The Dark Duke

by Landon, Laura

  She glared at him until she tired of him ignoring her, then was left with no choice but to sit back against the squabs and turn her face away from him and look out the window.

  The trip home took forever. She tried to pretend indifference toward him, but that was difficult when her lips still tingled from his kiss.

  She tried to portray boredom, but even that was a challenge when her mind relived every second they were in each other’s arms. Some unfamiliar emotion replayed every second his lips were pressed to hers.

  Finally, she tried to ignore him, but that was impossible. The violent reaction she’d experienced when he wrapped his arms around her and pressed his body against her had caused a strange churning to unsettle a foreign emotion in the pit of her stomach, then move even lower to a place she never realized could come alive.

  She breathed a sigh of relief when the carriage turned the corner, then came to a halt in front of Harry’s town house.

  Hadleigh jumped to the ground as if he were as desperate to be rid of her as she was to be rid of him.

  She allowed him to help her out, but didn’t wait for him to escort her to the door. She hoped he wouldn’t follow but he did. She heard his heavy footsteps behind her on the flagstone walk. When she reached the entrance, she turned the knob and let herself in. Thankfully, he didn’t enter the foyer.

  She tried to close the door but he stopped her.

  He looked past her. “Where’s your butler?”

  “I...I told him to retire early. I didn’t know what time I’d return and didn’t want the staff to have to wait up.”

  The look he gave her was hard to read. She couldn’t tell if he didn’t believe her excuse, or if he thought she was foolish to send everyone to bed before she arrived home.

  She didn’t want to think what he’d do if he discovered there was no one to wait up for her. She decided not to give him the opportunity to dwell on it. She turned to go into the house, taking great pleasure in leaving him standing alone on the portico.

  He soon took that small bit of pleasure from her.

  “Tomorrow,” he said, bringing her footsteps to a halt, “when I have more control over my temper, we’ll discuss what happened tonight. Until then, please make every attempt to stay out of danger—at least for a few hours.”

  Before she could tell him what he could do with his pompous arrogance, he turned on his heels and left.

  Her only satisfaction came from the loud booming sound of the door when she slammed it.

  CHAPTER 5

  After the disaster of the night before, Sterling doubted the sun would come up the following morning, but somehow it not only managed to rise, but shine brilliantly.

  He dropped the curtain over the carriage window and sat back as the carriage rocked over the London streets. He preferred the darkness. The sun would only try to influence his moroseness.

  He propped his elbows on his knees and rubbed his fingers against his aching temples. He’d kissed her. He’d held her...and touched her...and kissed her. And, he hadn’t slept even an hour during the night because he couldn’t erase that kiss from his memory.

  What had happened to him? How could a kiss affect him like that? Hell, he didn’t even like her. She was an irritation, had always been, from the first time he’d met her. If she and his sister hadn’t been the best of friends, he would have taken every precaution not to come within the length of a ballroom from her. And even that was too close.

  So why did the kiss they shared shift the earth beneath him?

  He raked his fingers through his hair with an angry swipe. He’d turned uncomfortably hard the moment his mouth touched hers. His heart pounded in his chest like a hound’s chasing a hare. His flesh burned as if he’d gotten too close to the sun.

  He hadn’t expected her lips to be so warm. Nor had he expected her body to mold to his the way it had. And he certainly hadn’t expected her kiss to awaken every nerve from his head to his toes.

  It had to have been because they’d nearly been caught breaking into Stanwich’s shipping office. That had to be the reason. His nerves had been tense with fear. His emotions pushed to the breaking point. There couldn’t be any other possibility. Nothing had changed. She still irritated him like no other woman did.

  “We’ve arrived, Your Grace.”

  He glanced at his footman holding the carriage door open and tried to cover the fact that he hadn’t realized the carriage had stopped.

  He was early, but he’d planned it that way. He was afraid if he waited any longer, he’d change his mind and avoid facing her again. But he was more afraid that if he was as much as one minute late, she’d use his tardiness for an excuse to leave so she wouldn’t have to face him.

  Sterling took a steadying breath, then dismounted. “Wait here. I won’t be long.”

  He stepped onto the walk that led to Mattenden’s town house, then took the steps at a deliberate pace. He stopped before he reached the top when a question came into his mind that he hadn’t thought of last night.

  Why on earth was Lady Amanda Radburn staying in her brother’s bachelor home when he supposedly wasn’t in London? Why here rather than at Mattenden House?

  Every unanswered question invited another question and by the time he reached the door he knew beyond a doubt that nothing was as it seemed where Lady Amanda was concerned.

  He reached for the knocker, but before he had a firm grasp, the door opened and the object of his confusion stood in front of him—wearing her cloak, bonnet and gloves.

  “Good morning, my lady.”

  She seemed surprised to see him. And from the look on her face, equally as disappointed.

  He took advantage of her surprise and stepped into the foyer. “Were you going out?”

  “I...uh...Actually, I was. That is, going someplace. I have an appointment...with my dressmaker.”

