Page 9 of Her Passionate Duke

Inwardly, he cursed himself for having allowed himself to become distracted. Yet… how could he not have been distracted, by a woman like that?

***

Linnet spent the next two days dreading the impending visit of Lord Theodore, startling at every rustle in the corners of her bedroom, and fretting about the speech she was committed to giving. Should she visit the Orphanage? Or write an initial draft of the speech first? She did not know, so she drifted about the house, out of sorts, and irritating her mother.

On the second evening they attended a musical soiree at the home of Lady FitzWinston, and Linnet forced herself to ignore all of her worries, and simply appreciate the music, which was, unusually for an event such as this, rather good. After the first part of the evening concluded, she rose with everyone else to leave the room and seek the refreshments.

And came face to face with him.

The Duke of Grantsham.

Everything stilled. She couldn’t breathe, and her heart beat so hard that surely he could hear its pounding. His rich green eyes seemed impossibly deep, as if she might fall into them. They stood there for some time, some impossibly long time, in which she realised that she was being impolite, that she should curtsey, that she should do something – something other than standing frozen, staring.

After an eternity, which might have only lasted seconds, he smiled, and bowed, glancing down as he took her hand for a moment. That glance away freed her, and she felt her cheeks flood with colour.

“Lady Linnet – I must apologise, I do believe that I was remiss, and did not greet you at dinner a few days ago. I was… distracted.”

“Your Grace… I… I believe that I understand. I… admired your passion when you spoke about helping the orphans.”

Oh my! Had she really just said that? It seemed that she had, for his smile became broader.

“You did? Then I suspect that you were in the minority, amongst our guests that night. Most of them found themselves offended by being reminded that poverty exists.”

“I believe that you are correct in that, Your Grace. I… I wish it were different.”

Again, he met her eyes, and she was drowning, falling into their green depths, and robbed of coherence by the experience.

“Might I escort you to the refreshments, Lady Linnet? I believe that we are blocking the exit from the room.”

He offered his arm, and she placed her hand on it, embarrassed all over again – could she do nothing right in this man’s presence?

So distracted was she, that she did not notice Lady Caroline on the other side of the room, deep in conversation with Monsieur Fournier.

***

Jeremy had arrived at the soiree just as the first musical interlude was beginning, escorting his mother, and they had dropped into seats towards the back of the room. The music was pleasant, and he relaxed, looking around the room, assessing who was present, automatically looking for those he held an interest in.

At first, he found no-one of that description.

Then, not far from where he sat, he noticed an unexpected person of interest – the young woman he had seen outside the modiste’s a few days ago. She was just as stunning as she had seemed then, sitting quietly beside a woman he suspected was her mother, her eyes closed as she listened. He turned to his own mother, and nudged her gently.

“Mother, who is that young lady over there – the one with the auburn hair twined with pearls?”

The Duchess gave him the kind of look which meant that he should have known the answer.

“That is Lady Linnet Quinton, daughter of Lady Chelmstone. She was at our dinner, just a few days past – were you truly so foxed that you don’t remember?”

“Ah… ummm. Yes, I am ashamed to admit, I was.”

“You must have been – I even introduced you at the time, shortly before she and her mother left for the evening.”

“Then I had best greet her, and apologise.”

“You had.”

His mother said nothing more, but Jeremy had the feeling that she would be watching, that her matchmaking hopes had just been raised. What had he done to himself? He was not looking for marriage, not yet. But still, she was so beautiful… it couldn’t hurt to further his acquaintance with her – could it?

The music ended, and he rose, quickly, ensuring that, when she turned from her seat towards the door, he would be in her path. She rose, turned, and stopped as their eyes met. Everything stilled, as it had on Bond Street, only more so.