Chapter 3
CHAPTER 3
“ I do hope you’re already considering prospects,” the Dowager Duchess of Seymour said, walking up to where Richard had been sitting under one of the pavilions that had been set up in Eli’s garden.
“Good day to you too, Mother,” he greeted, not looking at her.
His eyes were fixed on Selina, who was currently standing just in front of the pavilion with her aunt and conversing with Lord Yardley. It didn’t appear to be going very well, from the looks of things. The man’s eyes kept darting around as though planning his ecape while Selina looked nervous.
He took in her appearance with a frown. She looked beautiful as always, although her dress—the same shade as a peach, cut quite elegantly—was a sartorial travesty and did nothing to accentuate her beauty.
Surely she had better dresses in her wardrobe?
It was almost painful to watch her attempt to carry on a conversation. At that moment, he decided he would help her gain confidence when conversing with gentlemen.
Her eyes kept flitting downward, and she picked at the hem of her dress. He could see the gentleman’s disinterested gaze; his body language showed that he wanted to flee as quickly as he could. The moment came sooner than Richard had expected, and he saw her aunt round on her with a frown.
Selina was a beautiful woman, by all standards. If she were anyone else, or if he was looking for a wife, he might have considered her. He had overheard men complimenting her and knew it wasn’t just his assessment alone. But looks weren’t all that mattered when it came to securing a match.
Most gentlemen were put off by poor conversation skills or an interest in unsuitable hobbies. Two factors which she seemed to have in full measure. If he were to help her, it would take a thorough reorientation of her previous education and a thorough polishing of skills she had let lie fallow. It was odd that he didn’t mind committing his time to such an endeavor.
He waited until her aunt had finished scolding her before waking over to her. He saw the second she noticed him and gave her a wink as she shook her head, warning him to stay away, before her aunt could notice. He smile brightly as he ignored her and stood only a short distance away from the older woman.
“Good day, Lady Riddington,” he greeted. “Good day, Lady Selina.”
He smiled at the annoyed, wary look that crossed her face—a clear contrast to her aunt’s excited one.
“Your Grace.” Lady Riddington curtsied. “It is a pleasure.”
“Indeed.” He smiled. “How do you fare today?”
He wasn’t one to make meaningless conversation, but he needed Lady Riddington to be content enough not to hover, considering the conversation he intended to have with Selina. If his knowledge of Society mamas was correct, a little flattery and interest would have the old woman trusting him with her niece.
“I fare well, Your Grace,” she answered. “It is a fine day to be outside.”
“Indeed. I am grateful for the weather and the clean country air.”
“Oh, truly. I feel I am in much better health than when I came.”
Lady Riddington was radiant with joy at the conversation they were having, and he knew he would get the result he desired if he were to ask.
Selina eyed him warily, causing him to smile wider. She had obviously developed a deep distrust of him, since their conversation the night before hadn’t ended on positive terms.
“Lady Riddington, would you mind terribly if I borrowed Lady Selina for a moment?” he asked with a small smile. “I would like to take a turn about the gardens, but there is no one who I would love to grace my arm more than your lovely niece. Even though she would put the flowers to shame with her beauty, I am sure they won’t mind terribly.”
Selina’s eyes widened, and he was sure he had stunned her with his flattery. She certainly hadn’t expected him to be so charming. She was going to be even more shocked by the conversation they were about to have.
“Oh, Your Grace!” Lady Riddington flushed. “You are most definitely welcome to take her.”
“Aunt Martha—” Selina tried to protest.
“Do not embarrass me again,” her aunt said before walking away.
Richard tried hard to mask his amusement, but Selina’s frown had him smiling from ear to ear.
“Have I offended you?” he asked, knowing full well that he had.
“Why would you say those things to my aunt?” she said, glaring at him.
“I do not believe we are so well acquainted that you would speak so brashly to me,” he teased.
She scoffed, folding her arms.
He offered her his hand with a smile. “You do know that your aunt is watching, and if you do not take my arm, another scolding is sure to come,” he added in a bored tone.
