He seemed to relax. “Thank you, Miss Givenwald. I do appreciate it.”
Not for the first time she tried to find some way to get her body to respond to the slight curl of the light hair near his ears, or the flash of interest in the earl’s green eyes, but darkness always intruded in the form of the duke. The intensity of his smoky gaze and his brown hair taking on the shade of the moonlight on an evening terrace.
She scoffed at the poetic image she’d created in her mind, even if it was true.
“Do you find something amusing?”
Lexie immediately realized her error and quickly tried tothink of a rejoinder. “Merely that I wonder why we try to impress all these stuffy gentlemen when it is obvious that you, like my father, are men worthy of note without having to go through all the pomp and circumstance that is deemed necessary to gain their attention.”
His mouth kicked up at the corner, his sour mood seemingly all but forgotten for the moment. “I do enjoy the bold way you speak, Miss Givenwald. I find it highly refreshing and a trait that I should hope to admire for a long time.”
She stilled. She did not dare ask him to elaborate on that statement, for it was dangerously close to a marriage proposal if he was speaking so far into the future. Her aunt would be delighted by the prospect, of course, and insist Lexie do everything in her power to encourage the actual words, but she could not find the enthusiasm that such efforts might warrant. Her heart continued to war with her mind, and she clung to that semblance of independence with everything she had. If she were to succumb to the marital state, any chance that she might have to experience the true pleasures in life would be stripped away from her. Although the earl was pleasing to look upon, he did not cause the stirrings of lust in her chest as the duke did andthatwas the side she yearned to explore in great length.
The carriage fell into silence as the earl deposited her at her aunt’s townhouse, but before she departed, he grasped her hand when she would have stepped to the ground. “I should like to remain in your esteem, Miss Givenwald.”
She inclined her head. “There is no threat otherwise, my lord.”
He seemed to relax slightly. “I’m glad to hear it.” She was released, but before she could escape into the house, he spoke through the open carriage door. “I would like it if you might go riding with me again tomorrow afternoon?”
Thankful that she would have a welcome respite to think things through, she nodded. “Until then.”
She forced herself to slow her pace and not sprint into thesanctuary of the house. But now that she was by herself, she slumped in a chair and worried her lower lip. If she kept stringing along the earl, she was going to start experiencing guilt, and she didn’t want to get to that point. She wanted to seduce the duke, ruin herself, and return home with a pleasant smile on her face knowing that she’d accomplished what she’d set out to do.
As she lounged in the parlor, she wasn’t surprised to find that her aunt had left for the afternoon, which gave Lexie some dedicated time on her own. With the prospect of boredom looming, she decided that she would set out on a journey.
Ever since the duke had told her of his alternate identity, she had been highly intrigued, but she knew that he wouldn’t speak of it again. However, if there was the chance she could be in danger because ofhim, it stood to reason that she ought to understand what she was dealing with. How far did his power actually reach? She didn’t think that he had stretched the truth to enhance his own importance, but what did she know other than what he chose to tell her?
Asking a servant to gather her cloak and bonnet, the footman was about to send for her maid, but Lexie stopped him. “This is a call I should like to make on my own.”
He appeared perplexed for a moment but then inclined his head. “Of course. I will instruct the coachman to ensure that you are?—”
She held up a coin and he paused. “What I require is your discretion.” She held the shilling out to him, and he pocketed it, remaining silent. “Good.” She smiled broadly. “I shall procure a hackney.”
She started to go, but again, she was stopped. “Should something untoward occur?—”
“You had nothing to do with it. Rest assured, I will carry all the blame should something happen, but I don’t foresee any trouble.”
With that, Lexie trotted down the steps. She was thankful thatit was a pleasant autumn day, but with the gray clouds starting to thicken on the horizon, she had no doubt that rain would soon be a problem. Hopefully, it would wait until the evening when she was safely back inside. Either way, she was an Englishwoman and rain was a rather common occurrence. Having lived in the country most of her life, she knew how to handle herself in all sorts of weather. It was not a deterrent when it came to satisfying her burning curiosity.
She had never hailed down a public carriage before, but it turned out to be quite easy enough. As she started to get inside, she asked to be taken to the Duke of Cuthbert’s residence.
The driver spat out something that looked quite unpleasant and said, “Don’t know o’ a toff by tha’ name.”
She tossed a shilling to him, which he grabbed with lightning-fast accuracy in midair. “I’m sure you are resourceful enough to figure it out.”
She shut the door of the conveyance and after a moment’s pause, there was a slight jerk as they set into motion.
It was a particularly uncomfortable ride, a marked difference from her aunt’s well sprung and finely upholstered coach. But at least it was offering her the anonymity she was looking for when they paused a short time later.
She stuck her head out the window. “Have we already arrived?”
“Aye.” Another undesirable spit. “But ’e’s just left.”
She frowned as she surveyed the front of the townhouse. “I see no carriage pulling away from the curb.”
He pointed toward the mews where a man was leaving on horseback. “That’s the man you’re lookin’ for.”
Lexie caught a glimpse of simple attire before the rider disappeared around the corner. “Are you quite sure?”
