Page 80 of Stolen and Seduced By the Duke

Pamela clapped both hands over her mouth to contain her laughter. "Oh, she absolutely does."

Margaret covered her face, wishing the carpet would open beneath her. "You are all being absurd."

Camelia moved closer and seized her hand. "Tell us everything."

"There is nothing to tell."

"Margaret," Iris said, narrowing her eyes, "you have never been capable of hiding anything from us. You once confessed to stealing a jar of raspberry preserves because you felt guilty for three days."

Margaret lowered her hands and glared at her. "That was entirely different."

"How?" Pamela asked innocently.

Margaret could think of no answer. Her sisters were looking at her with delighted anticipation, and Pamela seemed thoroughly entertained by the spectacle. She tried to compose herself, but memories of Pierce's dark eyes, his teasing voice, and the quiet moments they had shared made another wave of warmth creep into her cheeks. She hated that they could see it. She hated even more that she could not deny it entirely.

Is it obvious that I have behaved wantonly with him? I am mortified.

"All right," she muttered, smoothing her skirt. " I do not dislike him as much as I expected," she finally said.

The three women erupted into delighted exclamations. Margaret laughed despite herself, shaking her head as she tried to silence them. "You are all impossible."

Iris slipped an arm around her shoulders. "And you, dear sister, are in very serious danger."

Margaret frowned. "Of what?"

Camelia grinned. "Of becoming fond of your husband, even though it was nothing but a mere arrangement."

Margaret's smile faded for the briefest moment as she considered the possibility, and that thought frightened her far more than she cared to admit.

* * *

Margaret was relieved to be out of Ravenfield Manor before Pierce could appear and ask where she was going. She had no wish to explain that she had been abducted by her sisters, particularly when she had technically volunteered for the crime.

By the time their carriage reached the fashionable establishment near Hyde Park, Margaret had begun to relax.

The establishment was elegant without being overly grand, designed for ladies of society who wished to take meals away from the formality of their own dining rooms. Pale wallpaper, polished tables, gilt-framed mirrors and delicate china gave the room an air of quiet refinement, while the tall windows admitted the soft morning light.

Several ladies sat in small groups, their bonnets and gloves arranged neatly beside them as they conversed over tea. Margaret found herself smiling as she removed her gloves, enjoying the simple pleasure of being somewhere Pierce's rules did not immediately dictate where she ought to sit, what she ought to do or precisely how long she ought to do it.

"I still cannot believe you are the Duchess of Ravenfield," Camelia declared as she unfolded her napkin, studying Margaret with exaggerated seriousness.

Margaret laughed as she reached for the teapot. "I still am not used to the title."

A servant soon appeared with their breakfast, arranging everything with practiced precision. There were delicate slices of cold ham and roast beef, little sausages browned to perfection, soft-boiled eggs nestled in porcelain cups and warm rolls served with butter.

Alongside them came fresh fruit, preserves, honey and thin slices of toast, while a silver pot of fragrant tea sat next to it. There were also small cakes and delicate pastries filled with jam, enough variety to satisfy the appetite of a duchess or, in Margaret's opinion, an entire regiment.

Pamela immediately reached for a warm roll and sighed with pleasure. "At least society has managed one thing correctly."

Margaret glanced at her. "Food?"

"Indeed," Pamela corrected, spreading butter across the roll. "Men have ruined nearly everything else."

Margaret smiled, but her thoughts drifted despite herself. She had been away from Ravenfield for scarcely an hour, yet part of her already wondered what Pierce was doing.

Is he in his study? Is he with Hugh? Has he noticed I am gone?

She frowned at herself and reached for the strawberry preserves. She had promised herself that this outing would be about her sisters and nothing else. Unfortunately, her husband had become remarkably difficult to remove from her thoughts.