The Duke and the Lady Sleuth by Nancy Pirri

Author:Nancy Pirri [Pirri, Nancy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-68046-612-6
Publisher: Melange Books, LLC

On Saturday, William and Anna Rothman arrived at Scarlet’s home, on their way to the Granger Ball. Nothing would keep Scarlet away, now that she had heard Hugh would be attending. Would he be by himself, though, she couldn’t help but wonder?

“You look stunning, Miss Warden,” William Rothman said as he extended his hand and eased her from his coach. Grinning, he crooked his arms for his wife to take one, and Scarlet the other, and proudly escorted them up the stairs and inside the Granger’s mansion.

A fine layer of snow had fallen during the day, and the temperature had plummeted as evening arrived. Scarlet wore the sapphire blue gown with silver slippers on her feet. Thankfully, the Granger’s had set down a long carpeting from the front drive of their home to the entrance of the house so the guests’ feet would stay warm and dry upon entering their home.

Scarlet’s eyes widened on the number of guests who had already arrived. A hundred, at least. Her heart plummeted. How would she ever find Hugh in this crowd? A woman couldn’t gallivant around the ballroom, looking for people, after all. No, she would be obliged to sit with Anna and her husband and wait for Hugh to find her.

“I’ll fetch us some champagne, ladies, if you will excuse me?” William Rothman said.

“Of course, darling,” Anna said with a dimpled smile.

Scarlet lifted her hand to her lips to conceal her smile. Lord, but the two of them were smitten as newlyweds!

As she sat beside Anna, she smiled and nodded at acquaintances then felt something fall on her upswept hair. Reaching up, she swept her hand over her hair, came away with a pink rose petal and she dropped it to the floor. Looking up, she wondered from where the paper had fallen since there were no decorations hanging from the ceiling. Then her gaze caught a man standing on the second floor, grinning down at her from the balcony, a partially denuded pink rose in his hand.

Hugh! She grinned in return, even as he opened his hand and more petals fluttered down to her.

Her grin deepened at his playful antics and her heart raced when he pulled away from the balcony. She followed his big frame as he strode over to the stairs and took them down to the first floor, two at a time. His long-legged gait was confident and smooth and Scarlet noticed how people followed his movements.

Heat flooded her cheeks when she thought about how he’d spanked her in his coach, and how she couldn’t forgive him, but she had, seeing and understanding his reasoning. But if there were a next time she’d insist in discussing the problem, and only using physical punishment as a last resort. But then she thought about how her buttocks had felt afterwards; recalled the wet sensation between her legs and believed perhaps another spanking wouldn’t be so bad.

Anna gasped beside her. “Oh, Scarlet! Look! Isn’t that the Duke of Danescliffe?”

“Yes,” Scarlet said faintly, watching Hugh draw closer as he dodged easily between the guests.

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