“Bonnie!” Miss Louisa Prim admonished, clearly exasperated by her little sister’s boldness.
Feeling a stab of impatience at their sport, Bray said, “Ladies,” and nodded to them before immediately shifting his attention back to Miss Louisa Prim. Bray’s mouth lifted slightly. For the third time, he said, “I am the Duke of Drakestone.”
The second he said his name, Louisa Prim went still. Then Bray watched her shoulders and chin lift precipitously. She took a step away from him. Her sisters, sensing the sudden change in her demeanor, moved in closer to support or to protect her. He wasn’t sure which.
Miss Prim didn’t immediately answer him. It was as if he could see her mind working. He had a feeling she wanted to think of a way to tell him to get the hell out of her house, though do it politely. That made him smile, which he could see infuriated her all the more. The other four Misses Prim were looking at him, too, but not with the dire contempt he saw in Miss Louisa Prim’s expression. They were curious yet cautious.
“What do you want?” she finally asked in an unfriendly clipped tone that left him no doubt how she was feeling.
Her voice was cold, and that angered him. He was here because of her uncle, not because he wanted to marry her or be responsible for the assortment of girls before him. He didn’t have a hell of an idea what to do with this collection of girls. He’d never lived with one sibling, let alone five of them. What right did she have to treat him as if he were bothering her?
“I’d like a few moments of your time.”
“If I must,” she said grudgingly.
It didn’t appear she was prepared to give an inch, but then neither was he. Her four sisters stayed behind her like a wall of blond-haired, blue-eyed sentinels staunchly guarding their beloved captain, none of them making a move to leave. He couldn’t very well talk to Miss Prim about marriage with so many sets of eyes looking warily at him, so he added one word: “Alone.”
After a brief hesitation, Miss Prim said, “Very well. Gwen, please go to the kitchen and ask Mrs. Trumpington to prepare tea and bring it into the drawing room. Perhaps you should help her by picking out a lovely china pattern for the duke.”
She looked him up and down with those piercing blue eyes, and Bray felt a shiver of awareness rush through him even though there wasn’t a hint of seduction in her appraisal.
“His Grace looks to be the type of gentleman who would appreciate a very delicate cup and saucer,” she continued. “One with plenty of colorful flowers painted on it.”
Bray’s brows twitched as she looked from his face to his big hands. He had the feeling that somehow she knew he despised those dainty cups he was forced to use at teas and dinner parties. Too bad she didn’t know he never walked away from a challenge.
“The smaller, the better,” he shot back with a grin.
He could see that she was restraining a glower.
“Sybil and Bonnie, it’s time for you to return to the schoolroom and continue your studies with Miss Kindred. She should have your lessons prepared by now. Playtime is over for the day.”
“What am I to do, Sister?” Miss Lillian asked.
Miss Prim seemed to study on that before saying, “Actually, I believe His Grace would like to hear you play the pianoforte. A fine gentleman like him would enjoy listening to a soothing melody from a young lady as talented as you. Perhaps you could entertain him with that score you were practicing yesterday.”
“But I don’t know it very well, Sister.”
Miss Prim gave Bray a humorless smile and said, “He won’t mind. Will you, Your Grace?”
Hell yes,Bray started to say. He would sit through a musical or the opera only when there was absolutely no way out of the invitation for him to do so. The mere thought of hearing a child practice her lessons made him want to bolt for the door. And he was tempted to do just that. But he couldn’t resist the defiance in Miss Louisa Prim’s eyes.
“Not at all, as your sister said, I’d be delighted to hear yousoftlyplay while we talk.”
Miss Lillian scampered off. Bray was impressed at how, when Miss Prim issued the orders, the girls went scurrying to their duties without question or complaint.
“I apologize for leaving you standing in the front of the house so long, Your Grace.”
She might have offered an apology, but there wasn’t a trace of regret in her tone or countenance. He was beginning to get the feeling Miss Prim hadn’t been pining away for him or eagerly awaiting word about impending nuptials.
No matter. She was proving to be quite intriguing.
“Would you like to come into the drawing room?” she asked in an overly cheerful tone.
“Where the pianoforte is, I presume?”
“Of course.”
Another sudden surge of desire for her rippled inside him. His lower body tightened, thickened. He had an intense urge to pull her to him and kiss her.
