by Dawn Brower
“The biggest scandal of the season happened at the end of the ball and it involves him.” Teddy tapped her foot on the ground as she spoke.
“Oh?” Drat. Someone had noticed them on the balcony. She would have to discern a way to explain it to Teddy. There had to be a way to ensure no one realized it had been her with the duke.
“I thought I had the worst mother ever.” Teddy rolled her eyes. “But his mother is something else entirely. At least my mother neglected to notice us most of the time...”
What had the Dowager Duchess of Darling done? Perhaps she had it all wrong and this scandal had nothing to do with her... Unless it had been the duchess that had noticed them, but she’d wait until she heard everything before she confessed unnecessarily. “I’m confused.”
Teddy patted her hand. “I would be too.” She sighed. “The Dowager Duchess announced to all the guests in attendance that if an unmarried lady traps her son in a compromising position, she would ensure the lucky lady became his duchess.”
Amelia gasped. “How...” She stared at Teddy completely dumbstruck. Words failed her as she tried to grasp what to say in response. Why would she do something so drastic? “I don’t understand...”
“I’m sure most of the ton is as baffled as you are.” Teddy shrugged lightly. “She must be tired of waiting for him to marry and give her grandchildren.” Teddy reached over and placed her hand on Amelia’s. “Promise me if I become so controlling with my son, you’ll smack me. A man should be able to choose his own wife.”
“Does she not care if he’s miserable?” Had she missed a chance with him by running away? No, that was wrong of her to think about. She would never want him that way. Amelia wanted love, and if the duke couldn’t give her that it was best that she forgot about his mother’s schemes.
“Apparently she’s desperate. That is the only reason I can think of why she’d go to such drastic measures.” She shook her head several times. “She’s not going to succeed though.”
“Why not?” Amelia furrowed her brows. “With all the women clamoring to be his duchess, surely she’ll have her way before the end of the season.”
Amelia’s heart sank. She hated the idea of the Duke of Darling married to another woman. She had no chance, though, and she accepted that. Hopefully, in time she would forget about him and be content with her life.
“The duke will not stay in London,” Teddy told her. “He would be a fool to remain where he couldn’t move freely. Mark my words...he’s gone, and we won’t see him for a really long time.”
Amelia smiled. How could she not? The Duke of Darling was no fool, and he would not be cornered into doing something he didn’t want to do. He wouldn’t marry, and she liked the idea of him remaining unattached. It made it far easier for her to relax and accept that once she was at her seaside cottage, he would be hiding from all women. It seemed appropriate somehow.
Chapter 5
Amelia strolled out of her little cottage and took a deep breath. It had been three weeks since she had arrived, and she didn’t regret her choice. She didn’t have any possibilities for marriage, and the one man she desired didn’t want her. Not really, anyway. That night at the masquerade was an anomaly. He hadn’t wanted her. He’d wanted what he perceived her to be—a woman full of intrigue and passion. The Duke of Darling would be unimpressed by Amelia if he saw her in truth. She lacked anything dramatic, and her beauty would always be understated and uninteresting. In fact, some might even consider her to be plain, and for that reason she’d been a wallflower for too many seasons to count, and now a spinster retired from London society.
She closed her eyes and smiled. It was nice to imagine a life with the duke, but he would never be there. Amelia had her cottage, and now her two goslings. She adopted them when she had arrived. A farmer had some that had hatched, and she’d asked if she could purchase two when they seemed to become attached to her. They hadn’t wanted to leave her side, and had followed her down the road. They were perfectly adorable. Amelia cuddled with them often, and they had slept inside her cottage since she’d brought them home. They were almost fully grown now, at six weeks, though. They should have a pen outside, and then they could swim in the small pond whenever they chose. She'd feared for their safety when they were smaller. She’d consider having a pen built for them when they were fully grown.