Selina turned to her aunt, and sure enough, the woman was glaring at her. Even from this distance, her eyes didn’t lack heat.
Why couldn’t she see that the Duke of Seymour was the last person she should have considered her niece safe with?
Selina took his arm grudgingly, and he led them at a sedate pace around the garden as he had told her aunt. Her body warmed at the contact, but she suppressed the feeling, not understanding why her body reacted that way to him.
His proximity allowed her to breathe in his scent, a nice sandalwood and spicy blend that tickled her nostrils yet had her breathing deeper. It wasn’t at all unpleasant. Different but not unpleasant.
“What do you want, Your Grace?” she asked. “I thought our business ended last night?”
“Indeed, but I happened to be present while you had that abysmal conversation with Lord Yardley, and I couldn’t help but worry for you.”
“Why?”
“You intend to find a match here, no?” he asked.
“I do, but I fail to see how that is any concern of yours.”
“I think, rather than courtship, you might want to consider trapping a gentleman in scandal.”
She glared at him. “If you think that insulting is the best approach to conversation, I must suggest you find a different companion, Your Grace.”
“I can help you secure a match,” he suggested.
She rolled her eyes. “I fail to see how you can do that.”
“You have abysmal conversation skills, as I noted earlier. You lack confidence, and from the way you glare at me, it is obvious you do not understand the subtle art of flirtation,” he stated, rattling off the list of shortcomings he had noticed she possessed.
She glared at him again, pulling her hand away. “How dare you!” she hissed. “You know nothing about me.”
“But I have heard quite enough about you and how you are one Season away from spinsterhood.”
She frowned, biting her lip as anger painted her face red.
“You do not have to insult me with my circumstances,” she snapped. “I am very much aware of my problems.”
“I did not mean to insult you, Lady Selina. Forgive me if I did,” he offered.
He hadn’t meant to insult her, but something about her stubbornness sparked the cynical side of him.
She sighed, biting her lip. “I… I do need help if I’m being honest,” she admitted softly. “There is something that all the other ladies have mastered, but I seem to be ignorant of it.”
“I don’t think you have had reason to use those skills.”
“It feels hopeless, honestly. I already made a deal with my aunt, but I cannot help but worry about my future.” She ran a hand over her brow.
“What deal?” he inquired.
“I must find a love match by the end of this party, or I’ll have to marry a friend of my aunt’s,” she answered. “She has described him as a nice gentleman, but I cannot help but find the prospect unappealing when he is at least twice my age. What hope of happiness lies in my future?”
She looked so frightened by the prospect, and he couldn’t mask the frown that crossed his face as he processed her words. She had to drop the notion of finding a love match and focus on more practical things if she hoped to find someone of reasonable age and status by the end of the party.
It was no wonder she was yet to be matched. She must have rejected suitors who had asked for her hand because she hadn’t felt the spark.
The idea was an unrealistic fantasy he had seen reinforced by the rise of novels depicting marriage as something more than a transactional affair.
He had yet to see any couple with such unrealistic beginnings last. His parents were a prime example, and his strained relationship with his mother was the result of their love fading before it even had the chance to grow.
She and his father had discovered quickly after marriage that they needed more than love to sustain a relationship. They had grown apart as they realized that the supposed spark that had driven them to a short courtship and marriage had faded so quickly. Richard had learned quickly to resent the entire notion and all who stood for it.
His friends, who were all happily married now, had started off in arranged matches to practical women with good breeding and prospects. He intended to do the same, but in due course and with much more care than he had given his first match. At least now he knew how best to help Selina and pay off his debt to her, but he would first correct that silly ideology she had.
“If I were to offer my help, would you accept it?” he asked.
“Your help?” she echoed, confused.
“I can help you find a suitable match,” he announced.
Selina eyed him as though he had grown two heads because he couldn’t have suggested that he could help her secure a match. It was the most unlikely thing she had ever heard! And the impropriety of such a suggestion! He wasn’t even a family member. If word were to get out, she would be shamed and would find herself in an even more terrible situation than being unmarried at her age.
