And he was every inch the duke tonight, Lucy saw, all those intriguing hints of another man, a gentler man who cared for his friends and small children and had some sort of interestingly dark trouble with his family in his past—all of that was locked down tight behind the gilded façade of the Duke of Thornecliff.
The man was utter physical perfection, Lucy thought with some dismay, turned out in the starkly elegant black coat that was tailored to draw the eye inescapably to the powerful breadth of his shoulders and his trim waist.
He was all lean, sharp lines, his black eyes glittering as he stared back at her, and Lucy was suddenly reminded of a dagger she’d seen on display in a tiny museum in Florence.A stiletto, they’d called it, wickedly pointed and long enough to pierce straight through a person’s chest to skewer the heart.
Thornecliff reminded her of that dagger tonight.There was something dangerous about him, a barely leashed energy that recalled Fitz’s words of caution at the picnic.
He’s not a tame animal.
No, he certainly was not, Lucy thought.And though she knew the idea should have given her pause, she was conscious only of a giddy, fizzing excitement.
“My lady,” he said, stepping forward smartly to bow over her hand.She hadn’t put her gloves on yet, and when he pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles she felt it down to her toes.“You are looking especially exquisite this evening.”
There were ink stains on her fingers, she noticed with a spurt of embarrassment as she pulled her hand hastily back and accepted her gloves from Molly.
“What, this old thing?”she asked wryly, gesturing to her resplendent gown of peacock blue satin, cut daringly low across her breasts.A shimmering overdress of netting pinpricked with glittering gems floated and swirled as she walked, the tiny sapphires winking blue fire in the candlelight.It was the latest fashion made by the most in-demand modiste in Paris.“I found it in the back of my wardrobe and just threw it on.As I’m sure you did with your attire, Your Grace.
“So I’m to beYour Gracetonight.I’m not sure whether to be pleased or insulted.”
Lucy narrowed her eyes at him and he gave her a teasing smile.
“Knowing you,” he said silkily, “insulted.”
Lucy rolled her eyes to hide how flustered she felt.“Shall we go?”
He offered his arm and she took it, heart pounding, but before they could leave, Nathaniel loomed out of his study to pin them both with a stare from his odd-colored eyes.“Where are you two off to?”
“Out,” Lucy said shortly, tugging at Thorne’s arm.
“As you suggested,” Thorne reminded Ashbourn lazily.“I’m showing Lucy about Town, that she might recall the wonders of London and see fit to grace us with her presence in our fair city for longer than the months of your wife’s confinement.Or did I mistake your meaning?”
Lucy blinked.That wasn’t quite how she remembered the conversation going.
“Lucy is free to come and go as she pleases,” Nathaniel said gruffly, which was sweet of him, Lucy thought.There was a time when he had sought to dictate her every movement, but they had grown beyond that.
For some reason, Thorne was still staring at Nathaniel as though he was waiting for him to say something more, so Lucy took charge.
“Thank you, brother dear!As I am free to come and go as I please, it would please me very much to go now.Ta ta!Have a lovely evening!”
She towed Thornecliff out the door and down the steps to the street where the ducal carriage hulked in stately splendor on the cobblestones.The same driver from their visit to Gunter’s stood impassively resplendent in his ivory and gold livery at the open carriage door.
Selwyn’s face did not betray recognition of Lucy by so much as a flicker when she greeted him warmly and thanked him for handing her up into the carriage.
“I’ll get a smile out of him yet,” Lucy muttered to herself as she settled on the seat, but of course Thornecliff heard her.
“Selwyn doesn’t smile.I believe his face might crack if he tried it.I, however, would be happy to smile at you if you wish it.”
“No, thank you,” she said, taking in his cool, calculating expression.“You smile as though you learned how to do it by practicing in the mirror.”
Thorne shrugged, his face going blank and unreadable as he looked away from her to stare out the window.“I shall refrain, then, if it displeases you.”
The carriage lurched into motion, carrying them in stiff silence away from Mayfair.
“What did you mean,” Lucy said, breaking the tension between them, “back at Ashbourn House, about my brother wanting me to be convinced to stay longer in England.”
Face still averted, Thornecliff said, “It’s patently obvious that your brother wants you home for good.”
“He hasn’t said anything like that to me.”
