Namely: how to catch the heart of a certain questionable, aloof, annoyingly attractive duke. If he had a heart, for which Maddie hadn’t seen proof since they were children. And yet, she didn’t know another candidate and her mother made it clear that she better be engaged by the end of winter or else…
The final chord fell into silence and her fingers grew too heavy to play.
Maddie sighed. She’d love to play another. But she really ought to find Ashley before she turned the castle upside down.
The last thing she wanted to be was a burden—
“An interesting take on the piece, Miss Madeleine.”
Maddie spun, her eyes widening to full moons.
The duke stood a few feet away. Oh! He’d heard her play!
She swallowed hard.Interesting take?That wasthepiece. Mozart! What did he mean,interesting?
There was amusement in his eyes, if not a bit detached. Cold even. But she must just be imagining that. That faint glint of knowing that made her stomach flip—not in a good way but not in a bad way either.
Urgh. How confusing.
Her cheeks burned. First the frog and tea incident. Now this.
She was on a one-woman mission to destroy every remaining scrap of his hearing and throw in her dignity.
She straightened her spine. There was only one way out.
Play along.
“Thank you, Your Grace,” she croaked, nodding. Then blurted, “I’m terrible at the pianoforte!”
His lips curved, just a little. Just enough to make her heart hiccup—not with excitement but that peculiar sort of embarrassment. Like he was superior to all and never let anyone forget it.
“This might come as a surprise, Miss Madeleine,” he said, “but skill is not everything.”
Is it not? Her brow pinched.
“You don’t believe me?”
She bit her lip. “Without skill, many things cannot be accomplished.”
He inclined his head. “Indeed. Some practices do require skill.” He nodded to the pianoforte. “But sometimes, heart matters more than precision. And you, Miss Madeleine, play with heart.”
A compliment from Paisley? What wonders!
“Did you hear the entire piece?” she asked, unable to help herself.
He nodded. “And the one before that. And the one before that.”
“I didn’t hear you enter.”
“Of course not. I was already here.”
Her heart plummeted. He’dbeenthere? The entire time? How had she not noticed?
Ah, then she’d disturbed him?
Of course she had. She wasMaddie.
What next? Stumble over his boots and land in his lap?
