Dare to Be a Duchess, page 8
“Girls, I have something to share,” Uncle Robert announced. “I have just now received a missive from Wolf. Lord Radmore has asked Wolf for his permission to marry Anne, and Wolf has given it.”
A stunned silence followed his announcement. Lara exchanged a startled look with Camille, and then the two of them shot up from their chairs, screeching in delight.
“Girls! If you have finished, I could give you the most important news.”
Both of them calmed down to listen to him.
“The engagement ball is planned for next weekend at the Wolverton residence here and the wedding is at Wolverton Castle six weeks hence.”
“Cammy, isn’t that so great?” Lara remarked.
“Brilliant! I’m so happy for Anne,” Camille gushed.
“We must go see her!”
“Yes, we must!”
They were about to dash out of the room when Lara paused. “Cammy, can you please wait for me in the carriage? I need to talk to Uncle Robert for a moment.”
“Of course. I’ll collect my maid and meet you outside.”
After Cammy left, Lara said, “Uncle, about Wolf’s Marriage ultimatum. Now that Anne is getting married, can I get out of it?”
“No,” Uncle Robert admonished, folding his newspaper. “If anything, Anne’s impending marriage should have you more excited to find your own match. You have six months left to find someone or Wolf will do so instead. That still remains. I want to see you happy and settled as well.”
“But Uncle Robert—”
“No, Lara. No more discussion on this.”
This marriage ultimatum was like a noose around her neck. She had no idea how to tackle it. But this battle was for another day. She had one more thing to ask Uncle Robert.
“Uncle, the other night at the Ravensborough’s, I bumped into Leo.”
“And?” Lord Robert asked.
“I…I think he knows about my…relation to him.”
Unbeknownst to the ton, Lara was the granddaughter of the Duke of Calster. The unrecognized granddaughter. Unrecognized and unwanted, which was why the relation had never been brought up. Nevertheless, that made Leo her cousin.
Robert sighed. “Perhaps he does. That old fudge Calster is ailing, I’ve heard. He may have told all his secrets to his heir. Leo is not like his grandfather. I trust him to do what’s best, if not now, then definitely after he inherits the dukedom from Calster.”
Lara frowned. It couldn’t possibly be that simple.
“I know how you feel about Calster, Lara, but you can trust Leo to be different.”
Lara sighed. She had so many mixed emotions flowing through her. Years ago, she’d promised herself that she’d never set foot in the presence of her grandfather, and she fully intended to stick to that promise. If he didn’t see her worth, she refused to recognize his. And she couldn’t bear the thought of the ton suddenly treating her differently because of the connection to him.
But these were thoughts for a different time. The only thing she wanted to be right now was excited to see Anne.
Chapter Eleven
Wolf listened to his steward with half an ear. The man was giving him a brief on his pet project, the new irrigation system that he had put in place on his estates that caused water from nearby water sources to reach all the tenant farms, but even that could not hold his interest for long. His mind kept shifting back to the events of the past days.
Anne was going to be married, and Radmore had turned out to be a good fellow after all. After meeting him, Wolf was convinced that he was in love with Anne, just like Lara had said. Even when Wolf had threatened not to endow Anne with anything, Radmore hadn’t blinked. He wanted Anne and only Anne.
Sometimes all one needs is a chance.
Lara’s words. They came to him unbidden, and before he knew it, he had given the two of them his blessing.
His mother had been thrilled about the announcement. Radmore’s title was one of the oldest in the country, and that was enough for her. She was extremely traditional and conservative in her views on marriage within the aristocracy. Pure bloodlines were all she wanted in his and Anne’s future spouses. The only reason Anne had remained unwed for so long was because Wolf had indulged her. Had he left it to the duchess then she would have married off Anne in her very first season to the highest-ranking wealthy lord who asked for her hand, no matter his age or character.
The Duchess, as he referred to his mother, had never featured in his relationship with Anne. She had left both of them alone to grow up under the care of various nannies, so he was the one Anne had run to when she had scrapes and bruises as a little child or when she wanted to talk as she grew up. Wolf adored his sister, and he was delighted to see her glowing with happiness now.
Looking at the situation with a much cooler head now that everything had worked out well, he concluded that he had treated Lara miserably. She hadn’t deserved his harsh words. He’d been blinded by his protective instincts, while Lara had been nothing but fiercely loyal to Anne. And clearly smarter than him when it came to seeing the breadth of the situation.
Nonetheless, he shouldn’t have kissed her. She had initiated that first kiss at the masquerade, but he should have stopped himself. And he shouldn’t have lost control with her in the Ravensborough garden. He was known all over England for his perfect deportment and control, and he had thrown it all away for a taste of those delicious lips. He had wanted to kiss her. Why? He had no answer to that. Only that kissing her and shutting her razor-sharp mouth with his own had given him a primal satisfaction.
He toyed with the paperweight on his desk. What had erupted between them was fruitless and had no future, and yet here he was continuously thinking of her and how her mouth felt under his. He was yearning to hear those soft moans she made when she was in his arms.
