‘I am not an idiot!’ she seethed, shoving him again. ‘Neither am I blind!’ Another shove. ‘I saw all of you come out, and I recognised you at once! Besides, I sat in that carriage for half an hour, staring out of the window. I knew full well there was no one else about when I stepped out!’
Sparks of anger flashed in his eyes as he lowered his voice to a dangerous level. ‘You promised me.’
Grace scoffed. ‘For your information, I made no such promise. I merely nodded to indicate that I understood, not that I agreed.’
He dragged a hand through his hair in frustration. ‘Woman, you are driving me mad. You can play with words all you like, but I will not have you putting your life in danger. I forbid it. Do you understand me?’
Red with fury, Grace sputtered. No one had dictated her actions since she was eighteen, and she was not about to start allowing it now. But still... the raw intensity in his eyes unsettled her. He had been truly afraid for her. And for some reason, that made her own anger falter for just a moment.
But her defiant nature reared its head. ‘Who are you to forbid me anything? You have no authority over me. I shall do as I please, and if that means doing dangerous things, then so be it!’
Even to her own ears, she sounded petulant, but she would not back down. Not to this infuriating man.
A slow, predatory smile curved his lips. Grace squirmed.
His hands found her shoulders again, and he leaned in. ‘If I were your husband, I would find a way to fix that,’ he murmured.
Her breath hitched at the smouldering intensity in his eyes. For one heart-stopping moment, she thought he would kiss her. She struggled against him at first, but as his proximity overwhelmed her senses, her knees grew weak.
Instead of claiming her lips, he tilted his head and pressed a kiss to her cheek. Then, without another word, he turned and left the room.
Grace remained frozen, gripping the edge of her dressing table for stability.
Then, doing what any respectable spinster would do, she locked her door.
She paced her chambers until her maid arrived to rekindle the fireplace. Surprised to find Grace already awake, the girl was even more taken aback when Grace asked her to pass on her regrets to the ladies—she would not be joining them for the shopping expedition today. The maid, sympathetic, helped her back into bed.
Grace was exhausted. She needed sleep. Yet, as she lay down, her mind drifted back to him. How dare he handle her so?
And kiss her when he was betrothed to another?
There was nothing for it. After a bit of rest, she would hunt him down and confront him.
GRACE WOKE IN THE AFTERNOONfeeling surprisingly refreshed.
Asking the servants where the Duke was, she received an unexpected answer. The Duke had left the residence for the night.
Coward, she thought uncharitably.
Frustrated, she enquired after the rest of the household and found that they were still out shopping. With nothing to do, she accepted a cup of hot chocolate and a light repast from the maid.
‘Sally, do you know if Holden has made the library ready?’
‘Yes, ma’am. Shall I ask him to open it for you?’
A few minutes later, Holden escorted her to the library.
‘Miss Skye, I do hope you like it. The room is not used as often as it should be. The library at Armitage Estate is much grander, but this London residence is none too shabby, if I do say so myself.’
Grace was delighted. She had only seen a small portion of it the day before and had longed to explore further.
‘Thank you, Holden.’
As she entered the room, she was awestruck by its vastness. Shelves upon shelves of books lined the walls. Sofas and armchairs were tucked into inviting nooks, and the sheer number of tomes made her giddy with excitement.
This was paradise.
She selected a book, settled into the cosiest armchair, and soon lost herself in its pages.
