A Duke for All Seasons: Dangerous Dukes by Wendy Soliman

Author:Wendy Soliman [Soliman, Wendy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-07-18T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Grace watched the duke striding away from the Lodge and took a moment to admire his physique. That broad-shouldered stance that conveyed power, strength and an element of danger was as exciting as it was prohibitive. She was unsurprised when her solitary reverie was interrupted by Phyllis.

‘What did your duke have to say for himself?’ she asked, following the direction of Grace’s gaze as he disappeared from their view with his dog running ahead of him.

Grace smiled as she turned to face her faithful friend. ‘As if you were not listening at the door,’ she chided.

‘Someone has to mind your reputation,’ Phyllis replied, unabashed. ‘But I couldn’t quite hear everything what was said.’

‘How irksome for you. We shall be sure to raise our voices the next time.’ Grace’s smile faded. ‘If there is a next time,’ she added.

‘What do you mean by that?’ Phyllis asked, suspicion in her tone.

‘What I say. We cannot stay here for much longer. In fact, it might we wiser if we left today—now. Immediately.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous! That’s the last thing we should do. Afton will be back by now, scouring the countryside in his hunt for you, so all and sundry will know that you are missing. He’ll likely make out that you were injured in the accident and have lost your senses, if only to save face. If you so much as show yourself in public though, word will get back to him, or some misguided soul will insist upon returning you to him out of a sense of duty or in expectation of a reward. Anyway, we’re not likely to get far without a carriage, are we now?’

Grace pouted and threw herself into the nearest chair, the one that the duke had just happened to occupy a few moments before. His unique masculine aroma still clung to the cushions. ‘You’re right, of course,’ she conceded. ‘Damnation! We will have to think of another way. I have not come this far only to return to Afton Hall with my tail between my legs and face the consequences of my disobedience. I absolutely will not!’

‘Then let the duke protect you. I can see that he desperately wants to.’

‘Only because he heartily dislikes Afton and needs my help to find out what he’s up to.’

‘Explain.’

Grace did, leaving nothing out. She told Phyllis that the duke had not permitted Afton to marry his cousin, creating animosity between the two gentlemen as well as between the duke and Lady Georgina.

‘Hmm. I see.’ Phyllis took a moment to digest all she had just heard. ‘There ain’t much tattle in the servants’ hall about those men what visit Afton. Caldwell makes sure of that. Everyone below stairs is terrified of him, as you know. Well, everyone except me and he knows it. We steer well clear of one another.’

‘I do indeed know that Caldwell is a tyrant,’ Grace agreed, nodding. ‘The insolent manner in which he sometimes looks at me makes me shudder.’

‘Well if the duke thinks that Afton’s up to no good you’d be best advised to sit back and let him prove it.

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