  “Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear last night, but I remember informing you that I wished to see you, and asked that you stay home.”

  Her transformation was amazing. The surprised expression on her face evaporated and was replaced by an anger that would have been humorous if he didn’t know what fury that anger was capable of producing. He prepared himself for her tirade and wasn’t disappointed.

  “Oh, you made yourself perfectly clear, Your Grace. Your error was in assuming that I would bow to your wishes.” She followed him into the foyer and none-too-gently closed the door behind him. “Unless something changed of which I’m unaware, you are not my guardian!”

  He studied her for a second. Then another.

  Her azure-colored eyes turned a magnificent shade of deep blue when she was angry, and they gleamed with fire that warmed his blood. He’d never noticed that before, and suddenly wondered why he noticed it now.

  And her lips. They narrowed to two straight lines with her anger, but that’s not how he remembered them from when he’d kissed her last night. They hadn’t been narrow then. They’d been full, and luscious, and pliant beneath his. They’d been the most desirable—

  Bloody hell! Why on earth was he thinking about the way she looked? Or what it was like to kiss her. If he had any sense at all, he’d remember the independent streak she had, and not care a whit about the packaging that disguised her intolerable personality.

  And he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t think about how pretty she looked in that particular shade of rose. Or how her cheeks darkened to a color that nearly matched her gown when she became angry. Or—

  “Where is your butler?”

  “He’s...ah...I...I sent him on an errand.”

  A lie.

  Her gaze dropped to the floor, a telltale sign she wasn’t telling the truth.

  It suddenly dawned on him that since he’d arrived, not one servant had made an appearance. Nor had a footman been here to admit him. Even now, no one came to see if the mistress needed assistance.

  He looked around the large, open foyer.

  No one.

  He stopped to listen.
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  Nothing. Not even the muffled sounds of the upstairs maids talking to each other. Mattenden’s house was as quiet as a tomb.

  He looked back to the curious expression on Amanda’s face. “Could we please find someplace more comfortable?”

  “I really don’t have time to entertain—”

  “This will only take a moment.”

  Before she had time to wage another argument, he walked away from her, down the narrow hallway. He passed several closed doors. Surely one of them opened to a sitting room.

  Her footsteps echoed behind him and he halted when her voice stopped him.

  “Very well,” she said in an exasperated tone. “We can go in here.” She opened the door nearest where she stood and entered a room.

  He followed her into a room that may have been used as a sitting room, although the dark colors and lack of any hominess gave it a depressing feel.

  “How long has your brother been gone from London?” he asked as he walked through the room.

  “Not long.”

  Another lie. He’d asked around. No one had seen Mattenden for more than a month.

  “May I ask then, why you choose to stay here instead of your family’s town house?”

  “I...I prefer it here, Your Grace. I’m rather fond of my brother’s home.”

  Another lie.

  “Although I fail to see how that could be any of your concern.”

  “Oh, I’m just interested in your welfare. Blame it on my caring nature.”

  “Ha!”

  He tried to look hurt. “You doubt I have a caring nature?”

  “Of course I doubt you have a caring nature! You forget, I am aware of the attempt you made to destroy the Earl of Haywood at the expense of your sister’s happiness. I am aware of the extent of your deception. So, please, don’t expect me to believe you possess even the hint of a caring nature!”

  Whether she’d intended to or not, she’d struck a nerve, and she realized she had. The one trait Lady Amanda possessed in spades was her ability not to mince words. Although it was a characteristic he admired in all people, there were times when her forthrightness leveled him low.

  This was one of those times.

  As if she realized her bluntness gave her the advantage, she took control of the situation and motioned to one of two chairs facing a worn floral settee. “If you insist on staying, we might as well sit.”

  He sat in one of the chairs. She sat opposite him on the settee.

  “Would you like to ring for tea?” he asked, even though he knew what her answer would be. He knew there wasn’t anyone in the kitchen to prepare tea, but it had been worth seeing the uncomfortable look on her face when he asked.

  “No, Your Grace, I would not.” Her eyes narrowed. “You said you didn’t intend to stay and I would hate to bother the staff when they have more pressing work that needs to be done.”

  Another lie.

  He sat back in the chair and placed the ankle of one leg atop the opposite knee. “Does your brother keep a large staff?”

  “Not large. Yet not so small. Adequate enough for the little entertaining he does.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, really.”

  He leaned forward. Her lies had gone on long enough. “Perhaps we could dispense with this game you seem intent on playing, Lady Amanda.”

  “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”

  He smiled and she averted her gaze. Was that fear he saw in her eyes?

  “What is your brother involved in?”

  “I assure you—”

  “No more lies,” he said, rising from his chair. “I don’t have time for them.”

  “You don’t have time!” She rose from her chair and faced him with enough anger to spark a fire. “Of all the—”

  She anchored her fists on her hips and took a menacing step toward him. “No one asked you to interfere in my affairs. Certainly not me! Certainly not my brother! In fact—” She paced the area in front of him like a caged tiger. “What I’d truly like to know is who you think you are that you can meddle where you are not wanted?”

