Page 3

Sometimes, she wondered if she could ever have dreamed of such things when she’d been a child. Certainly, she had never imagined houses such as this.

Mayfair houses were all elegant, but there did seem to be an extra something to the ones inhabited by dukes. Perhaps they were just a bit larger or the artwork a tad more expensive. Mei did note quite a few beautiful paintings as she was led down the hallway by the butler, the soft carpet shushing beneath her feet.

The butler halted at the entrance to a hall, right beside a beautiful jade sculpture that was set upon a column-like pedestal.

“Please wait here, Miss Hu.”

“Of course.” She smiled, keeping it small and enigmatic. Putting her hands together, she allowed her shirt sleeves to cover them. One of the things she adored about this style of clothing—no one could see the death grip she had on herself.

The butler nodded and turned on his heel, walking halfway down the hall before stepping into an open doorway. Mei could not help but lean forward, straining her ears to try to hear what was being said. The voices were faint, but just barely audible.

“Miss Hu is here, Your Grace.”

“Not Lady Hu?” The deep rumble of the Duke of Bolton’s voice made her stomach flip over. Probably in annoyance that he was questioning his butler, definitely not just because his voice was so very… deep. And smooth. Mei realized she was feeling defensive of the butler. The man had been very clear about who had arrived, after all. That, and she was so used to getting her back up when the Duke of Bolton spoke. An instinct she would have to work on tamping down if he was going to hire her and her grandmother.

She would also have to ensure none of her smugness showed. Which would be difficult when she very much wanted to rub his nose in all the comments he’d made in the past about dukes not needing matchmakers. Her grandmother would never approve, though. Besides, if she managed to match a duke… that would solidify her future in a way that even her grandmother couldn’t argue with. No marriage for herself needed.

“No, just Miss Hu, Your Grace.”

“Yes. Well.” The duke cleared his throat.

Mei pressed her lips together. She allowed herself to bristle, but only because he could not see her do so. It was another reaction she would need to temper.

“Send her in.”

Mei straightened up, pretending to inspect the jade sculpture when the butler returned to the hallway. The intricately carved fish sat upon water carved from wood, with plants holding up the waves. Sprays of water carved from jade came up and across the fish’s body, creating the illusion that it was truly flowing despite being made from stone. It was a stunning piece of work and well worth close inspection.

Enough so that her startled response to the butler clearing his throat was not entirely feigned.

“The duke will see you now,” he said when she lifted her gaze to meet his. Nodding, Mei gripped her wrists, feeling the folds of her sleeves covering her hands as she followed him down the hall to the room where the duke was waiting. He stepped inside first to announce her, raising his voice to do so. “Miss Hu.”

Doing her best to appear serene, Mei stepped into what was clearly the duke’s study. There were several bookshelves along the walls, an armoire, and a set of windows directly across from her with a view out to the gardens. A view the duke eschewed, it seemed, since he was getting to his feet from behind a desk that was facing the door rather than the windows. To her left was a fireplace with two large, comfortable-looking chairs set in front of it, with a small table between them.

Like the hallway, the floor of the room was almost completely covered by a large rug, which nearly reached the edges of the room. Tapestries hung on the walls, and there was a massive porcelain vase in one of the corners with peacock feathers displayed in it. Everything dripped wealth and luxury, yet none of it seemed as though it was overly ostentatious or even attempting to impress. It just was impressive.

The hallmark of generational wealth within the ton.

It should have been difficult for the gentleman behind the desk to embody the kind of confidence and self-assurance that such a room demanded, yet he seemed entirely at ease. The tailoring of his attire was superb, the fawn breeches emphasizing muscular thighs and a light grey jacket that fitted his broad shoulders perfectly. A waistcoat of mint green and cream was set off by buttons which were likely solid gold.

Between the starched collar of his shirt was a perfectly knotted cravat, the silk just a shade or two darker mint than his waistcoat. The cravat and collar framed a strong jaw, leading up to high cheekbones and intensely black eyes that were currently trained on her. All in all, everything about the Duke of Bolton screamed wealth and power—not earned but imbued in him since birth.

And he needed her help.

That one little reminder helped Mei lift her chin in defiance of his intimidating stature.

“Miss Hu,” he said, bowing his head in greeting. He gestured at the chairs across from his desk. They were smaller and not quite as ornate as the ones by the fireplace, but she was sure they would be incredibly comfortable, nonetheless. Nothing but the best for a duke, after all. “Please have a seat. I take it your grandmother is not joining us today?”

The pointed question made her bristle inwardly, but she let no sign of it show, answering his question with the small smile she always employed in social situations when dealing with tedious people.

“Your Grace,” she replied, curtseying before taking the seat he’d offered. She folded her hands neatly on her lap as she sat down. It did not have quite the same effect as when she was standing, for her hands were no longer covered, but at least they would be in one place rather than flying about the way she sometimes wished she could do. Society frowned upon such effusiveness. “Unfortunately, my grandmother is not feeling well today. I assure you, everything we discuss will be passed on from me to her but otherwise held in confidence.”

All of which was true. However, she knew she was implying that her grandmother would take the lead in making his match, which was not the case. She would be the one doing most of the legwork.

“Right.” The duke appeared a bit discomfited as he smoothed his hand over his waistcoat, sitting back down in his seat. He studied her with his dark gaze, and Mei’s heart did a little extra beat in her chest. Such a man should not be hard to match even without his title. He was almost excessively beautiful to look at. Annoyingly so, really. “I suppose you mean that you will not discuss my request for your grandmother’s services with my sister and the others?”

Ooh, she wanted to reach across the desk and smack him. Her grandmother’s services. Mei kept her serene smile planted on her face as she reminded herself that she’d been purposefully hiding how much she did for the matchmaking, deliberately leaving her grandmother to be the face of their services. Still, he knew that she played some part in it, and that it was not all her grandmother.

“That is exactly what I mean.” Good. Her tone remained calm. Pleasant. “Of course, if you are pleased with the match, it would be lovely if you would pass on a recommendation to others, but it is not a requirement.”