Page 29 of An Inconvenient Duke

Merritt reached for his jacket and slipped it on. “Pearce complains about that title incessantly.” He tugged his sleeves into place. “But between you and me, I think it might just save him.”

Marcus’s chest clenched. He knew his men had suffered difficulties in readjusting to life in England, but he hadn’t realized that Pearce was struggling as much as Merritt implied.

“If he can’t be a field officer anymore, then the next best thing is overseeing his estate and caring for the village and parish there. It gives him purpose, and we all need that these days.” Merritt hung his cravat around his neck, not bothering to tie it, and mumbled half to himself, “Some of us more than others.”

Marcus frowned. Had he been wrong about Merritt? The man had returned to the law to take up at the bar right where he’d left off six years ago when he joined the Coldstream Guards, and by all accounts, he was successfully proving himself. He had family to support him, a career, a future—

No, Merritt simply needed reassurance. “Don’t worry. You’ll take silk soon.” Marcus carried his glass back to the cabinet to refill it. “And your father will finally be able to brag that his son is a King’s Counsel.”

“I’ve got the law. Pearce has his estate. Clayton has the entire Home Office.” His face softened with concern. “What’s going to save you, General?”

“I don’t need to be saved.” Those words triggered a memory of Danielle, wearing an expression of such bleak misery that it had sliced through him.You misunderstand. I don’t need to be saved… More than she realized. “I need to find John Porter.”

Merritt held his gaze for a long moment, not satisfied with that answer. But he knew not to press and instead turned his attention to finishing his last swallow of brandy.

“But I do need another favor.” Marcus picked up the long strips of cloth that he’d used for mufflers. “Can you hire a couple of men from the old guard to watch over Miss Williams and keep her from harm?” He winced inwardly at the thought of the tongue lashing he’d receive from her if she ever found out that he’d placed guards. “For God’s sake, whatever you do, don’t let her know.”

“Of course.” Merritt grinned at his expense. “You should marry this one, General. Sounds like she’s got spine enough to keep you in your place.”

“And how is that a benefit in a wife?” He wrapped his hands again for another set-to with the bag once Merritt left, carefully layering the strips of cloth over his knuckles and tying them off in small knots against his palms.

“It isn’t. Just damn amusing for the rest of us!”

With a slap to Marcus’s back, Merritt strode out the door.

Not bothering to muffle a curse of frustration, Marcus plowed a fist into the bag as hard as he could.

Ten

“But that chicken would not leave the general alone!” Harriett exclaimed to the entire dinner table at Charlton Place as she told a story about the first time she met George Washington. “I think he was in love with the general.”

Dani bit her bottom lip to keep back a laugh. Thankfully, at least, no stray bottoms were involved with this tale.

“When Washington went inside the house, it threw an absolute fit that it couldn’t follow. Flapping its wings, pecking its beak at everyone, crowing and carrying on as if a weasel had gotten into the henhouse. So Washington ordered that the chicken be let inside, and it followed him everywhere!”

Laughter went up from around the table, including from Adam Trousdale, Claudia’s fiancé, who had never met the Williams women before and had no idea what to expect. That he hadn’t run fleeing as fast as he could when the viscountess began telling her stories had certainly earned him favorable points. When he became the brother-in-law to a duke, he would have to interact often with society women at all levels of rank.

“Washington was convinced the chicken was a British spy.”

And all levels of madness.

“They named it Major Andre.”

Even Dani couldn’t keep a laugh from escaping at that. It was the first genuine moment of amusement she’d felt in an evening of nearly unbearable tension between her and Marcus, so intense that surely the others also felt it. The man kept staring at her from the head of the table as if he couldn’t decide whether to throttle her or kiss her.

“Auntie,” she chastised mildly, leaning in close to Harriett, seated beside her.

“You said I couldn’t tell the story about pinching King George’s bottom,” the viscountess countered in a low voice meant only for Dani but which everyone overhead. “You never said anything about Washington and the chicken.”

“Because I didn’t know about this one,” she muttered, “or I would have.”

“Before you’re done,” the viscountess accused, “you’ll have an entire book filled with stories that I’m not allowed to tell.”

“Exactly.”

Marcus laughed.

Dani looked up and froze when she found him watching her. But when she saw the sparkling in his eyes, she smiled at him, happy to find an ally in her embarrassment.