  “Where is your brother? Why did he leave?”

  “That is none of your business. Nothing that involves me or my brother is your business. Now, if you will excu—”

  “What are you up to, my lady? What were you looking for in Stanwich’s office?”

  She stopped and anchored her fists atop her hips. “Nothing. I went to the docks because I enjoy the waterfront! I enjoy watching the ships sail into England and leave again.”

  “At midnight?”

  “The time is irrelevant.”

  “Do you consider breaking and entering irrelevant too?”

  That accusation stopped her. Well, it at least gave her pause—as much pause as one could expect from Amanda Radburn. “What are you up to? And why have you resorted to actions which are against the law?”

  Her breath caught, then she walked to the window and looked out, although he doubted she focused on anything in particular. Several long seconds later she spoke.

  “I think I would like you to leave, Your Grace.”

  He looked at her as she stood on the other side of the room. Her rigid demeanor seemed to crumble, as if she carried the weight of the world atop her slender shoulders.

  Sterling suddenly experienced an intense rush of concern that startled him. Becoming involved in others’ problems wasn’t something he usually found himself doing, but with Amanda he couldn’t help himself. “If you ever need—”

  He knew the exact moment she regained her fortitude. Her back stiffened. Her shoulders lifted. Her chin jutted upward, and she spun to face him with an expression on her face that bespoke control.

  “I won’t need anything, Your Grace. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

  “Are you.”

  His remark didn’t come out as a question, but as more of an accusation. From the narrow glint of her eyes, she caught his skepticism.

  She took a step closer to him and leveled him with a look that spelled confrontation.

  “You may be used to controlling everyone around you, but I will not allow you to control me or my actions. Now, if you will please leave.”

  Her dismissal was as royal a decree as if the Queen herself had issued it and he was left with no choice but to adhere to her demand.

  Deep in his gut he knew something was terribly wrong. And not for the first time since he’d received his sister’s letter had he rained down curses on Cecelia’s head. Except his sister wasn’t to blame for this dilemma. He was. He was the one who had nearly succeeded in ruining his entire family’s happiness.

  He was the one who had to make amends for what he’d done.

  He executed a courtly bow he hoped she would consider respectful enough, then turned to leave.

  But he couldn’t quit the room before issuing one more entreaty. “If you ever find yourself in need of assistance, my lady, please know that I am available to help you.”

  He left before giving her an opportunity to tell him once more that she didn’t need his help, nor would she accept it even if offered.

  He walked to the front door and let himself out.

  He felt as if he were leaving a mausoleum. The house was empty and he wondered again why she didn’t feel it was safe to keep her brother’s staff here. Yet why she considered it safe enough for herself.

  Or did she?

  He walked down the narrow path to where his driver waited with the carriage door open. “What have you noticed while awaiting me, Jules?”

  “The lady’s carriage is parked round the side of the house, Your Grace. The driver is the same as the one who deposited the lady at the docks last night, then left her.”

  Sterling sank back against the squabs and slowly unfurled his fists. “Thank you, Jules.”

  His driver started to close the door, then paused. “Would you be returning home now, Your Grace?”

  “No, Jules. Move the carriage w
here it can’t be seen and watch for movement from the lady.”

  “Yes, Your Grace.”

  The carriage turned at the nearest corner and stopped. A dozen or more scenarios played out in his head, all of which placed Amanda’s brother as the culprit behind why she took such abominable risks. Why she put herself in danger at every turn.

  Last night’s escapade could have been disastrous if he hadn’t followed her to the wharf. No telling what might have happened if that rowdy group of drunken sailors had come upon her.

  A stabbing of concern raged through him and he didn’t realize he’d had such a tight hold on his hat until he looked down at the crushed brim. He tossed it on the cushion in frustration. She was nothing but trouble.

  He was almost ready to tell Jules to take him home when Jules called down from the driver’s seat.

  “The lady is leaving, Your Grace. Should I follow her?”

  “Yes, but stay far enough behind that she doesn’t see you.”

  “Yes, Your Grace.”

  The carriage slowly rumbled through the fashionable streets of London, then turned in the direction of the waterfront.

  His temper rose the further they got from the safer parts of London. He knew her intended destination. Even though he’d warned her to stay home where she was safe, she was determined to travel through areas where no lady should venture on her own. He couldn’t help but wonder why. The reason had to be important. So, why was it so difficult for her to confide in him when he’d offered his help?

  He stared again at his crumpled hat. If only Cecelia hadn’t asked him to look out for her. Then he wouldn’t have to concern himself with what she and her brother were involved in.

  But Cecelia had asked, and making sure nothing happened to his sister’s best friend was his only hope for mending the relationship between his sister and himself.

  He raked his fingers through his hair and looked out the window. The carriage was slowing, then came to a stop in the alley between two buildings.

  He looked out the window but couldn’t see anything. He needed the advantage that sitting atop the driver’s seat afforded Jules to see what was going on.