“I don’t despise you,” she said truthfully.
“Good.” He nodded once. “Stick with that. And if all else fails, perhaps another stolen kiss will help sell – I am joking,” he hurried when he saw her face drop. “Just a joke.”
Sophia’s cheeks flushed bright pink, and she had to look away. That kiss felt like a lifetime ago, and there was a part of her that had foolishly hoped the Duke might forget. Even if she had not herself…
“Leave it to me,” he said, the humor gone from his voice. “Stay close. Act as you have been brought up. And if all goes well, once I return you home later this evening, there won’t be a soul in England who does not believe you and I are star crossed lovers destined to be together.”
Her heart was still racing as she tried to picture what the Duke was going to do to prove this lie. She thought to warn him off doing anything obscene. She knew she should have set ground rules, because he was likely going to take things too far. And yet…
Was it so wrong that she was excited to see what the Duke had in store? She was, after all, a changed woman. Or she was trying to be. So, why not start right now, and to hell with the consequences.
If the Duke did feel the need to steal a kiss from her… maybe that wouldn’t be so bad either. Just that thought… again, she felt it pierce her heart like a white-hot blade. And dammit if she didn’t relish the fact.
CHAPTER 10
True to their word, Sophia and the Duke entered the ballroom in a way that to all those watching should have suggested that they were a couple in the throes of new romance. They linked arms. They wore beaming smiles. The Duke whispered at her to laugh as if something funny was said, and Sophia obliged him.
If first impressions mattered, Sophia felt that they had hit the mark perfectly.
The ballroom glittered like a crystal ball catching the sunlight. Colorful gowns and frocks swam in every direction she could see. Gold decked the walls. Marble lined the floor. The chandeliers glowed yellow, catching the jewelry worn by the guests, casting its reflection so that it was blinding. And at the center of it all were Sophia and her soon-to-be husband.
“That’s right,” he whispered in her ear as they glided across the ballroom. “Just like that. No need to overdo it.”
“Should we…” She swallowed the lump in her throat; it was brought about from nerves, the very real fact that she could feel the eyes of dozens watching her. “Should we do something?”
“Careful, Miss Sophia. If you mean to try and kiss me again –”
“I did not mean that!”
He laughed. “All we need to do is wait. Let them come to us.”
“Let who?”
“Everyone.” He looked at her and she saw his eyes glimmer with a sense of power and strength that she did not expect. “Let everyone come.”
Sophia had been to dozens of these balls, but it was always as the daughter of a viscount, always in the company of her parents, and always with a plan made ahead of time. Who she needed to speak with. How she was expected to act. Even what she was supposed to say!
This was different in so many ways. Some good, some scary, some thrilling. Her heart raced, her body ran warm, and she did what she could to act aloof and in control.I doubt I am managing it nearly as well as I think.
It didn’t take long for the first well-wishers to approach them.
Lord and Lady Gulliver, the Earl and Countess of Westford, were known to Sophia through her parents. Never had she spoken to them on her own, however, and never had she seen them so happy.
“Your Grace!” Lord Gulliver offered them a deep bow. “Let me be the first to congratulate you on your engagement.”
“Thank you, Lord Gulliver,” the Duke said with a smirk. “You are too kind.”
“And Miss Sophia,” Lord Gulliver then addressed her. “I must admit, we were quite… intrigued to hear of your engagement. Your father never mentioned that you and His Grace were close.”
“He would not know,” the Duke interrupted before she had a chance to speak. “Miss Sophia and I were forced to keep our romance a secret, fearing what people would say if they found out. Only when we knew our love was true, did we brave making it public.”
“How romantic,” Lady Gulliver purred.
“Isn’t it, though?” The Duke made sure to keep a tight hold of Sophia as he spoke, even going so far to look upon her with longing in his eyes that she felt in her chest as if it were real…
“And how did you two meet exactly?” Lord Gulliver followed up. “I would love to hear the tale.”
Sophia smiled. “We met at a garden party just last week.”
