Chapter Two
Lord Oliver, Duke of Hayesford
“She played a very convincing Romeo,” I said, glancing down at Amelia’s delicate profile. Vibrant red curls were artfully arranged around her narrow face. While not beautiful in the conventional sense, her even features and haunting brown eyes were very pleasing.
“Why didn’t you play Juliet?” Noah asked with one dark brow lifted.
“Because Romeo has better lines, or so she claims.” Even as a child, Amelia had been headstrong and determined.
I admired that about her and often wished I had the nerve to be bolder.
Since I was old enough to understand, I had been reminded of my duties and how a duke must always present himself with dignity and poise.
Lady Ellen had tried to instill the same traits in her daughter—but with much less finesse.
Amelia had rebelled at the restrictions given by such a heavy hand, and any moment, I expected her to throw caution to the wind and confront her mother.
“Unlike Amelia, I have no talent in that arena.”
“She does have a flair for the dramatic,” Noah said, tilting his head to look at me.
Amusement enhanced his eyes, along with another emotion that looked suspiciously like desire.
He was seven years older than me, and we’d never been close friends because of the age difference.
That all seemed to have changed over the past year.
He’d invited me numerous times to attend the races with him, but nothing untoward had ever happened.
My interest in horses paled in comparison to my growing infatuation with him.
With his bold nose and strong jaw, he was a very appealing man.
“Indeed, she wore a tunic and tights, a very unladylike ensemble, but in her defense, she is quite the thespian.” I slowed my steps, not wishing to rush, as I dropped Amelia’s arm.
We were gaining ground toward the mansion with every step, and soon, our inappropriate conversation would have to come to an end.
“‘If I profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine, the gentle sin is this.’” Amelia began to quote Shakespeare, lowering her voice to a deeper tone.
Head cocked, she stared at me with playful intensity.
“‘My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.’”
Lately, she’d become more bold in her desire to exchange kisses whenever we were alone.
I had indulged her whim. She would someday be my wife, and we’d do more than kiss in the near future.
I was less than confident in my ability to please her as a man should please a woman.
While I liked kissing Amelia, it was more about the connection between us than the burning passion that most men felt toward a woman.
I loved her with all of my heart, which intensified the guilt over my confused state.
Noah snatched the fan from Amelia’s wrist and popped it open with a flick of his lean fingers.
He lifted it until it covered his face, only revealing his eyes.
The sunlight that peeked briefly through the clouds showed streaks of raven’s blue in his midnight hair.
I ached to run my fingers through the strands and see for myself if the texture was silky like Amelia’s or coarser like my own.
“‘O Romeo, Romeo, why must thou be Romeo?’”
“I see you found a kindred spirit,” I said to Amelia, winking at Noah and trying not to blush at my boldness.
We’d been inseparable before Amelia went to school and I to university.
During those formative years, I was forced to take on more and more responsibilities.
Being a duke never ended. One thing had remained the same: my shameful urges for other men and my deep love for Amelia.
Eyes alight with humor, Noah angled his neck, never once breaking character. “‘O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love and I’ll no longer be a Capulet.’”
“‘Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?’” She broke out into giggles, eyes bright with amusement.
If she had the option to be on stage, I had no doubt she’d pursue such an endeavor.
Like me, her fate was sealed the second I made the comment about wishing to marry her.
I’d suggested she have a season without being encumbered for that very reason.
I wished to be fair to her. She hadn’t appreciated it, but she’d done as I asked to placate me.
“‘Tis but thy name that is my enemy: thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What’s Montague? It is nor hand nor foot, nor arm nor face.’” Noah placed his other hand on my sleeve, the weight of it burning a path right into my cock.
A shadow of something exciting crossed his face, and by the way he studied me longer than necessary, sparked my imagination.
He squeezed and continued to quote his line, “‘nor any other part belonging to a man.’”
I nearly tripped over myself. Surely I imagined him emphasizing the line for my benefit. I snapped my head up to see if Amelia noticed the veiled innuendo. If she had, there were no outward signs. She was an innocent lady, after all.
“‘O be some other name!’” Noah finished with a flourish, grinning at Amelia before his intense regard settled on me.
“Bravo,” Amelia said, removing her hand from his arm and taking her fan from him. A pretty flush brightened her cheeks, along with a familiar gleam of passion in her eyes. Was it for my benefit or Noah’s? “Had I known Noah was such an excellent thespian, I would have suggested we put on a play.”
“I hardly think I am an excellent thespian, more like a mimic who can recite words.” Noah shrugged and palmed the back of his neck. “I will leave the theatrics up to others more comely than myself.”
“By comely, I assume you mean Amelia,” I said with mock affront.
My deviant desires might have gained in strength, but my devotion to Amelia never faltered.
No matter if I gave in to my passions or not, it had nothing to do with my dearest friend.
Men of my station kept mistresses without compunction.
It was the way of things within my class.
Rich laughter met my comment. The elusive light was back in his eyes. “Of course, why would you assume otherwise?” he asked.
“Why indeed?” Amelia asked. She opened the fan and waved it before her face.
Lady Ellen, Countess of Brimley, stood in the doorway, and my smile fell.
Per usual, not a single ginger-colored hair was out of place.
The lightness of moments before was replaced with a new tension as chilly eyes zeroed in on Amelia.
“Amelia, what are you doing outside without your bonnet? The sun will not be kind to you without it.”
My dislike of the countess flared brighter every time I heard her demean Amelia.