Amelia glanced down and found her two goslings by her side. “You two need to stay here.” She was going to town, and she couldn’t take them into any of the shops. The storekeepers would not appreciate any animals inside their place of business. She took a step, and they waddled along beside her. Amelia sighed. “Really, Beetle,” she said, then glanced at the other goose. “Bumble.” She waived her finger. “You cannot come with me. I suppose you’re going to have to stay inside the cottage while I’m gone, or you will follow me all the way to Rochford.”
Beetle squawked in protest. “Don’t squawk at me,” she said in a firm tone. “It’s not safe.” Though she feared what the two troublemakers might do inside the cottage without supervision. Her housekeeper didn’t stay overnight and wasn’t due to arrive until afternoon. She had Sunday mornings off for church. Amelia should attend church too, but she hadn’t felt very pious of late. She had attended one service, and she would start going regularly...later. For now, she enjoyed her newfound freedom and wanted to experience it a little while longer before she became embroiled in village activities.
Bumble poked his beak at her skirt. Amelia sighed. Again. They were great to have around most of the time. They were almost as good as having puppies. Beetle and Bumble were also very protective of her. “I’ll be fine. I promise.” She went back to the cottage and opened the door to shoo them inside. They didn’t budge.
Their attention was no longer on her. She glanced past them toward the nearby road. A man was strolling down it at a leisurely pace. He weaved a little as he walked. Amelia found it odd, but couldn’t discern why he was moving down the road that way and shrugged it off. Then Beetle bolted toward him, squawking like a mad goose. The man froze in place and stared at Beetle in horror.
“Beetle, nooooo,” she shouted and ran toward him. Bumble was on her heels, chasing after her.
“What the blazes,” the man said in an angry tone.
Amelia was embarrassed. Her two goslings hated strangers, but Beetle found men especially offensive. The man kept trying to move away from him, but Beetle was ever persistent and pecked away at his legs.
“Get this bloody goose off of me,” the man yelled.
Amelia froze. She’d been disconcerted when her goose had run after the man, but now she was even more so as she realized who Beetle was attacking...the Duke of Darling. He was disheveled and had shed the perfectly groomed rogue. His white linen shirt looked a bit yellow, and clearly had seen better days. The dark gray trousers were full of wrinkles, and his face desperately needed a shave. His valet must still be in London because clearly the duke was not used to taking care of himself, or his attire.
He stared at her. “Are you going to do something, or are you going to allow him to continue to maim me?” The irritation in his voice was evident with each word he uttered. “Are you an imbecile?”
Heat filled her cheeks. How dare he insult her? She might be enamored with the Duke of Darling, but that didn’t give him the right to mistreat her or her geese. Amelia decided to pretend not to know his identity. He was clearly in hiding and might not want anyone to realize he was the scandalous duke. Besides, she wanted an excuse to treat him as the cur he was acting like. “You, sir, are an arse.” She held her chin high. “Beetle finds your presence insulting. Perhaps you should avoid this road so he is unlikely to attack you again.”
He narrowed his gaze. “I’m an arse?”
That was what he took from that? “Do not tell me no one has bothered to tell you that before. It is clearly part of your overall personality.”
“The goose is named Beetle?” he said slowly, then pointed to the goose that
hadn’t left her side." What is that one’s name?"
“Bumble.” He wasn’t going to respond to her calling him an arse? Fine. “She’s a bit more shy, but still quite protective of me.”
The duke shook his head. “Bumble and Beetle...” His laughter echoed around her. “Like…bumble...bee.”
Amelia flushed. “Beetle has a bit more sting to him,” she offered, feeling sheepish.
The blasted goose kept poking him with his beak. Sting was one way of putting it. Grant wanted to reach down and wring the blasted thing’s neck. “Beetle Goose, if you don’t want to die you best go back to your mistress’s side.”
The woman waved at the goose, and he squawked at her in response. “I suppose I should pick him up.”