She tried to recall how the conversation had moved so quickly in such a scandalous direction. The Duke had strolled over to her, looking resplendent in a dark, emerald vest which he’d paired with brown wool breeches and hessian boots that shone. His dark hair fell artfully over one side of his face, and her hand itched to feel just how soft it was.
He wasn’t smiling, but his eyes were twinkling with mischief, which had caused her breath to hitch. She felt her heart beat that strange staccato and wondered at her strange reaction to him.
She had been around many men, but none had made her heart race the way she had seen described in books. She sincerely hoped that it was a temporary feeling—or better yet, that she had come down with a fever.
“You’re being hilarious,” she responded, laughing softly, her eyes darting around.
She also hoped that he hadn’t noticed what his nearness did to her.
“I assure you, I’m not,” he rebutted, looking affronted.
The look on his face was so out of place that she couldn’t help but laugh. He didn’t look like the well-respected Duke whose presence inspired awe, but like a small boy who hadn’t gotten his way.
He watched her as she laughed, saying nothing, but the intensity of his stare eventually stopped her. She looked away from him, wrapping her hands around herself. He still said nothing as he watched her, and she wondered what he was thinking.
“Your Grace?” she called softly, jarring him out of his thoughts.
“I assume that your laughter means that you do not believe me,” he said with a playful smile.
“It is rather hard to imagine, Your Grace,” she answered with a smile of her own. “You do not speak to anyone. I can hardly trust what you say about anyone here.”
He smirked and stepped closer, crowding her with his broad frame and delicious scent. She hated how heat rose to her cheeks at his proximity. Her heart raced in her chest unsteadily, and even though she hated to admit it, she found his attention… welcome.
A couple of eyes strayed to them, and she noticed a few guests duck behind their fans to whisper. They were being utterly improper, conversing this long without a chaperone—especially given his proximity—but he didn’t seem to notice or care.
“If I do not know so much about people, then how do I know that Lord Caldwell broke off his engagement to Lady Fiona and is now courting Miss Hannah?” he asked.
Selena raised an eyebrow at him in surprise.
It wasn’t exactly uncommon knowledge, but she hadn’t expected the Duke, who often pronounced himself too busy for gossip, to be aware of such trifles.
“How…?”
“I have my sources,” he stated smugly. “Is that enough to convince you that I can help? Think of it as repayment for your help last night. I do not like to owe favors.”
“You would not be owing me if you chose not to help,” she tried again. “Besides, knowing a little bit of gossip doesn’t make you an expert on the gentlemen of the ton. You barely know anything about me or my interests. How can you find me a match that aligns with my interests or will make me happy in the long run?”
He was gradually wearing down her walls with his insistence, and as she considered the idea, it seemed a much more welcome decision despite common sense warning her otherwise.
She really did need help, now that she realized how lacking she was. But accepting it from the Duke? It was entirely inconceivable.
She had failed yet again to name anyone who could assist her learning process, and who better to educate her than the Duke, who was often described as too proper?
Many a nobleman had described him as charming, and even Stephen had waxed lyrical about his charms once he had gotten past his initial misgivings about the man.
He looked so eager that she knew it would hurt him if she refused again.
“It is a hard thing you offer, Your Grace,” she admitted, biting her lip and looking down.
She felt his hand on her chin as he tilted her face up to his.
He was even closer now, and at this proximity, she could see the little brown flecks in his blue irises and the thick, dark lashes that framed them. She swallowed deeply, her eyes darting down to his lips and then back to his eyes. There was a light dusting of freckles on the bridge of his nose, which added a youthful air to his face.
They were barely a hair’s breadth apart, and if he were to lean in closer, he would be kissing her. She found she didn’t oppose the idea as much as she should have.
She stepped back, needing to put some distance between them to gather her thoughts, which had most definitely strayed.
“Where would we even begin?” she asked. “If I were to agree, that is,” she added quickly, noting his triumphant smile.
“You can start by wearing something green tonight,” he suggested. “I believe it would look marvelous with your eyes. Perhaps even brighten them and make you look more interesting. You are a beautiful woman, Selina. It does not become you to dress in a way that does not flatter your beauty.”
