A Scandalous Love for the Enticing Duke: A Historical Regency Romance Book

by Henrietta Harding

  As he wandered down the hallway, in search of the library, he let his mind wonder about the woman he would be meeting today. He was curious about her, had been ever since he accepted the news from his parents weeks ago. They had assured him she was fair and sensible. Still, he was curious to see for himself. A part of him hoped that he would find her agreeable so that he may make his parents happy by carrying on with the marriage.

  These thoughts kept him occupied until he found the library after several turns and cursing himself for being too proud to enlist the help of a servant who would have easily shown him around. Music floated in the air, and voices engaged in conversations could be heard. These were proof that the people underneath him were actually enjoying the ball, having a good time while he ran from it. A completely different world from the one he was about to enter. He did not mind one bit. He was a scholar, and this was where his heart laid.

  As he reached the huge wooden doors, he grabbed the handle and pulled down, hoping that it had been left unlocked. When it came open with a click, he smiled, glad.With a push, he increased the width for his entrance and stepped in.

  He was fully in before he turned and closed the door behind him, not wanting to draw attention to himself. It did not matter that he had gotten permission to be here. He would rather not be found out by someone who would cause a scene.

  As the door clicked close, he turned around to behold the room that had plagued his dreams since Fortham told its tales. As he did, the first thing he noticed was that it was lit, and he wondered if Fortham had lightened the place up for visitors. Thankful that he had one problem less, he began to examine the room. However, it was not the big space filled with shelves occupied with books that held his attention. No indeed, it was the angel that stood right in the middle of the room, staring at him, eyes widened with alarm, mouth slightly ajar, and body frozen from surprise.

  For some reason, even before he could take in all of her, he felt air leave his chest.

  Chapter 8

  A thousand thoughts were running through Eleanor’s mind as she stared at the stranger in the room. Her first thought when she had heard the door open was that Samuel had followed her to see that she arrived safely. When she turned and saw the formally dressed man with a tricorne hat resting on his head, she knew this was no butler. Her second thought was that it might have been her partner from her second dance, Vincent Eastwood, who had been very sad to let her go after the dance ended. She wondered for a brief moment if he had followed her in hope to get a private moment with her. Alas, when the man in question turned around, and she gazed upon his very unfamiliar face, fear caught up with her.

  He was a total stranger! What was a strange man doing in the Fortham library, and why was he locking the door behind him? If he was here to harm her, she would make sure to make it extremely difficult for him. She would scream down the heavens and bite and scratch until someone came to her rescue. Although, she knew that was unlikely. With all the noise and activities going down below, it’d be a miracle for anyone to hear her struggles. She suddenly wished she had not made this detour.

  Resolved, she willed the fear that held her in place to loosen its hold on her so she could spring into action. Surely, there must be something here she could use to protect herself with. A candle stand, an ink dart, a lamp, anything!

  It was not until she thawed, looked around the room, and looked back at the stranger, that she saw what fear had blinded her from seeing, initially.

  The strange man was regarding her with as much awe as she was him. In fact, his eyes too were slightly widened in amusement. Mayhap, he was simply an innocent man who meant no harm, whatsoever?

  Realising that she had slumped, she quickly collected herself and adjusted her posture. He looked like a noble in his fine attire. He had on a pair of grey trousers. A dark blue double-breasted frockcoat over a grey buff waistcoat. From the Vee of the waist coat, she could spy a white shirt and could also easily see the white cravat, craftily tied around his neck. On his feet, she could glimpse black Hessian boots. All in all, this strange man was definitely dressed for the occasion, and as the daughter of a Duke, equally beautiful in her cream-coloured dress, she had to hold her head high and demand appropriate respect.

  Clearing her throat softly, she spoke.

  “May I help you with something?”

  No reply came for some time. Silence reigned as the strange man stood, looking at her as though he had not heard her speak. Slightly irritated and running out of patience, she broke the quiet spell.

  Perhaps he had not heard her the first time, so she inched her voice higher this time as she asked again, “May I help you with something?”

  “I beg your pardon?”he finally spoke, his voice a rich tenor, soft and smooth that it sent waves of tingles over her body. This shook her, so much that she flinched as though she had been hit. Deciding not to give her response to his voice too much thought – at least for now – she blinked, keeping her composure.

  “I asked if you are in need of my assistance, seeing as you followed me into this enclosed space.” She knew he had not followed her. The incredulous look he gave her as she said those words confirmed her thoughts. Then his lips curved into a big smile, revealing clean white teeth, so bright that he dazzled her. She saw nothing else for split seconds, only that bright smile until she shook her head, accompanied with a mental slap.

  “Ahh. I see. You have got it wrong, I am afraid, for I did not follow you. In fact, before I turned just now from locking the door, I have never set my eyes upon you in all of my years! I would know, for one never forgets such ethereal beauty that makes him wonder if he were still on earth or has died and gone to heaven.”

  The way he said it, like he meant every word and was not just simply reciting a line of Shakespeare settled well with Eleanor, too well. For the first time in ages, she felt heat begin to crawl up her cheeks. It simply could not be, could it? How could this man who had not said more than a handful of words, achieve a feat so many had tried to, only to fail hopelessly over and over?

  “So, you mean to tell me you have come to this library on your own?”That came out wrongly for she had not intended to add the note of accusation to her voice, but it snuck in, anyway. She set her lips in a stubborn line, determined to offer no apology.

  “Would you believe me if I said yes?” he countered. She opened her mouth to reply, but he stopped her.

  “Never mind. It matters not, for the truth remains the truth, whether you believe or not. I believe I too should ask what a fair damsel, such as yourself is doing in this place...” He paused to look around, and she followed his gaze. When he looked back at her, their eyes met, and her heart skipped a beat.“...When the soiree is in full swing below. Mayhap, you won’t find it impertinent of me if I enquire whether you are here for a secret rendezvous? If that is the case, then I shall just pick a few books and be on my way.”

  Secret rendezvous? Eleanor wondered to herself. What was that supposed to mean? She was about to ask when it suddenly came to her. Amused, rather than cross at his imagination, she found herself smiling as she asked,“Oh. You mean a meeting with a secret lover? Mayhap, an affair that would be a scandal if discovered? Indeed, My Lord. You are right. I am here for a secret rendezvous.” The twinkle in her eyes increased as she saw the horror on his face. Oh, how disappointed he must be to know that a lady such as herself would engage in such illicit activities. He must be even more shocked that she had agreed to the accusation, so willingly. She wanted to laugh but managed to keep the laughter in for long enough to add her finishing piece.

  “My first love, after all, are these fine persons in the shelves, and I have come here to meet with them, spend some private time in our own little previous world. Surely, I cannot be crucified for that?”

  She knew when realisation hit. His head dropped, and he raised his right hand to give himself a small smack in the forehead.

  “You mean the books, do you not?” He looked up, anticipating
her reply, and she found herself enjoying this too much.

  “Indeed. That is right. One’s true love cannot be headline for a scintillating scandal, now, can it?” She wondered if her eyes twinkled as they always did when she got up to mischief of her own.

  The strange man dropped his head again, but she caught the huge smile that had taken over his face, just in time. Unable to hold it in anymore, she finally let the laughter out. She laughed loud and long, unable to control herself. Her hands flew to her stomach as they started to hurt from the cracking of her ribs, while the other hand remained over her mouth, to account for some amount of courtesy.

  By the time she could regain control of herself, tears lingered in her eyes, and she had to blink repeatedly to keep them in, lest they smeared the black liquid that lined her eyes.

  “You must consider yourself a jokester, My Lady.”

  He started moving towards her then, and as he stepped closer, she could see his face more clearly. But oh, he was even more handsome at a closer range, she mused, as she began to note the finest features she had ever seen on any man – not that she had ever cared to notice, but somehow, she just could not miss this man. He was blond, the hair atop his head, his moustache, his stubble, all were the colour of the sun. The way he advanced towards her, with the pride of a man who knew his worth on his shoulders, his gait, light on the floor and smooth. He entranced her, and Eleanor deciphered with a start, that for the first time in her eighteen years of life, she was attracted to a man – this man. Swallowing hard, she struggled to remember what they had been discussing and grappled for a witty response.

  “A jokester? Not entirely. Howbeit, you cannot deny that that was clever. My apologies, but I could not resist, seeing how quickly you jumped to conclusions about my person.”

  “I did not mean to make improper assumptions my lady, I beg for your forgiveness. It was merely a question, mayhap, not so innocent, but I assure you it was asked out of plain curiosity, not from any hasty judgement of your person.”

  “So, being curious about the promiscuous ways of a stranger is common to you, My Lord? That is not a noble way to live, if you ask me.” At least, this would teach him to be more careful, so as not to shoot himself in the foot next time.

  “That is only fair. In answer to your question my fair lady, no. It is not a tradition for me. I only found the situation rather, unusual.”

  He finally stopped in front of her and towered above her by at least a good six inches. She raised her head higher, so that she could look him in the face. The first thing she noticed this close, was his chiseled jaw. Then, his eyes. They were the grey of a thunder cloud. Unique and beautiful. Focus, Eleanor! Drawing herself back to the conversation at hand, she smiled at his words, understanding now, why he had such unbelievable thoughts about her person in the first place.

  “I suppose you are right. It is not often one finds a lady in a library, having a rendezvous with books especially when she should be in a ballroom, dancing into the night with men of her choosing.”

  “Ah. You do get my point. I suppose we are both cut out from the same cloak. Look at me, here in a bid to find some worthy books to keep myself occupied for some weeks, after my best friend tried to persuade me to join him in the wooing and winning. He was of the opinion that there would be many fine ladies whose acquaintance we would be fortunate to make. I would like to see his expression when he finds out the good fortune my odd quest has brought me.”

  For the third time that night, Eleanor blushed at the words of this very intriguing man. Having him so close, she felt her body begin to warm and tingle from the pure male heat he exuded, especially when he spoke and his voice washed over her. Especially when his eyes held hers so intensely, like he could see into her innermost parts, discover the secret desires she kept hidden. An alarm sounded in her mind telling her to put as much distance as possible between herself and this man. She had always thought it silly when ladies fawned over a gentleman and claimed that their bodies threatened to turn into puddles after melting from so much heat. Now, she found herself in that exact position and feared that the same fate may befall her.

  Her decision was made immediately. She had to stop this chit chat with this man once and for all and move on with the business which had brought her here, in the first place.

  “Mayhap, you shall find the time to tell him this tale before the ball sees its end. If you would excuse me, My Lord, I rather hope to commence that tour I had in mind, before the interruption.”

  With this, she dropped a little curtsy and turned to go over to the first shelf, not even waiting for an answer. No matter how much he drew her into him, keeping a safe distance was the best thing to do.

  Chapter 9

  Nicholas knew rejection when he got one. That he did not live the kind of life Benjamin lived, did not mean he was totally inexperienced. He had had his own fair share of women. So indeed, he knew rejection when he saw one and this lady had just rejected him, even so subtly. Still, he was intrigued. Intrigued as he never had been in his entire life. This woman, whoever she was, was making him feel things he had never felt before. Ever. How, in such little time, he wondered. He was aware that this could pose a problem, especially since he was no longer a free man, but a man promised to a lady whom his parents had sworn was fair and lovely. Still, he could not deny the way his heart swelled, the way his pulse jumped when she smiled. There was also the fact that he had had to call himself back from watching her lips move several times in the last few minutes. Each time, he had experienced a stirring below his belt, and the knowledge of what she was doing to him was near driving him mad. He didn’t even know her name!

  All that he knew was that she was witty, sharp-tongued, and she loved books. He was certain that those were the requirements of his ideal woman, the one he often dreamed up in his head. Now she had a face. It only came as a bonus that she was beautiful. Oh yes, she was. When he stood so close to her, he had seen her face quite clearly, thanks to the gas lamps that burned brightly in the room. Bloody hell! She was even more beautiful on a closer look. Her eyes were the most beautiful colour he had even seen on any woman. Sparkling violet, a rather fitting colour for a woman as unique as her.

  It had been easy to spot the freckles splayed over her small, pointed nose. Her lips, those lips that did sinful things to his imagination just by watching them move, were pink and pert, just right for her oval face. She was slim and petite. He found her height perfect, at just a couple of inches below him. The lack of excess fat gave her chin a chiselled look, filing out into fine jaws. Her auburn hair sat atop her head in a tightly held bun, a few tendrils allowed to escape and cascade down the side of her face in waves. For a moment, he had wondered what that hair would look like, unbound and spread over the silk sheets that covered the king sized bed in his town house.

  Oh God! Why was he having such illicit thoughts about a woman whom he had only just met? It didn’t help that her skin was lovely. Filled with colour, leaving no doubt that she was a healthy lady who had been a healthy child. She was perfect, absolutely perfect, and he was only a man. It was above his power, that she tugged at his heart strings, as much as she did his groin. A deadly combination. Perhaps he should be taking his leave to find his betrothed before this woman drew him deeper into a deep pit, causing him to sin. How ironic was it that he had to meet her now? Tonight of all nights? The world must be playing some twisted joke on him.

  Despite his resolve, he could not get himself to move. He remained where he was, watching her as she moved so gracefully, searching the shelf for which book to pick. He told himself he was only waiting to see what her choice would be, gauge if she had good taste after all. It wasn’t an outright lie. He actually was interested in her choice.

  “Mother taught my sisters and I that it is rude to stare. Especially at strangers.”

  Embarrassed at being caught staring, he gave a cheeky grin and decided to do some finding of his own. He had come here for that, after all, and if he could
not bring himself to leave, he could put this time to good use.

  “Sounds like she brought you up good. Any brothers?”

  He could not see her but heard the smile in her voice as she responded. “None. It’s just my sisters and I, and you are right. She brought us up good, too good.”