Shutting his eyes, he cursed himself. He had to stop this insanity at once. He couldn’t let it continue. What had occurred between them was just an act of misguided passion. Nothing more. Both of them had behaved out of character. Yes. That’s just what it was.
He had to speak to Lara and explain himself. His honest and honorable nature forbade him to do otherwise. He had to resolve this because they would see each other more often now that Anne was getting married, and he’d be damned if he had to spend all the time Lara was visiting skulking around in his study.
Unable to concentrate on his work, he ended the meeting with his steward. He left the study, deciding to go to his club to meet Leo and Hawk.
Just as he emerged into the foyer, the object of his current fascination entered his house, looking like spring sunshine.
The first thing he noted was her hair. Like always in any informal visit to his home, her dark hair flowed down her back, constricted only by a ribbon on her nape. While most Society women would rather be caught dead than let their hair down in public, Lara as usual cared nothing for those formal rules that Society demanded she follow.
His eyes coasted over her. Wearing a short-sleeve, cream and blue–sprigged day gown, with a wide, round neck that showed the tops of her breasts, she looked fresh and pretty. His wayward thoughts ran wild, and he imagined himself lowering the bodice of that gown to expose the creamy skin of her breasts. Taking a deep breath, he dragged his eyes back to her face—that beautiful face that had been haunting his nights and days.
He sucked in a harsh breath. He was so very doomed.
Lara had entered the Wolverton residence with no trepidation. Her plan had been to find an excuse to seek out Wolf and find a topic to argue with him about so she could return to disliking him as usual, and everything would be back to normal.
But that idea had dissolved to pieces the minute she saw him standing just beyond the foyer, studying her like a wolf studies his prey.
His gray eyes rested on her longer than usual, and she could swear they took on a predatory glint that made her want to run. His eyes swept her from top to toe, and her heartbeat doubled.
She had to stop staring at him. But no matter how much she scolded herself, her eyes had a mind of their own, and they kept appreciating the handsome duke. This morning he was dressed in fawn breeches that hugged his muscular thighs, top boots, and a dark brown coat with a matching waistcoat over a snowy white shirt and cravat. A glimmer of red twinkled from the ruby pin at his throat. He was so immaculately dressed that she wanted to ruffle his hair a bit, just so he wouldn’t look like perfection.
He raised his eyebrows at her obvious perusal of him, and her cheeks tinged with red.
“Ladies, I presume you’ve heard the good news?” he asked, his tone casual.
“Yes, of course.” Camille beamed. “Congratulations, Wolf. We are truly delighted.”
He nodded, and Lara felt his heavy gaze settle on her again.
Breaking the silence, Lara asked, “Where is Anne?”
Before he could reply, the door to the morning room flew open, and Anne burst out. Lara rushed past Wolf to hug Anne, and Cammy followed suit. From the corner of her eye, Lara saw Wolf retreating to his study and heaved a sigh of relief to be spared from his intense scrutiny.
As the excited conversation flowed around her, Lara, although delighted for Anne, struggled to keep up. She had come here with a plan in place—share in Anne’s joy and get back to hating Wolf—but seeing him again had twisted her into knots. The way he had been looking at her made her feel nervous, made her feel tingly all over, and made her angry that she was reacting like this. She was behaving like a fool. This was one of the most important days of her friend’s life, and Lara couldn’t stop thinking about Anne’s insufferable brother.
The tea arrived just as Lara had managed to pull herself together. Camille was telling Anne all about the latest wedding gown fashions, and Lara eagerly joined in. She had just taken a few bites of the delicious apple pie when the door opened and Wolf sauntered in. That feral gleam in his eyes returned when they fixed on her and her breath hitched.
He turned to the others. “Anne, Lady Camille, if you don’t mind, I have a matter that needs to be discussed with Lara.”
When Lara’s eyebrows flew up, he clarified, “My horse has injured his leg, and I would very much like for you to have a look and suggest some poultice for healing him.”
“Of course. Please take Lara away. As it is, she’s distracted and not adding much to our conversation today,” Anne said, making a face at Lara.
She flushed. Had her preoccupation been that obvious? Cammy’s barely hidden smile confirmed her fears.
“Lara, if you please,” Wolf requested.
Putting her teacup down, she hesitated. Here he was giving her a perfect opportunity to put the second half of her plan in action, and she was vacillating. Rising up, she put her hand on his outstretched arm and left the room with him.
Their walk to the stables was fraught with silence. Lara racked her brain to start a topic that had been a bone of contention in the past between them, but nothing came to her. It was like her mind had gone blank, devoid of any sensible thought. In the past, his mere presence was enough to provoke her, but now she felt vulnerable walking beside him.
As they reached the stables, Wolf led her into a stall at the end where his hunter, Pegasus, a massive black Arabian stallion, was housed. He was a beautiful horse and very apt for its rider. But what caught her eye immediately was the injury on his front right leg.
Her healing instincts came into play, and forgetting everything else, she stepped forward, whispering soothing words to the beautiful animal. She nuzzled the horse’s head and lifted her hand forward for him to sniff her. Satisfied that he was comfortable with her, she kneeled down in the stall and gently lifted his leg.