“If you believe you can,” Grant told her. He doubted the goose would go to her willingly. The damn thing was determined to see Grant dead for daring to walk along the road. He had finally decided to brave leaving his friend’s secondary estate. The Earl of Kentville had offered it to him before Grant’s mother had made her disastrous announcement. Thank heaven he’d had some place to hide for a little while. It had been over three weeks, and he still didn’t feel comfortable talking to anyone. He stared at the woman before him. Something about her seemed familiar. “Who are you?” Did she know who he was? Would she try to trap him and use his mother’s help to make her a duchess?
“You are not only an arse, but you’re also rude.”
“I believe they are one and the same,” he drawled. What was it about her that intrigued him? Had he met her before? No, he’d have remembered her if he had. “I notice you didn’t answer my question though.” Mischief danced in her eyes... He’d bet his entire inheritance she had enjoyed the calamity her geese caused. He liked her. Probably far more than he should. She reminded him a little of his mystery woman. She’d challenged him too. Perhaps that was why he found her attractive. She could help him forget about the masquerade. He wouldn’t likely find his mystery woman again anyway. Until he married, he was free to pursue any woman he chose, and he liked this one.
“I don’t see why I should. It’s…not as if you’ve introduced yourself to me.” She bent down in an attempt to catch her goose, but failed. “And I don’t really want to become further acquainted with you at present.” Beetle pecked at Grant’s legs as he ran around him.
Was that the truth? Somehow, he doubted it. He might not recall her, but most would know his title. If he gave it to her, then she would understand immediately what their meeting would mean. He couldn’t take the chance. Grant had to hope she was being honest. He could charm her if he wanted to, but at present, he had no desire to be near her any more than she did him. As she was his closest neighbor at present, he should attempt something resembling civility. “My name is Grant.”
Slowly, she stood up straight and met his gaze. “Grant?”
He nodded. “Did I not speak clearly?”
The woman laughed. “Is that your given name or your surname?”
Why did she find his name hilarious? Between the woman and the geese, his normally controlled composure was about to snap. He was about to answer her when Beetle took his anger up a notch and bit Grant’s leg. “Ouch,” he yelped. “That’s it, I’m having goose for dinner.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” she retorted. “Beetle will be no one’s dinner.” As Grant tried to rub the sting away from his leg, Beetle circled him as if Grant would be the goose’s dinner. Bloody evil bastard...the goose needed to learn some manners.
“Beetle,” the woman cooed. “Come here. We will go back inside for some cuddles. I won’t go to town today. We can stay inside until Mrs. Smithers comes this afternoon. Then I’ll take you to the pond for a nice swim. Doesn’t that sound nice?”
Her voice...he couldn’t place it, but he knew he had heard it before. That tone...shook him. Grant hardened uncomfortably, and staring at her backside as she spoke sweet words to the rotten goose was not helping the situation. Grant studied the woman. Her golden-brown hair had come loose in her struggle to catch the goose, and a few strands were framing her face. It made her...lovely. For the most part she was unremarkable, except for her eyes. They were an intriguing mix of greens, both light and dark. He had to discover her name. What could he do to entice it out of her?
“Miss...” Grant cleared his throat. “My apologies. You have neglected to tell me more than that.” Hell, even that could be wrong. There was still a possibility she should be addressed as lady. What was it about her that he found so bloody appealing? Grant couldn’t pinpoint what made her so desirable. All he knew was he wanted to become more acquainted with her, and possibly entice her to share his bed. For now, he’d settle for conversation and her name.
“I do not believe you need to know more about that, Mr. Grant,” she replied in a huff.
He sighed. “Grant, no mister.” She wasn’t going to make any of this easy. Grant had never met a surlier woman in his life. Had his title made it easier? Were they all attracted to the dukedom and not to him? That was a bit much to take if he were to be honest with himself. What was he as a man if a woman only liked him for what he could give her? This encounter gave him a lot to consider.
“I do not believe it is prudent to address you by your given name,” she declared. “It’s not at all proper.”