I hated how Lady Ellen treated her daughter and had to bite my tongue more often than not while in the countess’s presence.
Once we were wed, Amelia would no longer be subjected to her mother’s ill humor.
Until then, it was best to placate Lady Ellen.
“We were just coming inside,” Noah said, coming to Amelia’s defense.
The smile disappeared from Amelia’s plump lips, and humiliation drew lines between her arched brows.
“Regardless, freckles are not becoming.” Lady Ellen lifted her lashes and met my direct stare. I could read the chastisement in her stiffened demeanor. “A man does not wish for a wife who neglects her own person.”
“Freckles or no, Amelia will still be pleasing to the eye,” I said, ready to defend Amelia.
Lady Ellen’s chastisement had more to do with me than her.
I had told everyone I planned on marrying Amelia when I was six years old, a mere child who did not know what I was saying.
She took my word seriously, but it was more than apparent she didn’t like me.
The revelation didn’t hurt my feelings, but her disdain for Amelia continued to rankle me.
“And I will proudly defend her honor if anyone dares to disparage her for something as inconsequential as a freckle.”
Lady Ellen released a derisive snort. Her rude response hung in the air. She could be harsh in her manners. As a countess, most dared not correct the slight, but I was a duke.
A muffled shout from someone on the street beyond the garden broke the tension building between me and the countess. I squared my shoulders and offered Amelia a nod of support before looking down my nose at Lady Ellen the way my grandmother taught me. “Anyone.”
Footsteps sounded, and a servant appeared. “Luncheon is served, my lady.”
“Very good. Gentlemen, pardon us. Amelia needs to freshen up,” Lady Ellen nodded in our direction and stepped aside, motioning for Amelia to precede her.
A muted growl sounded from Amelia. Chin lifted, she stormed past her mother.
“That isn’t going to end well,” Noah said, his lips turned down in a grim line.
I curled my fingers into my palm and tried to cool my rising temper. “This is all my fault. If I’d simply asked for her hand at the beginning of the first season instead of at the end, she wouldn’t be forced to live under that woman’s roof.”
“No, none of this is your fault. You made a promise, and a period of mourning compromised that promise.” Noah rested his hand on my shoulder and exhaled a long breath. “Lady Ellen’s grief makes her harsh.”
The unexpected warmth of his hand went straight to my cock.
Rarely had I let anyone touch me—especially another man—for fear of revealing my darker side.
My physical reaction brought a layer of shame.
We were having a serious discussion, but all I could think about was his hand.
“Her animosity toward Amelia isn’t something new, and my last-minute change of plans to propose seemed to make it even worse. ”
“I can’t disagree on that score.” Noah tilted his head and studied me with a bit more insight than I was comfortable with. “Are you having reservations about marrying Amelia?”
I debated how to answer the question because I truly didn’t know the answer.
As the date of our engagement crept closer, doubts started to set in.
We’d been practically engaged since we were six years old, and neither of us questioned whether we wanted to get married.
It simply was expected of us now. “I wanted to make sure it was the right decision for both of us. The reason I waited to propose after the season was that I wanted to give Amelia the opportunity to meet other gentlemen.”
“That was very chivalrous of you. Were you expecting her to, or was it a mere formality?” Noah crossed his arms before scratching at the underside of his chin.
The fashionable charcoal coat fit his shoulders to perfection.
“Or perhaps you, yourself, were looking to see if another lady was more suited for you?”
“No lady is suited for me,” I said.
“No lady?” he repeated my words, the interest in his eyes brighter.
Was the question innocent, or did he have a vested interest in my answer? I had guessed he might be receptive to me in a romantic manner, but if I were wrong, my life would be ruined.
“I mean no lady but Amelia. Indeed, no lady but Amelia.” Panic continued to shoot through me at my ill-advised words, heat racing up my neck. I needed to change the course of the conversation and fast. “How did you know you wanted to marry Sally?”
“She and I fit well together,” he said with a shrug, pain brightening his eyes, along with gratitude. He cleared his throat and scuffed the toe of his boot on the grass. “Because of Sally, I have three healthy children.”
“You are truly blessed.” Sally had died three months after the twins were born, and the entire family felt her loss, including me. She had stood up for Amelia and always had a kind word to say to me.
“I was. I am.” He pressed his lips together, and my gaze went unbidden to his mouth. I ached to pull him tight to my body to comfort him. I curled my hands into fists, trying to curb the impulse. I needed to keep my wits about me and forget how attractive the man before me was.
He lifted heavy lashes, the golden flecks of his irises visible. I could stare into their depths forever. Was there no end to my shame? I tried to look away, but he held my gaze, a telling light obscuring his earlier sadness. My heart in my throat, I waited, breath held.
He gripped my shoulder and met my gaze directly. “You clearly have something on your mind. Just remember, I am available to talk anytime you’d like.”
Given my lustful musings over him, I wasn’t sure how wise it was. Noah had a unique insight into the family. Perhaps I could broach the subject without revealing my true reasons. “I would like that.”
“Well, we should get inside.” He released his hold on my shoulder and disappeared inside. He had a swagger to his step, and I tried to keep my line of vision focused on his head and not the other parts of his anatomy.
“Yes.” Two servants stood near the dining room, and I schooled my features to hide my true feelings.
They were an observant lot. If anyone guessed the truth, I would bring ruin to my family and shame Amelia.
Lady Ellen would be vile, especially after our confrontation.
No matter how much I desired Noah, I had to be cautious at a time I wanted to throw caution to the wind.