Page 71 of An Inconvenient Duke

Beatrice nodded faintly as disappointment clouded her face, and she turned away as if she couldn’t bear to look at Dani. “I understand.”

“No, you don’t—I want to help, but that’s all I can promise right now.” She reached out to squeeze Beatrice’s arm. “But Iwillcontact you as soon as a decision has been made.”

“Thank you.” Beatrice glanced down at Dani’s damaged hand, and her expression turned troubled. “Take care of yourself. I don’t want you to be hurt.”

Dani’s heart tugged, believing her. “I will. I just—”

She stopped.Her hand.The warning about Marcus that had been niggling at the back of her mind now began to scream.

“Beatrice, you said that His Grace claimed that I’d been upset by the fireworks… When did you speak to him? Did you run into him out somewhere in Mayfair?”

“Heavens, no. You know how reclusive the man has become.”

She was beginning to suspect that she didn’t know him at all…

“He met up with Hartsham at the club the next afternoon.”

Dani flashed numb, all the way to the tips of her fingers and toes, only for the sensation to be instantly replaced by something much harsher. By betrayal. Marcus had promised they’d go after Hartsham together.

His duplicity burned in her veins. “Hemet up with Hartsham?”

Beatrice nodded. “So he could apologize for leaving the gardens without giving his goodbyes. But it makes sense now.”

“Yes, it does.” In a very anger-inducing way.

“His Grace wanted to protect you.”

“Apparently, even now,” Dani bit out. And enough for Marcus to maneuver behind her back to catch Hartsham by himself.I promise that we’ll go after Hartsham together…Oh, she’d been such a fool to believe him!

Beatrice frowned. “Pardon?”

“Nothing.” She clenched the key in her hand as she turned to leave. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a battle to wage.”

Twenty-Two

“Miss! I insist! You simply cannot—” The butler’s voice was drowned out by the angry stomp of feet.

At the unexpected commotion in the hall, Marcus glanced up from the stack of correspondence on his desk that he was sorting through as a way to distract himself from the fact that Hartsham had yet to send word about the woman he’d asked for. Pippa was in the park with Mrs. Davenport, and Claudia was out at a charity event of some kind. For once, he had the house to himself.

Or had, until Danielle appeared in the doorway of his study, flushed of face and breathing hard enough that her breasts heaved beneath her bodice with every breath she took.

He leaned back in his chair. Well.Thiswas certainly a distraction. Of the very best kind.

“Your Grace.” The flummoxed butler peered over her shoulder into the room in apology. “I asked her to wait in the drawing room to be announced, but she—”

“Refused,” Danielle finished, that single word silencing the man in midsentence.

Quashing a grin at her audacity, Marcus rose to his feet. He was happier to see her than he wanted to admit. Especially since he hadn’t laid eyes on her since he’d returned her home two days ago, that morning after Vauxhall.

But he also didn’t want her anywhere near Charlton Place. He didn’t dare risk that Hartsham would find out how much she meant to him and use that against them.

She came forward into the room with the butler following at her heels like a terrier.

Marcus frowned. This was completely out of character for her. Something was wrong. “Danielle—”

“How dare you go behind my back!”

Definitelywrong.