“Nothing about this meeting has been proper,” he said in frustration. She didn't answer him, but once again tried to catch her goose. The one she called bumble sat nearby and stared at them. Was that one sniggering at them all? Grant couldn’t blame the damn goose if she found the situation humorous.
Beetled darted between Grant’s legs and put him off balance. He swayed as the woman whirled around in an attempt to catch the goose. Grant had to act fast, so he didn't land on top of her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and twisted so he’d land on his back with her on top of him. He hit the ground hard. Pain shot through his entire body, and he was momentarily stunned as it settled over him.
“Let me go,” she insisted, but her words came out breathy.
He’d closed his eyes as he fell. Slowly, he opened them and met her gaze. Those green eyes really were something else…like a punch to the gut filling him with lust instantly. He should let her go, and he would, but he couldn’t help feeling reluctant to do as she’d asked. “Give me a minute.” His voice was gruff. Grant liked having her in his arms; however, he didn’t enjoy the circumstances that allowed him to experience the pleasure of it. She was far more delectable than he’d realized. Her figure was lush, and he wished he could explore every inch of her in depth. Perhaps he could entice her to share his bed while he was in hiding.
“Now,” she demanded as she glared at him.
Probably not then, but anything was possible... Grant wasn’t ready to give up on having her. “Considering how you’ve compromised me, perhaps you will reconsider sharing your name with me.”
She didn’t answer, but Beetle did for her. He poked his beak on to his forehead repeatedly until Grant released the lady in his arms. “I’m going to maim that goose,” he muttered.
“You will not.” The mystery lady plucked Beetle up before he could do any more harm and rushed back to her cottage. She could run, but she definitely couldn’t hide, at least not for long.
Unlike the masquerade where his other enigmatic lady had escaped him, Grant knew where to find this one. He would have her name, and perhaps more. This forced sojourn had finally become interesting...even with the goose protectors by her side. Grant would charm her until she willingly lifted her skirt, and then passion would consume them both.
Chapter 6
It had rained for three bloody days, and Grant was close to losing his mind. He hated country living and desperately wished to return to London. He had hoped that the lady with the murderous geese may entertain him, but visiting her with the current weather made that nearly impossible. Grant could have gone to her little cottage, but what reason could he possibly give her for the visit? None that he
could think of, especially with the rain.
Still...the temptation was too much. If the rain didn’t stop soon, he would go, regardless of social niceties. He wanted to see her and know more about her. That couldn’t happen if he didn’t spend any time with her. Grant couldn’t explain his need to be near her. The only other lady he'd felt anything similar with was one from the masquerade. What was it about those two women that struck a chord inside of him? Perhaps he’d never know...
Grant sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He glanced outside the window to see if the rain had stopped. It hadn’t, but it was a slow drizzle. Perhaps it wouldn’t be too bad. If he had a carriage, he’d take it, but he’d sent his driver home with orders not to tell a soul where he’d been taken. There were a few horses in the stables he could ride if he needed to. Most of the time he preferred to walk. It gave him something to do other than stare at the walls of his friend’s home.
He pulled on his jacket and strolled out of the sitting room. Grant contemplated going to the library for a book, but changed his mind and exited the manor instead. He would go see the lady in the cottage. The rain had turned into nothing more than a mist. Maybe as he walked, it would disappear entirely. Grant kept a fast pace as he took the path that would lead toward her cottage. The manor was close to the seaside, and her cottage was along the road that ran parallel to the water.
If not for the rain, he might consider a swim. There was also a small pond near the cottage. The murderous geese probably used it. He hoped he wouldn’t have to deal with them when he visited. If they attacked him again, he wasn’t certain how he’d react. Stupid geese...
The cottage came into view. A grin spread across his face. He was finally going to see her again, and he couldn’t help acting like a smitten fool. Grant picked up the pace and stopped short when the door to the cottage opened. His lady stepped out with those infernal geese at her side. They must have gotten tired of being inside, too.