“He seems in good health. I’ll just check how bad the wound is.”
Wolf watched her dote on the animal with a sense of admiration. She cared not one whit if her skirts were dirtied or not. Her only concern was for the animal. How many ladies would do the same? Lara was unique. Really, the Society women could learn a thing or two about compassion and loyalty from this woman.
The horse whined, and she calmed it with soft words, looking over the wound carefully. Wolf kept his face devoid of expression as his eyes roved over her. A wrinkle marred her brow as she examined the horse.
“It’s not deep,” she concluded. “My guess would be that he has been scratched by a fence or a nail.”
“It was a fence.”
“I’m certain your staff must have already cleaned and disinfected the wound. It’s not bleeding now, so I would suggest they apply honey mixed with a paste of chamomile and aloe for a few days and let him rest till it heals completely. He will be fine soon.”
She rose up and patted the horse’s nose. Pegasus immediately responded, nuzzling into her palm.
A stable boy entered, and Wolf relayed her instructions. Once the horse was situated, Wolf offered his arm, attempted to remain calm while she eyed him, and escorted her out of the stall when she finally placed her hand in the crook of his elbow.
“You really do have a way with horses,” he commented as they walked side by side.
“Why the tone of surprise, Wolf?” she asked him. “Do you doubt my skill?”
Skill? Oh, she had very skillful lips. He knew firsthand how expertly her mouth had destroyed his senses. Twice.
A bolt of lust seared through him at that memory, and her nearness only fueled it.
Calling himself all kinds of fool for once again being captivated by her, he stopped and faced her, forcing himself to focus on the reason why he had drawn her away from her friends.
In the past, he had never asked her help in such matters—he had his own trained staff for that. But today he’d wanted an excuse to talk to her in private, and Lara would never refuse seeing a wounded horse. Hence, he had lured her on the pretense of needing her help.
Only now he was at a loss on what to say.
Especially when he found himself staring into the loveliest eyes he’d ever seen.
Damn.
This needed to be done, though. For both of their sakes.
The sudden silence that once again descended between them was fraught with tension, a silence that Lara had no idea how to break. Did he doubt her ability with horses? Was that why he was taking so long to respond to her question?
“Your healing hand with horses is well known,” Wolf said in a tight voice.
And that’s why you never have asked me for help before today, she thought to herself.
When she didn’t reply, he stepped closer. She raised her eyes, meeting his gray ones. He was tall, well over six feet, and no matter that she herself was taller than average, her forehead barely touched his chin.
“Lara, we need to talk about what happened that night at Lady Ravensborough’s ball. My behavior toward you was uncalled for.”
Unsure of how to reply, she decided to act cool and flippant. “If you mean the rudeness, the general disregard of my opinion, and always thinking you are right, then you needn’t be bothered, because that’s what I have come to expect from you.” She shrugged. “In any case, everything’s worked out well for Anne, so it’s all right.”
He huffed out a breath. “Lara, please don’t be difficult. You know that’s not what I’m talking about. My kissing you…it was a temporary moment of complete insanity, and I want to apologize for that and assure you that it will never happen again.”
Her lips flattened into a straight line upon hearing his haughty tone. Why did he have to sound like a snob while apologizing? It wasn’t like she had forced him to kiss her, at least not that last time. Agreed she had limited experience in that arena and agreed that all her experience stemmed from the two times they had kissed, but even she could tell that he hadn’t been able to stop once his mouth was on hers.
“Fine,” she chirped. “I accept your apology.”
But Wolf pushed forth, much to her rising consternation. “You are definitely not the type of woman that I’m attracted to.”
She kept her expression placid. If she’d been looking for a reason to hate him again, he was certainly on his way to providing one. “Hmm.”
“And since I don’t find you desirable in any way, that act is never going to be repeated again.”
Now he was beginning to annoy her. How dare he make her out to be completely undesirable and unattractive?
Her temper flared…
Oblivious to her rising ire, he continued, “I just want to once again reiterate that what I did, or rather we did, both times was a once-only event. So let us forget about it. In fact, we can pretend that it—”
…and then it snapped completely. She pursed her lips and cut him off before he said anything else that would cause her to pound her fist into his aristocratic jaw.
“Enough, Wolf. I get it. You’ve made yourself quite clear,” Lara bit out. She had wanted an argument and a verbal disagreement, so by God, she was going to get one. His arrogance had absolutely no bounds. What the hell did he think of himself?
He blinked. “So, you agree?”
“No,” she huffed.
“What? What do you mean by ‘no’?” Wolf asked, frowning.
“No, as in I don’t believe you.” When he opened his mouth to speak, she slashed her hand in anger and cut him off. “Oh, your apology is sincere. It’s the rest of it that I don’t believe.”
Wolf squinted. “What are you talking about?”
“I think, Wolf, that you go on and on about my undesirability and my unattractiveness as a way to convince yourself more than me. The fact is that you kissed me because I am desirable and I am very attractive indeed.”
He rolled his eyes. “Why not add conceited and vain to the list as well?”
“Whatever!” Lara dismissed him with a shrug and stomped away.
