Page 5 of The Duke Meets His Match

Chloe gifted him with an innocent smile. “It’s a beautiful piece. The Imperial Arms emblazoned on the panels of the doors are lovely, of course, but it’s the smaller details I find truly fascinating. The lamps on each corner of the roof, combined with the one in the back, can cleverly illuminate the interior. They can even be used to heat food.”

He leaned close to whisper. “Fascinating. Most would focus on the ornamentation and not appreciate the design of the conveyance.”

Her smile brightened like she hadn’t a care in the world. She liked Henry. He was young, just twenty-two and close to her age of near twenty. He was also handsome with brown hair and eyes and a lithe build.

Chloe’s instincts told her that Henry, the Earl of Sefton, would make a wonderful husband. He was kind, attentive, and charming.

He was also rich and titled.

Just perfect.

She stole a glimpse at the tall and grimly unsmiling man in the back of the room.

Heavens.

There was nothing kind or considerate about the Duke of Cameron. Dark, arrogant, and dangerous were only a few words a lady could use to describe him. He was also arrestingly handsome. The meticulously tailored jacket emphasized broad shoulders and a muscular physique. He was well over six feet in height, and his dark hair gleamed from a ray of sunlight from one of the museum’s windows. His profile was chiseled, as if an artist had selected the finest marble before carving his model. His eyes were dark as midnight. He was clearly a man in his prime, but the duke’s commanding presence made him appear older.

He turned, fully revealing his face, and she sucked in a breath. She knew he’d been a military man, a lieutenant colonel in the king’s army. It made perfect sense. He had a resolute strength about him and he carried himself like an officer, like a man used to having his commands followed. Her face heated as she thought of how she’d walked into him just outside the room. The hardness of his chest—it was like a solid wall of muscle. His body was evidence of hard labor—a warriors’ body, certainly not a duke’s.

She shivered despite the warmth in the room. She could not believe it. The Duke of Cameron knew her secret. How was it possible? Of all the gentlemen in the beau monde, why did he have to take an interest in Henry?

It wasn’t his size or the coiled power in his muscular frame that had sent a shiver down her spine, but the fierce look in his eyes. He’d looked like he was about to set foot on the battlefield. Determined yet unfocused. He’d been sweating…uneasy…almost as if he’d been in pain. His grip on her shoulders had tightened, and he’d shocked her by calling her a thief.

He’d been right. She had picked pockets years ago, had stolen in order to survive poverty. But her sins hadn’t ceased at mere thievery.

Just how much did he know? She could only hope his knowledge wasn’t complete. Even her two older sisters were ignorant of the truth…

Sweet Lord. The knowledge was a weapon in anyone’s hands, let alone the duke’s.

Anger and fear shifted swiftly into other all too familiar feelings—remorse and regret. It didn’t matter that she’d acted to survive; the shame would never entirely go away.

She swallowed hard. There was only one possible course of action.

She had to see the duke in private. Plead her case. The duke hadn’t told Henry, that much she was certain. The adoration on Henry’ face as he gazed at her surely would evaporate if he knew of her past.

All of her past.

She stole another glimpse over her shoulder to find the Duke of Cameron watching her. Leaning against the wall, his arms were folded across his broad chest. He caught her staring and a dark eyebrow rose in challenge.

He had the power to ruin everything.

Chapter Two

Chloe pulled the hood of her cloak over her head and stared at the imposing mansion in Berkeley Square. She’d paid the hackney driver to wait for her around the corner. A full moon illuminated the massive pile of stone. The structure was even larger than her brother-in-law Huntingdon’s home, and she couldn’t imagine one person occupying such a large residence.

She took a breath and climbed the steps to reach for the brass knocker. Banging twice, she stepped back and waited. The door swung open to reveal a stern-faced butler with military bearing. His hard eyes swept her from head to toe then returned to her face.

Straightening her spine, she met the servant’s unfriendly glare. “I’m here to see His Grace.”

“Whom may I say is calling at this hour?”

“Kindly inform him that Miss Chloe Somerton would like to speak with him.”

The servant looked at her in disdain, and she could only imagine the thoughts that were running through his head. A lady of quality never visited a bachelor’s home without a proper chaperone, let alone late at night. Did he assume she was here for a secret liaison?

She raised her chin a notch. “I assure you, he’ll want to see me. It is a most important matter.”

The butler smirked. Once again, she wondered if he believed her to be the duke’s lover. She should be ashamed, but desperation pushed aside the unwelcome feelings. He opened the door wide. “Step inside, and I shall tell His Grace that he has a visitor.”