“You will do no such th—”
The door opened just as he reached it. “Your Graces, Lady Georgiana,” the butler announced, “Lord D—”
Grey grabbed Tristan by the shoulder and yanked him into the room, slamming the door closed in Pascoe’s face.
“You son of a b—”
Using one hand, Tristan shoved Grey sideways. “I’m not here to see you,” he said, his face hard and set.
His gaze found Georgiana, frozen by the window, and she made herself breathe again. The reason he’d used one hand was that he gripped a bouquet of white lilies and a box wrapped with ribbon cradled in the other.
“Good morning,” he said in a softer voice, a small smile touching his sensuous mouth and darkening his sapphire eyes.
“Good morning,” she breathed, her heart skittering.
“Dare,” Grey growled, approaching again, “you are going to do the right thing. I will not tolerate your inexcusable behav—”
“Shut up, dear,” Frederica interrupted. Rising, she took her son by the arm and led him toward the door. “We’ll be in the breakfast room if you should require our presence,” she said, opening the door.
“I am not leaving them alone,” the duke growled.
“Yes, you are. They promise to remain fully clothed this time.”
“Aunt Frederica!” Georgiana exclaimed, flushing.
“Get on with it.” Sending her a brief, encouraging glance, the dowager duchess closed the door.
Georgiana and Tristan stood for a moment, gazing at one another in the sudden silence. “I hadn’t realized the news would spread this fast,” he said in a low voice, “or I would have been here earlier. Amelia and Luxley aren’t nearly as interesting to everyone as I’d thought they would be, obviously.”
“I was hoping everyone would be so occupied with talking about them that they would forget to mention us.”
Tristan cleared his throat. “I need to ask you a question. Two questions, actually.”
If her heart beat any faster, she was going to faint dead away. “I’m listening,” she replied, feigning calmness as best she could.
“First,” he began, handing her the bouquet, “do you trust me?”
“I couldn’t believe you remembered that I liked lilies,” she said, holding on to them so she would have something to do with her hands.
“I remember everything, Georgiana. I remember how you looked the first time we met, and I remember the look in your eyes when I betrayed your trust.”
“But you didn’t, really,” she returned. “You hurt me, but no one else ever knew. How did you keep it quiet, with a wager resting on the outcome?”
He shrugged his broad shoulders. “Creativity. Georgiana, do you—”
“Yes,” she interrupted, meeting his gaze. “I trust you.”
If he’d been waiting for a moment to get his revenge, this was it. She’d spoken the truth, though. She did trust him, and just as importantly, she liked him. She loved him.
“Well, then,” he said, as though he hadn’t been certain what her answer would be, “this is for you, too.”
He held out the box. The size of a box of cigars, it was bound with a single silver ribbon, tied in a bow at the top. Swallowing, Georgiana set aside the lilies and took it in her hands. It was lighter than she expected.
“It’s not another fan, is it?” she asked, trying to joke.
“Open it and find out,” he replied.
She thought he looked nervous, and it made her feel a bit sturdier to realize that he wasn’t invulnerable. She tugged on one end of the ribbon, and it fell away. With a swift breath, she flipped open the lid.
