A Destitute Duke by Patricia A. Knight

Author:Patricia A. Knight
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Troll River Publications
Published: 2018-10-09T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

A soft rap sounded on the library door. “Duncan, it’s Miles. Might I have a word?”

Duncan stared at the ceiling as he held Florence’s offending hand by the wrist. Fuck it all to the devil and gone. “Certainly. A moment if you will.”

“Of course.”

“What do you think he wants?” whispered Florence.

“I can think of a dozen things, and there is no need to whisper. That ship has sailed.”

She groaned and hid her head in his neck with reluctant laughter. “How am I going to look Miles or Eleanor in the face ever again?”

With a certain degree of amusement, he wondered the same thing for himself. It was one thing to share some barques of frailty of an evening whilst getting ape-drunk with your men—quite another to ‘anoint’ the library floor of your half-brother’s elegant Mayfair townhome with your bride-to-be.

He felt no inclination to move, being more content than he could ever remember, nevertheless, Duncan shifted aside the warm, naked, bundle of femininity draped over him so he could rise. He found his breeches and slipped into them and then threw his shirt over his head and padded to the library door in his bare feet. Turning the key in the lock he opened the door to find his half-brother leaning against the hall wall opposite the door dressed in a plush dressing gown of embroidered bronze silk worn over his formal evening attire less his coat. A voluminous cape draped his left arm, and in his left hand, he held a lady’s hairbrush.

“Hello, best of all brothers,” Duncan murmured and leaned against the frame of the door.

Miles’ eyes, alive with humor, held his. A smile played at the corners of his mouth, though for the most part, he maintained a sober mien. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve just sent to the stables to have the cabriolet brought ‘round for you. I instructed them to put the bonnet up. I thought you might want to return Florence home before morning. I would invite you to stay, but I’m afraid we are out of bedchambers as Major Abernathy elected to make use of one when returning Maman from a late entertainment this evening. I have no doubt were I to look, the bed would be unused, however…” he smiled, “…appearances must be observed so we will pretend it is occupied. The footman will have to rouse the second groom, so you have some time to dress.” He extended the arm draped by the floor-length black cape. “Eleanor wishes Florence to have this. It will cover her fully and has a voluminous hood. If she puts it up, she’ll be quite anonymous. Oh, and here is a hairbrush and …” he dug in his dressing gown pocket and pulled out a square packet of folded paper, “ah, yes…some ladies’ hairpins.”

Duncan took the cape, brush, and pins. “You are kindness itself, sir, and please relay to Eleanor my thanks for her thoughtfulness.” He scratched his head. “So…Leeland and Maman? Huh. I do not wish to dwell on that thought.

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