Misleading a Duke Read online

  “Did you swim to shore from that distance, Mr. Arafa?” Poppy’s blue eyes were wide and her dark hair and lashes made the color all the more demonstrable.

  Geb’s cheeks pinked and he laughed. “I’m afraid nothing so heroic, my lady. I was hauled out of the ocean by a small fishing vessel. My lungs were full of water and I caught a terrible ague and spent three weeks in a Portuguese hospital.”

  They all laughed with Geb.

  Rhys Draper took a long pull on his wine. “I would be willing to bet you were the most interesting thing those fishermen plucked from the Atlantic that day. And you were damned lucky. Not only could you have drowned, but if this had happened a year later, you might have been caught up in Napoleon’s invasion.”

  “Indeed, luck was with me that day and many others.” More sober, Geb gave Nick a knowing look.

  Nick noted his friend’s careful use of luck rather than invoke the name of the Prophet in a room full of Christians. Knowing how religious Geb was, Nick knew what he was thinking. They had experienced many adventures together, and luck, Allah, or God had seen them through some things that at the time, seemed impossible.

  The footmen served the soup.

  Nick noted that many of the guests poked at the fine broth, vegetables, and bits of tender beef, but didn’t eat. The Yates family were among those who would not eat from the table of an Egyptian but would be happy to attend, since Geb was a good resource for many business dealings. Not to mention the depth of Geb’s pocketbook.

  Faith, Poppy, and Rhys ate with gusto. Perhaps more than was natural, and Nick decided they had also noticed the rudeness of the other guests.

  Besides the Yateses, Sir Duncan Humphrey, his wife and two sons, Montgomery and Malcolm, were in attendance as well as William Wharton and his wife. All were well respected among the ton and had obviously not come for the food or company. They didn’t speak other than the occasional thank you.

  On Nick’s right, