To Dodge a Duke (Entangled Nobility Book 2)

by Naomi Boom

  ****

  The supper hour was long past, and Logan longed to return to Ellie’s side. Before he could visit her, however, he had to meet with Reuben for a nightcap. As Logan entered the library, he was delighted to see Reuben already waiting for him. Reuben poured scotch into two glasses and extended one to Logan. “Your Grace, you look troubled.”

  He accepted the proffered beverage and erased all traces of emotion from his face. “I received a letter today from my cousin, Lord Edwin.”

  Reuben sipped his scotch and asked, “Oh? What has Edwin been up to?”

  Logan’s uncle had two sons. The eldest was a degenerate, and the youngest lived to please his father. Edwin was the youngest. “From what I have read, cousin Edwin has decided to take a wife. When he went to London, Charles tried to show him a good time by escorting him to his favorite haunts.”

  Reuben’s eyes twinkled and he leaned forward. “I bet Edwin did not take well to that.”

  “Not if the page and a half pertaining to the matter is to be believed.” He chuckled and sipped his scotch. He turned to the fireplace and smiled as he reminisced. “The two have always been polar opposites. I am sure the night did not last long, and I am doubly sure the two have not met since.”

  “Why would Edwin take a wife now?” Reuben walked back to the decanter to pour himself some more scotch, not bothering to look at Logan as he did so.

  “I am sure his father recommended it. Edwin does nothing without his daddy’s approval.”

  “Which truly is the exact opposite of Charles.” Reuben took a sip and turned to Logan with a look of innocence. “How does Miss Ashford fare?”

  Logan did not betray any emotion at Reuben’s question, although he would not be surprised if Reuben could sense his anxious desire to return to her side. He lifted his glass and took another, longer swig, welcoming the numbing warmth of his scotch as he turned to inspect a painting of a hunting dog. “As far as I can ascertain, she will recover without mishap.”

  “Did you ask her when you stopped by her room? You know Opal would not approve of your little visit.”

  “As if that would stop me.” He smirked. “I love Opal, but propriety can be damned when it comes to Miss Ashford.”

  Reuben eyed Logan, as if he was meeting him for the first time. “Well, well. It appears Opal was correct. Have you made much progress with her? Or is this a one-sided love affair?” He laughed at Logan’s dour expression. “To think, the lofty Duke of Waking has fallen for a woman who wants nothing to do with him in return.”

  “I have not fallen for her,” Logan said, annoyed. “We both know I will win her in the end. She just needs a smidgen more time before she understands her feelings for me.”

  “Is that right?” Reuben laughed again. “Luckily, out here in the country, you have no competition. That should help your odds.”

  Logan was irritated at this point, even though he knew his friend jested. He threw back the rest of his drink and said, “It appears the duke wishes to have his house party next week instead of the following week. Make sure your schedule is cleared.”

  Logan left the warm library to return to Eleanor’s side. He did not wish to waste a perfectly good evening on Reuben when he could be with her. As he drew away from the library, he could hear Reuben’s mocking laughter reverberate through the dimly lit hallway. Reuben enjoyed Logan’s predicament, especially when that enjoyment irritated Logan to no end.

  ****

  Having napped the evening away, Eleanor was now having trouble returning to her blissful slumber. After Logan left her with his endearing promise to create her very own special place, she had dreamt of his green eyes and charming smile. No one had ever expressed a desire to give her something as special as Logan had. In fact, no one had offered to give her more than flowers or some insignificant trinket.

  His offer had been magical, which was why she had feigned sleep. She did not know how to respond to him, so no response was much simpler. When she did fall into slumber, she dreamt of a willow tree by a stream, just as he described.

  There had been trees around them and green grass as far as the eye could see. A castle rose high on the hillside next to her, and Logan knelt in front of her, placing soft kisses on her lips. His presence in her dream had seemed so real she had almost expected to find him upon waking.

  She shook her head and stretched. What was the magic in a dream if it never could be real? Her ankle no longer throbbed, and she decided to test it by taking a few steps to the chamber pot. She concluded her personal business and hobbled back to the bed until a sudden sharp, stabbing pain caused her to cry out. She hopped the remainder of the distance back to her bed and managed to lie down before the door opened.

  Eleanor groaned as Logan closed the door behind him. The air shifted with his entrance, sending the few candles dancing and the shadows rioting around them. “Oh, go away.” She was in too much pain to deal with him now.

  Logan stopped and surveyed her. He appeared restless, and suddenly he smiled. He strode to her side and said, “Really, Ellie, you should drop the act already. Our shared attraction is much too strong for you to speak so shrewishly toward me.”

  The words he spoke were true, but she would not allow him to say such things to her. She raised herself so she could sit upright and said, “Why I never!”

  He cocked his head to the side. “Really? I find it hard to believe you have not been called worse.” He sat in the new chair next to her bed, which the servants must have exchanged earlier in the evening, and caught her hand in his.

  She pulled her hand away. “I should think your words have ruined any chance for polite conversation tonight.” Her dreams about him were cruelly false. There was no magic here.

  He smirked and spoke in velvet tones. “Who said I came here to talk?”

  Eleanor picked up her book and said, “Then watch as I read in silence. That is almost as good as your absence.”

  She feigned reading her novel and tried to appear indifferent to his presence, even though internally, she quivered from excitement. He tended to say rather forward things to her, and she quite liked them.

  He rose with a growl of frustration, ripped the book from her hands, and threw it aside. “You may appear unaffected, but we both know it is a lie.” With a fierce growl, he leaned in and captured her lips with his.

  Shocked by the sudden onslaught, Eleanor was frozen in place. Logan seemed like a different man tonight, but as he kissed her, she forgot his strange actions. Instead, she remembered the Logan from her dreams. The one with enough consideration to make her feel at-home in a foreign place. The one that could care for her without her worrying his devotion would lessen as her beauty faded.

  She intertwined her hands in his hair, forgetting herself in this strange dream. She pulled him closer and allowed the wicked rush of abandonment to fill her. For one unthinkable moment, she allowed herself to consider the idea he was worthy.

  Without warning, he broke off the kiss, keeping his mouth mere inches from her own. “Remember this when you try to tell me you want nothing to do with me.”

  With those words, he was gone, striding from the room as if he had not kissed her senseless. She picked up a light decorative pillow and hurled it at the wall. Her emotions were a tangled, keyed-up mess. She should never have succumbed to him, but she found it almost impossible not to. How could she, when her every secret, forbidden fantasy included him?

  Chapter 5

  The following morning, Eleanor awoke to the sight of the maid opening the curtains to let in an excessive amount of sunlight. Eleanor squinted as her eyes adjusted to the light and recalled too late that squinting led to wrinkles. “Must you do that?” she growled, which caused the maid to jump in surprise.

  The maid dipped a hasty curtsy and said, “My apologies, my lady. I thought the sun might do you good.”

  “Well, that should teach you to think,” she muttered, pulling herself to a seated position. “Go fetch me my breakfast.”


  The maid nodded as tears pooled in her eyes. She hurried to do Eleanor’s bidding. At the sight of the maid’s tears, Eleanor’s heart gave a twinge of guilt as she realized she had been harsh. She settled back into bed and tried to doze a little. Sleep had proven elusive in this foreign house. She would have preferred to sleep in, but that would not be possible in such a bright room.

  Her book beckoned, and she opened to her previous chapter. The words on the page could not hold her attention though, so she put it back on the nightstand and sighed. A knock sounded on the door, and Lady Gammon entered the room. She was a morning person, as her cheerful mien suggested. “Good morning, Miss Ashford.” She smiled and asked, “Why on earth was Josephine crying?”

  “Good morning,” Eleanor grumbled. “Who exactly is Josephine?”

  “Why, the maid, of course. Did she not stop by this morning?” Lady Gammon looked at Eleanor with a touch of concern on her youthful, unlined face.

  “Oh, is Josephine her name? How very French of her. I fear my temperament is not in its best form in the morning.”

  Lady Gammon gave Eleanor another concerned look as she asked, “Is your ankle troubling you? I can send for the doctor again.”

  “Oh no, that is entirely unnecessary. In fact, after some tea, I would like to go home.”

  The countess looked even more downcast at Eleanor’s suggestion of leaving. “Was it the room, then? I cannot abide the notion that my house is uncomfortable for guests.”

  Eleanor shook her head. “Your house is more than accommodating. My poor mood is due to Logan.”

  Renewed alarm surfaced on Lady Gammon’s face. “He didn’t do anything improper, did he?”

  “Of course not!” The last thing Eleanor needed was to end up in a scandalous marriage of shame to him. She breathed in a sigh of relief when Lady Gammon relaxed. “I was just upset by his brutish behavior.” That was certainly the truth, but Eleanor did not have to specify when or how he acted brutishly.

  “Oh yes, Logan does have his moments. Although he should know better than to behave that way with you.”

  Eleanor nodded. She was in complete agreement with the countess. “He certainly knows how to upset me.” She paused as the maid entered with her breakfast. After setting the tray down, the maid turned and left, and Eleanor helped herself to some tea. She poured sugar and cream into her cup as she asked, “Do you happen to know what Logan’s surname is?”

  Lady Gammon coughed and appeared frozen for a moment before answering, “Of course I do. He is Sir Logan—” Her eyes settled on a teacup and she finished, “—Tea.”

  Eleanor’s eyed rounded in disbelief. “Did you say Sir Logan Tea?”

  “Oh, I am sorry, you must have misunderstood. It is Sir Logan Teak.” She exhaled and said in a rush, “Now please excuse me as I must alert the servants of your desire to leave.”

  Lady Gammon hurried from the room as Eleanor took another sip while savoring the pleasant aroma. She inhaled the first cup and then a second. Hopefully, it would provide her with the fortitude required to escape this house. She readied herself to leave, and just as she was preparing to depart her room, Logan once again entered unbidden.

  “You are a vision, as usual.” Logan smiled as his eyes roved over her.

  He looked handsome as well and well-rested. “And you, Sir Logan Teak, are here again.” She made sure to emphasize his surname as she glowered at him.

  Logan stopped his advance as a confused expression flitted over his features. “Who told you my name?”

  “Why, was it a secret?” she asked, knowing she was belligerent. He had that effect on her, yet she could not bring herself to be outright mean to him. Something in her could not hurt this man. While she wished to deter his advances, she could not bring herself to say the necessary words that would send him away.

  “Of course not, Ellie.” He smiled once more. “You had never seemed interested in my name before so I never told you. What do you think of your future surname?”

  She ignored him and took several cautious steps. Her ankle did not give any hint of pain, so she increased her pace out of the room and down the long hall.

  “I see you have decided to hold a grudge about last night,” he said as if he spoke of the weather. “Before you depart, I thought to formally invite you to a house party, hosted by none other than the Duke of Waking.”

  That stopped Eleanor’s progress and forced her to face Logan. “Oh?”

  He smiled with a triumphant gleam in his eyes. “It is to be an intimate event, but you are invited. The little party is to commence next week.”

  “Hmm. I suppose I can be prevailed upon to attend, with my chaperone, naturally.”

  “I expected no less, Ellie.”

  She leveled her best affronted stare at him and placed a hand on her hip. “You really ought to stop calling me that. My name is Eleanor, although you may call me Miss Ashford.”

  “How benevolent of you,” he said and then acted as though he considered her statement. He shrugged as he drew his conclusion. “I like Ellie so much more, though.”

  “I don’t particularly care what you like or dislike, Sir Logan.”

  His eyes went to her lips. Her pulse quickened, but her excitement was dashed when he smirked. “Yes, you do, Ellie.”

  He desperately needed to be put in his place. She stepped up to him and offered her most seductive smile, the one where she peeked through her eyelashes, and the same one all gentlemen succumbed to. His eyes narrowed, and she purred, “Maybe that will have to be the new terms of our bet. If I win, you cannot address me in such a foolish manner, and if you win, I will live near Scotland.” She brought her hand to her cheek and pondered her statement. “On second thought, the two are hardly equal. I will have to think on an additional boon for you to bestow upon me.”

