“Your Grace,” she said in greeting, her ever-so-slightly reddened lips curling into a smile. “I thought you might be here.”
Tristan got to his feet, straightening his waistcoat, and offered a tight smile.
“What are you doing here, Juliana? You aren’t a member of this club.”
Juliana could hardly have failed to notice the coldness in his voice, but her smile barely wavered.
“To answer your first question, I am here to see you, Your Grace,” she responded coolly. “To answer your second, I told the man at the door that exact thing, and he let me in.”
“Now is not convenient, Juliana. I wish you had told me you were coming.”
The smile wavered at that, but she rallied tolerably.
“I am sorry. I shall leave then. Shall we make an appointment to see each other? We could dine, perhaps, at my home or yours? Yours is larger, but I suspect that my cook has the advantage.”
Tristan allowed himself a faint smile at that. He was fairly sure that when he visited Juliana’s home—which was grand enough, but nothing very impressive when compared to a ducal home—she went downstairs before he arrived and did some of the cooking herself. She certainly was a skilled cook; it could not be denied.
“A kind offer, but I simply don’t have the time at the moment,” he responded curtly, before Juliana could get her hopes up. “I shall send you a message to summon you when I want to see you next.”
The smile disappeared completely. Juliana flinched backward, her full lips pressing into a thin line.
“I wasn’t aware that you had the power tosummonme whenever you wished, Your Grace,” she managed at last, her voice tight. “Am I to sit at home and twiddle my thumbs, waiting graciously for your call, then?”
Tristan narrowed his eyes at her. “We both know that you have never waited graciously for anything, Juliana. I don’t expect you to do any such thing. I am not in the mood for your company at the moment. Please do not take offense, but now I will consider the subject closed. Do you understand?”
There was a tense silence between them. Tristan held Juliana’s gaze. Looking away would only make him look weak. Unfortunately, Juliana seemed to understand the exact same thing, and stared unblinkingly back.
“Goodness,” she said at last, with a forced little laugh. “Your Grace, I have not seen you or visited you for a full week. Seven whole days! I have not gone so long without seeing you since we began keeping company.”
“We will not keep company again if you don’t stop pestering me, Miss Bolt,” Tristan snapped. The last of his patience was evaporating like mist before a noonday sun.
Juliana’s head jerked back, and she blinked, as though reeling from a slap. She breathed in sharply through her nose and at last managed to summon a smile.
“I see. I am sorry to have disturbed you, Your Grace. Good day to you.”
She made a deep and elegant curtsy, turned on her heel, and strode off the way she had come. The men watched, agog, as she passed by. One of them even jumped up and took a step toward her, as if hoping to introduce himself.
Juliana did not look at him or slow down. Cowed, the man cringed back into his seat.
Tristan sat down heavily, picked up a brandy, and drank it back in one gulp.
With a great crinkling and rustling, Isaac appeared from behind his newspaper.
“Heavens,” he managed faintly. “That woman wants you rather badly, Tristan.”
“No, she wants to be a duchess rather badly,” Tristan responded tightly. “I’m under no illusions.”
“I have never known you to turn down a lady before. You always said it was impolite.”
He gave a grim smile. “That was before a lady turnedmedown.”
Isaac’s eyebrows shot up at that. “Oh, goodness. Well, Imusthear this story.”
Tristan heaved a sigh. “There’s nothing to tell. I was exceptionally seductive and charming toward a young woman at the poetry night. I even convinced her to remove her mask, and do you know what she did? She ran, Isaac. She bolted for the door.”
“I hope you didn’t chase her.”
“Of course not. I didn’t allow her to go racing out into the London streets at midnight, of course, but I did not press my attentions further upon her. I cannot lie; it was a blow.”
