Ravished in Rose: The Brothers Duke: Book Four by Felicia Greene

Author:Felicia Greene [Greene, Felicia]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2020-10-19T16:00:00+00:00

Fortunately, the carriage ride to the Duke townhouse was relatively brief. There was little time to reflect on the fact that she was almost certainly making a terrible mistake—that she had invited danger into her life without fully considering the consequences. Panic only rose in her breast once she disembarked—once she was in the house itself, far more luxuriously furnished than it had been in the past, curtseying to the Duke brothers and their wives with a touch more awkwardness than in past encounters—and treating Henry with such icy, professional politeness that no-one could be left in any doubt as to her continued good conduct.

What had Henry told them about his meeting with her? She could hardly imagine him being reticent about what he felt, but neither could she picture him being salacious or gossipy. Perhaps the rest of the brothers felt uncomfortable at her presence, or had considered it a duty to invite her. On the other hand, maybe she was simply being overly-sensitive–all of the Dukes, Thomas, Robert, John and Edward, had done their best to make her feel as welcome as she usually did when making flying visits to their house.

She could tell that Anne in particular was full of questions. Anne had always been a shy, retiring woman, focused entirely on her work as a modiste, but her marriage had given her new leisure time–and new room to focus on the lives of her friends as well. Margaret, who had always attempted to keep every aspect of her private life unavailable for discussion even between her most trusted friend, hoped against hope that Anne wouldn’t attempt to get her alone and uncover the truth of things.

But even if she did, what was the truth of things? That she had tried to be professional with Henry for roughly half an hour, and then quickly succumbed to the most vivid temptation? That Henry still appeared to be determined to marry her, even though she had told him most firmly that it couldn’t occur? That… that she dreamed of doing exactly that, despite telling him that it was impossible?

Even the most curious friend would undoubtedly run for the hills after being faced with all that. Fortunately, Anne was as polite as she had always been–and Charlotte and Dorothea, two women who she didn’t know particularly well but who had always struck her as both pleasant and fortunate, behaved with such warm familiarity that very soon she felt at home. She smiled through the soup and fish courses, drank as much wine as was seemly and no more, and laughed at Thomas Duke as he told witty jokes at the head of the table.

Soon, her former discomfort was nothing but a distant dream. She even managed to look at Henry more than once without her throat closing, her heart beating wildly in her chest. Not for too long, of course–if she looked at him for too long, the true reason for this dinner would surface in her mind and make it impossible to concentrate.

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