He neared the library, of which the door was propped open. Ash steeled himself and walked into the room. It was no good. The foolish muscle inside his chest took off like an anxious horse’s hooves.
She sat by one of the many windows in the library, nudging the marble carved pieces on the chess table a servant had set up for them. Soft light streamed through the mullioned-paned windows, lighting up the subtle streaks of auburn in her hair. She glanced up and sharp, amber eyes homed in on him.
And then she bloody smiled.
He blew out a breath. He could do this. He was a man of three-and-forty. He had restraint and resolve…and really, really big problems.
She stood and curtsied, soft, brown silk skirts fluttering around her. She was wearing a dress that fit her again, thankfully. His eyebrows pinched slightly—it was one fit for a ballroom, however, not a simple day dress for a game of chess.
Perhaps another attempt at seduction? Whether intentional or not, it was working. It was stunning on her, earth-toned silk mixing with the darker brown of her hair, strands glinting with hints of fire. She looked as though she was a nymph sprung from the earth. Tempting. Incendiary.
Argh.Really,reallybig problems.
They settled at the chess table and started the game in silence. Ash moved pieces at random, hoping he looked like he had a semblance of an idea of what he was doing. He discreetly studied her as she paused to think over each move. Her pearly-white front teeth dug into her lush pink bottom lip. Right before she’d come to a decision, she would worry it back and forth. His hand fisted on his thigh. Was there any activity that didn’t make her painfully tempting?
“Pandora informed me she doesn’t have a governess.”
His eyebrows slammed together. That was an…interesting seduction tactic.
“No, she does not.”
Perhaps this would work in his favor. He would lean into the bad parent persona, which would be easy as it was the truth.
“We have gone through a few. But Pandora isn’t interested in the typical teachings, and the women I hired always wanted to force her to do things she didn’t like. I decided there was no point in continuing to search for a new one.”
That was stretching the truth. He did want to find her another one, but he had no idea how to find one who would be the right fit for his daughter. Either way, the lack of a governess was sure to make Pandora’s future more difficult. The insides of his stomach turned leaden.
Felicity captured one of his pieces with one of her pawns, then looked up at him and tilted her head. “How will she be ready to be presented to society without learning the proper behavior of a lady?”
He put on an air of nonchalance with a lift of his shoulder, even though the lead in his stomach had now taken on a razor-sharp quality. “She is a Duke’s daughter, after all, so I am sure it is not too much of a concern, no matter how inadequately she is prepared. I have too many other items that need my attention to worry about such things.”
She studied him silently.
“She will have a very tempting dowry. I am sure someone will bite. Gentlemen of the ton can be desperate.” Oh God. He could barely stomach the words. Like hell would he let some heiress-hunter or title-seeker marry his daughter. “As you can see, I am not the best of fathers.”
She double-blinked and lifted her brows in what he was fairly certain was skepticism.
He didn’t say anything.
She did the blinking thing again.
If he didn’t know any better, he would think she was being a bit fresh with him.
“Why are you blinking at me like that?”
“This is myyou are so full of shiteface, Your Grace.”
It was his turn to blink. Did she just say he was full of shite?Lady Felicity?
“Ah, and there is theI am full of shiteblink confirmation.”
His lips twitched in spite of himself. So, shewasbeing fresh with him. He hated how he liked it. “And why am I full of shite, my lady?”
“You are not a horrible father, Your Grace,” she said softly as she stared at him.
He hurried to take his turn, and they made the next few moves in silence.
“I am, though,” he finally said. “You are my son’s fiancé.”
