"I haven't the faintest idea what you mean," Dominic said, forcing his gaze away from her. The earring he'd found on his floor after her departure weighed heavy in his breast pocket, a small pearl drop that seemed to burn against his chest through layers of linen and wool.
Theo followed the direction of Dominic's previous stare and smiled knowingly. "The gardens are particularly engaging this morning, I see."
"When do you expect August to arrive?" Dominic asked, deliberately changing the subject. He refused to admit, even to himself, that the woman had affected him. One kiss—a rather spectacular kiss, if he were being honest—and suddenly he found himself watching for her like a lovesick schoolboy.
"By tomorrow afternoon, if his letter is to be believed," Theo answered. "Though I've known him to be late more often than punctual. Oxford habits die hard."
Dominic nodded, grateful for the distraction of old friends. He had known both Theo and August since their university days, but had left England shortly after graduation to travel through Europe, combining business ventures with pleasure. Now, finally back on English soil, seeing his friends was supposed to be a welcome respite.
"And how was the Continent?" Theo asked. "Your letters were entertaining, if infrequent."
"Profitable," Dominic replied with a half-smile. "Though I did witness a rather spectacular volcanic eruption in Sicily that nearly ended my grand tour permanently."
"Good Lord," Theo exclaimed. "You never mentioned that."
Dominic shrugged. "It seemed overly dramatic to include in correspondence. Besides, I'm here now, unsinged and solvent."
His eyes, treacherous things, drifted back to the garden below. The lady had turned her back to him now, which somehow irritated him even more. Her companion—another lady whose face was obscured by an elaborate bonnet—leaned close to say something that made her laugh. The sound carried up to the terrace, light and musical, but with an edge of something sharper.
"You seem distracted," Theo observed. "Are you finding the house party dull already? We've a full schedule of entertainments planned—April insisted."
"Not at all," Dominic said quickly. "Merely adjusting to English society again. One forgets how many rules there are to observe."
"Rules you've never been particularly fond of following," Theo replied with a knowing smirk.
Dominic didn't answer. His reputation for flouting convention had been well-earned in his youth, though his reasons had never been what others assumed. The world saw a carefree rake; only Dominic knew the cold calculation behind his refusal to form lasting attachments.
Below, the lady gestured animatedly, her gloved hand cutting through the air in a way that suggested she was making a point her companion found either brilliant or scandalous. Either way, Dominic found himself wishing he could hear the conversation.
"Ah, speaking of my wife," Theo said suddenly, straightening his posture. "I really ought to introduce you properly. You arrived so late last night, there wasn't time for formal introductions."
Dominic followed Theo's gaze to see a woman ascending the terrace steps from another part of the garden. She wore a pale blue morning dress and moved with a graceful, buoyant step that suggested perpetual optimism.
"The Duchess of Stone is—" Theo began, but his words faltered as Dominic suddenly stiffened beside him.
For a terrible, disorienting moment, Dominic thought he was looking at the woman from last night—the one he had kissed, the one whose earring rested in his pocket, the one who had left him stunned and sleepless. His stomach dropped. Had he kissed his friend's wife?
But as she drew closer, relief washed over him. This woman, while strikingly similar, was not his mysterious lady. Her eyes were blue, not amber-brown, and freckles dusted her cheeks. Her smile was open and warm, nothing like the challenging smirk he remembered.
"Duchess," Dominic said, inclining his head as Theo's wife approached. "A pleasure to finally make your acquaintance."
"Duke of Icemere," she replied with a curtsy and a smile that suggested they shared a secret. "We've heard so much about you from both my husband and my brother."
"All of it lies, I'm certain," Dominic said smoothly.
She laughed. "Oh, undoubtedly. Though the most entertaining stories are rarely factual."
"April, darling," Theo said, taking his wife's hand. "I was just about to explain to Dominic that you've planned a veritable campaign of entertainment for the next fortnight."
"Are you worried you're seeing double, Duke?" April asked suddenly, nodding toward the garden where the two ladies were now making their way toward the terrace steps.
Dominic followed her gaze, realizing with a start that the woman in the garden and the Duchess of Stone bore an uncanny resemblance to each other. "I confess I did experience a moment of confusion," he admitted. "Though the distinctions are clear enough upon closer inspection."
His eyes locked once more on the lady from last night as she ascended the steps. Now that he could see all three women in proximity, the similarities were obvious, but so too were the differences. Where April was sunshine, the lady from last night was shadow and steel.
"Triplets," Theo explained with a chuckle. "God help us all."
Dominic's eyebrows rose. "Truly? I've never met triplets before."
