The Duchess Hunt by Lorraine Heath

Author:Lorraine Heath
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Avon
Published: 2021-09-28T00:00:00+00:00

Apparently, he wasn’t at all civilized when it came to the matter of Pettypeace. He’d been both grateful when the music drifted into silence because things between them had been becoming too familiar, too intimate, and regretful the tune had ended because he’d had no choice except to escort her back to the sitting area. He’d barely taken two steps away before an earl approached her and asked for the honor of a waltz.

As King had no more dances lined up for the evening, he’d come out onto the terrace and sought the darkest corner where he could . . . well, it felt rather like he was sulking. He wanted her to enjoy the evening, liked seeing her smile. But he’d been caught unawares by her laugh. The beauty of it, the depth of it, the wonder of it. The way it had invited him to join in. He’d been so tempted, but if his laughter had mingled with hers, he might have taken her into his arms and carried her out of the ballroom to someplace more private, where they could explore other sounds.

She had told him he wasn’t responsible for creating her laughter. But what if he wanted to be? God help him, he wanted to make her laugh and sigh and scream with pleasure. He’d always viewed her as Pettypeace, his secretary. But of late, especially tonight, he viewed her as so much more, as a woman. An incredibly intriguing, fascinating, mysterious woman.

He should be dancing with the others on her list, taking one or two of the more compatible ones for a stroll through the garden, fetching refreshments, speaking with them if nothing else, and yet they held no appeal. Couples—a man and a woman, two ladies chatting away because they had no suitors—wandered onto the terrace, down the steps, and into the gardens. He’d always found these affairs tedious, had avoided them for the most part. Yet tonight he wanted another waltz with Pettypeace. He’d never been so enthralled with any woman he’d held in his arms, not even Margaret during the height of passion.

While he suspected speculation and gossip were running rampant after he’d had her on the floor for two tunes, he’d not see her ruined. Not because it would make it more difficult for her to carry out her duties, but because he loathed the thought of anyone whispering anything unkind about her. She deserved only the highest of regard and admiration.

He was staring at distant shadows in the gardens when he became aware of Pettypeace. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw her standing on the terrace at the steps, the way one might hover at the edge of a cliff, contemplating whether to throw oneself into the tempestuous waves below. Then she began descending them. She was not going to take a turn about the garden alone, surely. It simply wasn’t done. Except neither could he envision her headed for an assignation. Although before tonight, never had he imagined her dancing with gentlemen, smiling at them, or laughing with them.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.