“What does any of that have to do withme?”
He took a deep, frustrated breath. “More than you’ll ever have the patience to comprehend. Look, this man is so incredibly wealthy, and so incredibly indulged, and so incredibly cynical, that no woman—no woman—fazes him. But he perked up when he saw you. Did you see it?”
“Well, naturally...”
“As afavorto me, because you owe me, I’m imploring you to captivate him. Bring all of Knightly Snow’s considerable charms to bear. If you can get him to marry you, even better.”
“Marry me?”
“You have to marry sometime, Knight. Even I’ve done it, and you were correct. I swore I’d never marry anyone.”
“How rich would you say he is?”
“You see this mansion? It’s one of three he has in London alone. There’s one in Somerset. He’s a duke, Knightly; he’ll have homes all over the country. And carriages. Your every whim would be indulged. Best of all, the two of you have the same interests. You could be Duchess of All the Things You Love to Do.”
“I cannot commit tomarrying him, Declan, even as a favor to you.”
“Fine. Just get him to break away from his family and release Helena from their clutches. They want him to marry her.”
Knightly wrinkled up her nose. “Oh, they wouldnever suit. She’s far too . . . thin.Andshe’s married to you.”
Declan held out his hands, a gesture of surrender. “I’ve done what I could to pry her away from the combined ambitions of the two families. Now you can do what you can for me. If ever you cared for me. If you are up to the challenge. When you meet his family, you will see. I guarantee it will be a greater challenge than ever you have faced. Greater even than the palace. He’s got an uncle just begging to go toe-to-toe with you.”
“Really?” Now she sounded intrigued.
“The uncle will deplore you—but he’s not the duke. There’s the lucky bastard who’s ‘Your Grace.’ ” Declan pointed at Lusk. “And he is in dire need of someone to liberate him in a very particular, very Knightly Snow sort of way.”
Knightly stared down the corridor at the duke, his hands in his pockets, his head down, as Helena spoke quickly and urgently.
“Fine, I’ll do it,” said Knightly, tugging on her bodice. “For you. And because I think he’s handsome. In a dazed, malnourished sort of way. It makes me want to fatten him up.”
“I’m sure that you will expand him in every known way,” said Declan, and Knightly, who was far smarter than she let on, snorted.
She took a deep cleansing breath. She patted her hair and gazed down the corridor.
“Your Grace?” she called.
Lusk looked up, his eyes drinking her in.
Knightly strode to him. “You look like you could use something I like to call ‘true love’s kiss.’ ”
“I beg your pardon?” said the Duke of Lusk, freezing in place.
Helena hopped out of the way just in time, and Knightly collided with the Duke of Lusk. She fell against him with enough force to push the two of them three steps back. She went straight for his mouth, kissing him full on, wrapping her arms around his neck, and kicking her heels behind her. The duke widened his stance, staggered, and then kissed her so hard they fell in the other direction, colliding with the wall. A painting of a dead pheasant bounced with their impact.
Helena rushed to Declan’s side. “Oh my God,” she said.
They watched in shock as the two strangers embraced.
When at last the duke pulled back, placing his hands on either side of her head, he repeated his original line. “Hello,” he said to her.
“Hello,” she said back, taking his cheek in her hand.
And then the flat-eyed, indifferent duke raised his head to the ceiling and howled.
Declan took Helena’s hand and briskly pulled her away... down the corridor... around a third corner... out of sight.
“He’sawakened,” Helena marveled, allowing Declan to pull her along.
