Thinking about him had become a much-desired pastime. She liked that she could say whatever she wanted to him without fear of reprisal in any way. Courtship and marriage were not available to her so she was free to enjoy being with him, answer his banter, and relish the kisses he had all but promised. But she had to be wary, too. She must guard herself and not let their kisses go too far. She knew the dangers. Her goal had to be that she would not let the duke seduce her into his bed no matter how much she would like to fall victim to all the duke’s charms.
Noticing that the light of day was waning, Loretta was beginning to wonder if they would, indeed, make Hawksthorn before nightfall. She thought about laying her head back to nap, but her mind was too busy with thoughts of the duke. Instead, she quietly reached into her satchel and pulled out her copy ofA Proper Gentleman’s Guide to Wooing the Perfect Lady. It brought a smile to her face every time she held the small leather-bound book in her hands. It wasn’t a long book, but it had brought her such joy.
She lightly rubbed her fingertips over the title and the author’s name, feeling the smoothness of the cold leather. Silly as it was, she treasured the volume. Not because ofthe contents, but because it was an unexpected gift from the duke.
He was right in that for the most part it was filled with useless advice most men learned from the time they left the cradle. One such rule was:It is never permissible for a gentleman to remove his coat in the presence of a lady.
That one baffled her. What gentleman would do that anyway? Men were taught that lesson from the time they slid their arms into their first coat.
And then there was:A gentleman must always watch his language in front of a lady. This, too, was another rule of manners that gentlemen were taught almost from their birth.
There were a few of the guidelines and rules that she felt were good and something a gentleman might need to be reminded of. Her favorite was:It is never permissible for a gentleman to suggest to a lady that she is wrong. That one made her smile every time she read it.
Loretta fully agreed with that rule, though she couldn’t see the duke or the earl ever following it. Not as far as Loretta was concerned anyway. The duke and her uncle considered it their duty to tell her when they thought she was wrong. But then, neither of them was trying to woo her, so maybe this would only apply if they were trying to win a certain lady’s favor.
There were some instructions that were so unbelievably odd it was easy to see humor in them:There is only one time a gentleman should tell a lady how beautiful she is and that is from the time she arrives in his presence until the time she leaves.
Some of the rules she absolutely agreed with:A proper lady appreciates a gentleman who is always cheerful.And:It is best for a gentleman to always let a young lady have the last word.
And then there were some guides she wished were true, though she had her doubts:A gentleman should always let a lady know that her heart would be safe if she gave it to him. Now that was a truly romantic notion she and all ladies could agree with.
Loretta heard a whooping holler from the driver. She closed the book and gently stowed it back in her satchel. Paxton roused from his slumber and rubbed his nose with the back of his hand while he stretched and yawned.
She leaned over and looked out the window. They were traveling on a curve and turning onto a tree-lined lane. Although it wasn’t quite dusk yet, lampposts had been lit as far down as she could see.
“What are you looking at?” Paxton asked.
Her breathing increased sharply. Anticipation at seeing the duke flooded her. “Hawksthorn,” she whispered almost reverently. “We’ve arrived onto the estate.”
“Splendid,” he said, sitting up straight in the cushion and combing through his hair with his hands. “And about time. I’ve not slept so much in years.”
In the far distance, she saw the roofline of a large, L-shaped building. It had to be the manor at Hawksthorn. The main building was so long and wide, it looked as if Mammoth House would have fit inside a small section of it. She should have known it would be. It was the center of the dukedom. She could see the tops of smaller buildings that were probably cottages for the workers, servants, and tenants, or possibly even the paddocks, barns, and carriage houses.
Within a couple of moments the main house came into full view. Loretta was awed at the magnificence of its stately grandeur. To the left, near the horizon, the clouds had separated; the sun hung low in the sky, giving off aspectacular golden glow of light in the heavens, making the stone structure seem majestic.
The colors in the sky were a good sign the weather was going to take a turn for the better. It was the beginning of spring after all, and winter had finally passed.
Loretta picked up the dark-brown bonnet that matched her cape and the trim on her pale-brown traveling dress and placed it back on her head. With cold, eager fingers she tied the satin ribbon under her chin. “Did I get it straight?” she asked her brother.
He studied her a second and said, “It looks perfect.”
“How about my hair?” he asked, smoothing it down the sides with an open hand. “Is it sticking up anywhere?”
“The front and sides look nice. Turn around and let me see the back.”
Paxton twisted around.
“Oh, my,” Loretta said in a worried voice. “I do believe it looks as if two squirrels have been nesting in the back of your hair.”
“What?” Paxton licked the pads of his three middle fingers and started frantically pressing down his hair.
“No, stop, please!” She laughed. “I was only teasing you. I didn’t think you would take me seriously. Your hair is in good order and you don’t need to do a thing to it.”
“A fine sister you are,” he grumbled lightheartedly and fiddled with the ends of his neckcloth to make sure they were laying properly. “If we were at home, I’d hold you down and tickle your sides for that prank.”
“You would have to catch me first.”
“Though I haven’t tried in a few years, I still have no doubt I could.”
