Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart by Maclean Sarah

Author:Maclean, Sarah [Sarah, Maclean,]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, azw3
Publisher: ePub Bud (www.epubbud.com)
Published: 2011-09-09T04:00:00+00:00

“Ralston will do what needs to be done to make it all right. He shall have the full support of Rivington and me . . . and dozens of others.”

But not the one man I hoped would stand with us.

She turned at the soft certainty in his warm tone, meeting his kind eyes and wondering, fleetingly, why it could not be this man who set her aflame. “I don’t know why you would all risk so much.”

He gave a little sound of refusal. “Risk,” he said, as though it were a silly word. “It is not a risk for us. We are young, handsome aristocrats with plenty of land and plenty of money. What risk?”

She was surprised by his candor. “Not all of you seem to think so lightly of the damage to your reputation that an association with us might do.”

“Well, Rivington and I haven’t much choice, as we are related, if you would remember.” She heard the teasing in his tone but did not find it very amusing. There was a beat of silence. “I assume you are referring to Leighton.”

She stiffened. She couldn’t help it. “Among others.”

“I saw the way he watched you last night. I think Leighton will align himself with you faster than you would imagine.”

The words—predicated on logic so faulty—stung. She shook her head. “You’re wrong.”

Benedick might think he had seen support in Leighton’s manner last night, but he had misread the emotion. He had seen frustration, irritation, desire perhaps. But not caring.

On the contrary, had Benedick seen the duke storm from the stables later that evening, after it was revealed that he was engaged, he would not think such things at all.

Simon was to be married.

The words had barely whispered through her mind when, as though she had conjured up his bride-to-be, Juliana caught a glimpse of the grape through the crowd, headed for the ladies’ salon.

And she could not resist.

“I shall return,” she whispered, already in motion.

She knew even as she headed for the salon that she should not follow Lady Penelope, that any conversation they might have would be more painful than no conversation at all, but she could not help herself. The grape had done what Juliana could not—she had caught Simon. And there was a perverse part of Juliana that simply had to know who this plain, perfect Englishwoman was.

What it was about her that had led the immovable Duke of Leighton to choose her for his duchess.

It was early enough that the salon was empty, save for a handful of servants, and Juliana crossed the main room of the salon to a small side chamber, where she found Penelope pouring water into a small washbasin, then setting her hands into the water, breathing deeply.

The grape appeared ill.

“You are not going to cash in your accounts, are you?”

Penelope spun toward her, the surprise in her eyes turning quickly to confusion. “Cash in my accounts?”

“It is possible I have it incorrect.” Juliana moved her hand in a rolling motion. “To be ill.

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