Never Dare a Duke by Soliman Wendy

Author:Soliman, Wendy [Soliman, Wendy]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, mobi, epub
Published: 2020-04-13T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Farrah felt deeply disturbed by Brin’s conviction that the assassin had not given up on her. He appeared grimly determined to keep her safe, but she failed to see how he could achieve that ambition. She would only be here for a week—less than that now—before resuming her normal life in Hampshire. She was perfectly sure that Lady Beardsley would bar her from returning to her house, as had been the original plan. Short of hiding herself away, a situation which she refused to contemplate, she would be far more accessible when she went about her daily business at home.

‘Why is this happening to me?’ she asked Brin, looking up at him and attempting to sound curious rather than terrified half out of her wits.

‘That was one of the questions I was intending to ask you.’ He smiled across the distance that separated them, leaned forward as though he intended to grasp her hand, but then thought better of it. ‘Have you disappointed any admirers?’

‘Don’t be ridiculous!’ She waved the suggestion aside.

‘It was actually a serious question. Some men don’t take rejection well. Their pride cannot withstand being forced to accept that they are resistible.’

Farrah bit her lower lip. ‘I have been the subject of charm offences from time to time, I won’t deny it. But it was my fortune that’s the attraction, not me. I’m well aware of that and have never given any gentleman reason to suppose that I might return his entirely fictitious affections.’

‘But there has been someone more persistent, I think.’

‘Actually yes, there was one person during the summer who seemed keen, but I did not welcome his advances. Quite the reverse.’ She reached down to ruffle Shadow’s ears, in need of a distraction as she contemplated the awkwardness that particular situation had created. ‘It caused a little dissent within my family. The gentleman is a close friend of my brother’s and I was accustomed to his being in and out of our house. But I had absolutely no idea that Oscar had given him reason to suppose I might be willing to…well, to hear his declaration. That was quite wrong of him and we had words on the matter. Oscar might be my brother, but he is not my keeper and has no authority to make commitments on my behalf, especially not without bothering to discuss them with me first.’

Brin raised a brow. ‘His friend had been led to believe that you would accept him?’

‘I believe so.’ She paused as she recollected the embarrassing situation. ‘It was rather awkward. Mr Elton contrived to corner me in our conservatory in Hampshire. I had not realised he was in the house, otherwise he would not have found me in any of the public rooms, since I had begun to think that he…well, you know.’ She felt her cheeks warm. ‘I think it a very great pity that a woman cannot feel safe from unwanted attentions in her own home, but since Mr Elton was almost like a member of the family there was no way I could ask Oscar not to invite him again.

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