He broke their stare to trace the curves of her body with his eyes, sparking a hot and sensual heat.
“You have the potential to hold the entire English aristocracy in thrall.”
“I thank you, Your Grace, for your kind words.”
Selina cleared her throat to regain some of her composure, her voice slightly hoarse with the effort. She wanted to laugh at the ludicrous suggestion. A dress, of all things? What did he know about women’s fashion?
“But surely you cannot be serious. A dress would hardly help me. I have worn very elegant dresses all Season, yet they haven’t helped in the least.”
“Are you the tutor, or am I?” he asked with amusement. “You accepted my help, so you will help me do what I do best.”
For a man rumored to be stoic and unfeeling, he seemed to smile a lot more than was comfortable for her.
“While I am grateful, Your Grace, I have to ask why you are so sure of such a notion. How exactly have you become an authority in women’s fashion? Do you not think I might be better served by receiving advice from a woman, most likely a modiste? They are, after all, experts on the subject.”
For some time, his expression remained the same, his eyes dancing with merriment that indicated that he was thoroughly enjoying their exchange. Slowly, his smile turned wicked—a dangerous edge to it.
In just a moment, he had turned from a jovial duke to a predatory one that could gobble her up in one bite.
Selina became ever more sure of that assessment when he took a step forward, causing her to take a cautionary step back in a bid to widen the space between them. But he did not seem interested in that idea because he kept moving forward until her back was flush with the wall. With no place to run, she had no choice but to stare up into his eyes with slight panic and no small amount of excitement.
“Ah, Selina,” he said, bending his dark head so she could feel the heat of his breath on her sensitive earlobe. “I might even be more knowledgeable than the modiste on this subject.”
He purred in a way that left her in no doubt about the sort of knowledge he meant. If she had any sense of self-preservation, she would have left it at that, but her senses must have been faulty because she felt the bold, curious part of her stirring.
“Could I ask how that came to be?” she asked, still staring at him wide-eyed.
His gaze darkened further, his eyes fixed on her lips, and her body flushed until her clothes irritated her skin.
“My Lady, I might have agreed to help you, but I am not going to be responsible for destroying your delicate sensibilities. Trust me, you do not want to know how I have acquired the skills you speak of and how easily I could wield them.”
He stepped back, and she finally could breathe without inhaling puffs of his scent. It had been playing havoc with her senses in the few minutes she had been in his company.
“I still find it hard to take your advice, considering you’re unmatched.”
“If I wanted to be shackled,” he stated in a bored tone, “I would be. Do not forget that I was engaged once.”
“And that only proves that you have terrible taste in women,” Selina snorted, then clapped a hand over her mouth.
He let out a deep, loud chuckle that drew more looks their way.
Martha looked positively joyous from across the garden, and considering that she hadn’t come to interrupt, she obviously approved of Selina conversing with the Duke.
“You really must stop drawing attention to us, Your Grace,” Selina warned, uncomfortable at the amount of jealous looks she was getting from Society mamas and their daughters.
“Why? Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?” he asked. “We will be seeing each other quite a lot for the duration of our arrangement. You’d better get used to it.”
“I haven’t agreed to anything.”
“ Yet ,” he added.
“But do you have to make it so…”
“Use your words, Lady Selina.”
“Never mind,” she sighed.
She still hadn’t recovered from how his laugh had rattled her. She realized that she wanted to hear it again, much to her dismay.
“You will have to be much bolder if you want to keep a man’s attention on you ,” he stated.
“How?”
“Like so.” He stepped closer. “Do not look away. Look at me.”
It was hard, but she managed to keep her eyes on him.
He seemed to be enjoying making her uncomfortable. Well, two could play that game.
She stepped even closer to him, smiling when the amused look in his eye faltered. She lifted her chin, feeling empowered by the look in his eyes. When he smirked and took a step back, she felt as though she had won an unspoken game.
“There may be hope for you yet.” He smiled and turned away from her. “See you tonight, Lady Selina. Do not forget the dress.”
Oh God.