How to Deceive a Duke by Samara Parish

Author:Samara Parish
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2022-01-25T00:00:00+00:00

Fiona was elated. Lord Livingworth was not interested in her matches, but in just over a week she would have the opportunity to show Viscount Chester what they could do, knowing that he already approved of the concept and now just needed to see proof it worked.

It was intoxicating, being so close to the dream. Her heart jittered and her head spun, and it had nothing to do with the punch or the circles she was turning as she exchanged one partner for another in a country dance. She was enjoying herself more than she could ever have expected.

The only cloud to the evening was watching Edward dance with one fine-looking miss after another. On the rare occasion he wasn’t on the dance floor, he was at the epicenter of female fluttering. She wanted to believe that he hated the attention—that’s what logic and everything she knew about him would suggest—but his smile didn’t falter once. She knew because she had her attention on him all evening.

Which was why she didn’t see the danger coming until partners changed mid-dance and Luella took her arm with a viselike grip. Fiona’s heartbeat shifted from excited jittering to a panicked stampede. She could feel perspiration beading across her hairline, just at the edge of her wig.

“What a pleasure to see you again, sir. You certainly seem to be making the most of your time here in London.”

Fiona was tempted to take up arms against Luella. She was the epitome of everything that was wrong with the aristocracy, and the fact that people like her thrived off the backs of the working class made Fiona’s blood boil.

But a war of words would solve nothing and would only jeopardize what Fiona had set out to achieve—financial independence and bettering the lives of others. So she would be meek, if that’s what it took to succeed.

“I’m enjoying my time, my lady. As brief as it will be. I plan to return home shortly. Alone.” I have no interest in the duke. That was the message she was trying to imply.

“It won’t work,” Luella whispered as the music came to an end. “This scheme of your sister’s. He will never make a common girl his duchess. Not after what happened to the Viscount Dunburton.”

Fiona stilled. Around them gentlemen escorted their dance partners off the floor. Fiona found herself at the sharp end of annoyed looks as couples navigated around her and Luella. Manners dictated she take Luella’s arm and guide her to her next partner. But Fi’s feet were rooted to the floor.

“I’ve nae heard of the Viscount Dunburton,” Fiona replied. She knew whatever Luella had planned was a trap but she was too intrigued to avoid it.

“Truly?” Luella asked with an innocent flutter of her lashes. “It was quite the scandal. I would have thought even a country bumpkin such as yourself would have heard of it.”

“London gossip does nae tend to make it that far south.”

Luella thrust open her fan, using it to shield her face from view as though she and Fiona were friends sharing titillating gossip for amusement.

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