  All her feminine wiles were at work as she batted her eyes at him, but he seemed unfazed. “You can name whatever you wish, Ellie. I am that certain of victory.”

  She schooled her features and stepped back. Something as simple as his touch could send her world spinning, but he reacted indifferently to her flirtations. What good were her looks if she could not manage to distract him with them?

  “I hope the rest of your week goes by without hindrance.” He bowed over her hand and kissed it. “Don’t get stuck in the mud on your way home.”

  She jerked her hand away at his sizzling touch. “Thank you.” She turned from him and hurried out the front door. Relief washed over her at the sight of her carriage in the drive and not a raincloud in sight.

  ****

  Logan chuckled as she left. He hated to see her leave. Her extended visit had been enlivening, and he anticipated the visit to Waking Hall, which would give him almost unfettered access to her. He turned and walked to the dining room for some breakfast, and Lady Gammon emerged from a nearby room.

  “Oh, hello, Your Grace. Has our visitor departed?” she asked with a cheerful smile.

  “Don’t you mean to address me as Sir Logan Teak?” He grinned when she blanched. “Couldn’t you have produced a better surname than that?”

  “Couldn’t you have straightened these details out earlier?” she quipped. “Besides, you should thank me. Your last name was nearly Tea.”

  He laughed at her admission. “Then I thank you. I suppose Teak is not so bad.”

  Opal smiled and nodded. “How did she decide you were a baronet?”

  “I told her.” He shrugged when her eyebrows rose. “I do hold the title of baronet, so it is not a lie.”

  “Ah.”

  He ran a hand through his hair. He did not wish to lie to Ellie, but this time it was necessary. “Yes. Convincing Miss Ashford is one thing, but convincing my servants will be an undertaking. I cannot imagine how they will react to our plan. I suppose I will be giving them a May Day bonus or some other form of nonsense.”

  “Yes, that might help them remember to treat you as a guest. Good luck though.”

  He thanked her
and escorted her into the dining room where Reuben sat eating his breakfast. It was one thing to convince his friends to play a part for him, but quite another to convince his loyal and trusted servants to treat him as a guest. Not that his servants would mind; his rank just might be too ingrained in them to address him as anything other than Your Grace.

  Chapter 6

  The carriage ride to the ducal estate seemed to stretch on forever. Eleanor had not been able to occupy herself with her reading as her stomach was too jumbled with anticipation to focus.

  She could feel the pull of this visit as if it were a cord pulling her to her destiny. She felt a strange, calm certainty that her life would change in the next week, but in which direction she did not know. Meeting the duke would help lessen some of her anxiety and would hopefully sever this budding infatuation with Logan. He irritated her, and she could not get him off her mind no matter how hard she tried.

  “Oomph.” Eleanor’s musings were broken by her aunt’s fitful utterance.

  Mrs. Westfield drifted back to sleep, and Eleanor’s gaze settled on her maid who intently watched the landscape fly by. The maid appeared awed to see so much outside of her little village. The girl’s expression shifted as new sights unfolded, and Eleanor softened toward the girl. How wonderful it must be to feel excitement over such mundane matters. Eleanor could not remember the last time she felt excited about anything.

  She sighed and let her eyes drift shut. If only she could experience something half as magical as what her maid felt. As her thoughts wandered inward once more, she came to the sudden realization that she potentially denied herself such joys by searching for an advantageous marriage. In her quest to find a suitable husband, she had never taken into account the possibility of feelings and her own happiness outside of social standing. If she relaxed her requirements for a husband, could she find the exquisite feeling of bliss in marriage?

  A title brought good standing amongst society, but would a happy marriage be better than a title? Her mind instantly turned to Logan. In all honesty, she had to admit his very presence filled her with a liveliness she had never experienced before. Her true inner self wanted nothing more than to throw everything aside for the chance of something more with Logan, but could she truly do something so daring?