moment. She glanced over her shoulder before exiting the shop and Will inclined his head, struggling to keep his expression neutral. Walking to the front window, he watched as she climbed into the carriage waiting at the curb.

Although he may not have the experience with women his friend Alex did, rarely had he so thoroughly made a mess of things. That alone, conversely, told him that Audrey was special. She mattered enough for him to be uncertain. Will sighed and scrubbed a hand through his hair.

Perhaps he should have just kept riding when he saw the Witte crest on the coach, but he had been unable to resist entering the library and he couldn’t be sorry for it. At least he had gotten a chance to see her again, even if it was only a few, brief moments.

She had attracted him from the first, and now he was caught fast. He couldn't say he disliked the feeling. Despite her prickles and wariness, Will had never felt more comfortable with a woman than he did with Audrey Ellis. And yet, at the same time she wound him up tight, filled with a desire to carry her off someplace private and make her his irrevocably.

Will placed the book she had left him holding on a small table nearby. He gave the old man behind the counter an apologetic smile and a few pound notes, for driving away a potential customer, and stepped out onto the sidewalk. The child who he had entrusted to hold Pyrrho’s reins was still waiting patiently. Will was reaching into his pocket for a shilling to give the lad when a flash of red caught his eye.

Will only knew one man with such brilliant colored hair. He stepped around his horse for a better look, squinting against the afternoon sun. The man turned his head as he chatted with another gentleman and Will caught a glimpse of his profile.

Viscount Claremont.

"Can you hold onto him for a bit longer?" he asked the lad gripping Pyrrho’s reins, not taking his eyes off his quarry.

At the boy’s nod, Will started across the street. He was about halfway to the other side when the viscount’s companion said something and made a gesture across the road. Will growled as he recognized the man as one of the viscount's friends that he had interviewed. Claremont’s head whipped around at the gesture, and his face went dead white. Will cursed again, as his sister’s blackmailer turned and made a dash for it.

Will darted after him, dodging a turnip cart narrowly, and pounded down the pavement after the viscount. He ignored the screams and scandalized gasps of people walking along the storefronts, and concentrated on not losing the flash of carroty hair in front of him. There would be hell to pay later, when gossip swirled through the drawing rooms of Mayfair, but he did not care. He only wanted to catch the elusive viscount and if necessary,
please let it be necessary
, beat his sister’s letters out of him.

His grin turned feral as Claremont made a strategic mistake and dashed down an alley.

Without a crowd slowing him down, Will gained quickly on the other man as they raced down the narrow, filthy passageway. Claremont threw a panicked glance over his shoulder and knocked a pile of empty crates over as he passed them. Will leapt over them easily and narrowed his eyes as he saw the alley entrance yawning ahead. His breath came quickly but he spent most of his time in the country and out of doors, whereas the viscount spent most of his in gaming hells and brothels, and was wheezing like an
octogenarian
.

The treacherous bastard wasn’t leaving this alley until Will was good and finished with him.

Just a few feet from the safety of the open pavement, Claremont’s luck ran out. Will reached out and managed to grab a handful of the other man’s collar, yanking him around. The viscount yelped as he crashed into the brick wall and slid down to land in a muddy puddle. He quickly rose to his knees, but after taking one look at Will’s enraged face, stayed where he was.

"You dare run from me?" Will growled, his hands fisting at his sides. "You seduce and blackmail my sister
and then make me chase you down Bond Street
?"

"Halford—" Claremont started, but was cut off with a slash of Will’s hand.

"Save it," he spat. It took everything he had not to leap on the man and plant him a facer he’d never forget. "I want those letters, Claremont."

"I don't have them on me."

"Get them."

"They...they are with a friend, for safety. I need time to procure them."

Will barked out a short laugh. "You have until tomorrow afternoon to produce them. We will meet at one o’clock, by the east entrance to Hyde Park. Do not make me chase you down again or you will regret the day you were born."

He towered over the kneeling man, until the viscount gave a sullen nod. Drawing in a deep breath, Will leashed his feral impulses. The urge to kick Claremont in the chest was strong, to make his point with fists against flesh, but he smothered it. He was not usually prone to violence, but having his sister threatened brought out every protective instinct in him. Including the one that pushed him to tear the man to pieces for daring to hurt her.

 "You will stay away from my sister. If I even think you
might
have spoken of her to your friends or anyone else in any way, I will beat you until you bloody well cannot walk. Do we understand each other?"

"Halford—"

"Do we understand each other?" Will snarled and took a step forward, the leash on his control slipping a little.

"Yes!" The viscount climbed to his feet, holding onto the wall, shaking his head in disgust. "God’s Teeth, man. All this bother over a bit of fluff. I'm not even sure she was worth it."

Having secured Claremont’s agreement, Will had turned away with the intention to leave. At the viscount’s words, however, he froze. Unbelievable. The man just did not know when to quit. He pivoted on his heel and cocked his head to one side, in an almost friendly fashion.

"What was that?"

Claremont seemed oblivious to the dangerous undertone in Will’s question, as he brushed at the mud splatters on his trousers. Giving up, he straightened, his expression full of arrogance and annoyance, and tried to step around Will to the entrance of the alley.

"I merely commented that you seem rather worked up, over a bit of slap and tickle. Your sister seemed to like it well enou—"

The rest of viscount’s words were muffled as Will’s fist smashed into his mouth. The viscount staggered back, stunned, and Will quickly followed up with vicious blow to his stomach, causing the man to double over, gagging. One hard shove backward had Claremont flying off his feet and landed in a pile of rubbish.

"What
the hell
is wrong with you?" shouted the viscount, slowly sitting up and shaking shreds of rotten cabbage off his arm. "You may be a duke, Halford, but you can’t treat me this way. I’ll make you wish you had looked the other way."

Will looked down at him and shook out his sore knuckles. "I doubt that. I don’t think there’s anything in the world that could make me regret having put you right where you belong."

 Tilting his head in mock deference, Will dusted off his hands and turned on his heel, leaving the garbage behind in the alley where it belonged.

Chapter Seven

Audrey walked the gardens of the dowager countess of Claremont’s Mayfair home, with Lieutenant Whitton by her side. The young lieutenant, handsome and charming, was distantly connected to the notoriously fearsome Duke of Danby. For most debutantes that tenuous connection would be enough to secure interest, but for Audrey it only served to remind her of another duke, a different duke.