Page 52 of The Virgin Who Humbled Lord Haslemere
Georgiana hesitated. It wasn’t at all likely the duke would recognize her surname. She shunned social engagements, and rarely ventured past the bounds of the Clifford School. She was a no one in London, even to those who were familiar with Lady Clifford. She was certainly far beneath the Duke of Kenilworth’s notice.
Still, Benedict had made a point of withholding her full name, and now she thought of it, why should the duke be interested in knowing it? As far as Kenilworth knew, she was simply Benedict’s latest mistress. Her name should be of no consequence to him.
So, she acted as if she didn’t understand his hint, and instead offered him a vacant smile. “Do you play faro, Your Grace?”
“Not much, no. Certainly not as well as you do.”
He lifted a shoulder in a casual shrug, but Georgiana could see by the slight tightening of his lips he’d noticed she’d dodged his question, and hedidn’t like it.
The Duke of Kenilworth was, not surprisingly, accustomed tohaving his way.
“Won’t you drink your champagne?” He slid the crystal flute closer to her hand. “As I said before, you look flushed. Haslemere will be angry if I allow you to become overheated.”
“It’s kind of you to be so concerned for me, Your Grace.” Any more champagne, and Georgiana’s wits would be well and truly addled, and she couldn’t help wondering if that was what the duke intended. Still, she didn’t think it wise to refuse him a second time, so she clasped the thin crystal stem in her fingers, lifted the flute to her lips, and took the smallest sip imaginable. “Very refreshing, indeed.”
The duke plucked up one of her chips and turned it lazily between his fingers, his intent gaze focused on her face. “Now I think of it, where has Haslemere gone? It’s bad form for him to leave you here all alone, at the mercy of whatever blackguard chooses to accost you. Perhaps you don’t know it, Miss Georgiana, but every coxcomb and villain in London attends Lady Archer’sfaro parties.”
Georgiana watched the chip moving between his gloved fingers and a tremor darted up her spine. Again, his manner was courteous, solicitous even, but she couldn’t shake the feeling he’d just threatened her.
She swallowed. “Lord Haslemere stepped out for a moment only to bid Lady Archer a pleasant evening. He should return at any moment, Your Grace.”
“Not quite any moment, Miss Georgiana. He’s been gone for half anhour already.”
Georgiana blinked. Had he beenwatchingher, and waiting until she was alone beforehe approached?
“Where did you and Haslemere happen to meet, Miss Georgiana? It’s curious, the way you appeared in London seemingly out of nowhere.”
“Notnowhere, Your Grace.” Georgiana let out a gay laugh, but even she could hear the brittle note in it, and the duke’s eyes narrowed. “Lord Haslemere and I were introduced at…thatis, we met at—”
“I beg your pardon for keeping you waiting, my dear,” a deep voice said, just as a warm hand landed in the middle of Georgiana’s back. “Good evening, Kenilworth. What a pleasant surprise to see you here. I’ve never known you to frequent Lady Archer’s faro parties before.”
Georgiana jerked her head up, nearly sagging with relief when Lord Haslemere’s darkeyes met hers.
“Ah, Haslemere. Here you are at last.” The duke tossed the chip in his hand back on the table. “I thought perhaps you’d gone.”
“Gone? Come, Kenilworth. Do you think I’d leave without collecting my treasure?” Benedict nodded at the table in front of Georgiana, but the way he curled a proprietary hand around her waist made it clear he wasn’t referring to the wager.
“Quite a treasure, indeed. I admire you, Haslemere. You’ve accomplished a great deal in just a few short days. You’ve only just arrived in London, and here you are with a pile of coins in front of you and a newchère amieon your arm.”
“No sense in wasting time, is there?” Benedict shrugged, but his fingers tightened in warning on Georgiana’s waist.
“No, indeed. But I’m sure your sister told me you intended to remain in Surrey for the season. What bringsyou to London?”
“Boredom, primarily. There’s only so much rusticating a man can do before he goes mad, Kenilworth. I confess I didn’t have much hope for London, either, but I find myself pleasantly surprised at the company this season.”
“I see that. How odd, though, that I don’t recall ever having seen Miss Georgiana’sface before.”
The duke was smiling as his gaze swept over Georgiana, but his tone wasn’t quite friendly, and Georgiana couldn’t suppress a shudder at the shard of ice in his voice. Those cold, narrowed gray eyes seemed to see everything, to peel away everything one wished to hide, their secrets and lies and sins, like peeling fleshfrom the bone.
“My dear, may I present the Dukeof Kenilworth?”
If Kenilworth heard the reluctance in Benedict’s voice, he did an admirable job of pretending he hadn’t. “Oh, we’ve met already, much to my pleasure.” The duke seized Georgiana’s hand andbowed over it.
“Your Grace.” Georgiana fixed a smile on her lips, but the duke’s grip was tighter than it needed to be, and it was an effort not to snatchher hand away.
In a thousand years, Georgiana could never have predicted what would happen next, and it passed so quickly it was over before she realized it had begun. She felt Benedict go rigid beside her, and the next thing she knew his long fingers closed around her wrist, and he tugged her toward him until she was nearly sprawled in his lap.
“A trifle possessive, are we, Haslemere?” The duke released her hand and turned his attention to Benedict, Georgiana wholly forgotten. “She’s lovely. Wherever didyou find her?”
