The Duke of Bernight stood before her, his tall frame rigid with indignation. His hand, the very one she had just bitten, wascradled against his chest. A deep scowl marred his otherwise striking features.
It was that moment that Violet realized that her day had quickly gotten even worse. Not only had she just been rejected by Lord Kembert, but she had justbittena duke. She straightened her back, fingers hastening to slick back the stray hair on her face.
“I… my apologies, Your Grace. I did not mean to…” She scrambled for the right words.
“Bite me?” He narrowed his eyes, still holding onto his injured hand. “What might your name be?Clearlyyou are not the one I came here looking for.”
Violet felt her cheeks warm.Of course.With his reputation, it was not a surprise that he must have snuck into the garden to meet some paramour of his. “Lady Violet. And I would not have bitten you if you did not grab me in the dark.”
It irked her that he made it seem like it wasentirelyher fault.
The Duke took a step back and looked at her properly for the first time. “Might I ask what a lady like yourself is doing out here all alone? If that is not an invitation for trouble, then I do not know what is.”
“I was…” Violet scrambled to explain herself, her fists tightening at her sides. “I came here to get some air. That is allowed, is it not? Or is the garden only reserved for your…assignations?”
It was quite unlike her to speak in such a rude manner, especially to a duke, but Violet was not really feeling much like herself. She was flustered by the way he had come so close to her—closer than any other man had in her entire life.
The Duke brought one of his hands to rub the side of his face, and she immediately found herself recalling how warm they had felt around her waist. How big they were in comparison to her little waist and how they could easily wrap around her.
What?Violet had never had thoughts like this before. The Duke, however, seemed oblivious to whatever crisis she had unfolding inside of her.
“My assignations?” The corners of the Duke’s mouth curved into an amused smile. Violet knew better than to accuse a duke like this, but the words had slipped out of her mouth before she could stop them. “I have to say, Lady Violet, you have quite the mouth on you. First you bite me then you make assumptions about my character.”
Are they assumptions when they are subject of every gossip weekly?“I did not mean to bite you,” she said instead.
“Good. Please ponder as well about traversing in the gardens at this hour next time the thought appears to you.” His face grew stormier. “An unwise decision. You’re fortunate it was me and not someone with less honorable intentions.”
“Honorable?” Violet scoffed, barely able to believe her own ears. “Your Grace… you just accosted me and called me a rabbit. It appears that we both view the situation quite differently.”
The Duke’s jaw tightened, and for a moment, Violet thought she saw the corner of his mouth twitch—though whether in amusement or irritation, she couldn’t tell.
“You should be thanking me for pointing out the danger of your situation,” he said, his voice heavy with condescension. “Instead, you choose to berate me.”
“I am not berating you,Your Grace.I could never do such a thing.” Violet folded her arms, her chin lifting defiantly. “You barged into my solitude, scared me half to death, and now presume to lecture me? All I did was point out what happened.”
“You make it seem as though I barged into your private chambers.” He rolled his eyes, and she blushed wildly at the suggestion. “I only came here to the garden.”
“Then you should have been more careful before assuming that I was someone else,” she argued back.
“Why are you insistent on proving that finding you here is my fault alone?” he said. Violet wondered if she was going too far with defending herself, but then again, she had more to lose than he did.
She had every right to defend herself—even ifthe Duke was not used to meeting people who spoke back to him like this.
“It is your fault,” he shrugged, making it seem as though it was the most obvious thing. “Do you like to shirk responsibility or are you someone who only sees their version of reality?”
The audacity.How could he already assume such things about her when he had only met her only mere moments ago?
“And your opinion on the matter is fact?” she said, bitterly.
“Usually, I would say so, yes,” he said, smirking now.
Perfect.Of all the people that could have run into her in the garden tonight, ithadto be a duke whose arrogance preceded him.
“Then, I must tell you that you are in the wrong here. And if there were any witnesses to the act, then they would agree with me.”
“For your sake, Lady Violet, let’s hope thereweren’tany witnesses,” he muttered dryly.
Violet knew that he had a point, but he had riled her up so that she could not help herself and bickered back.
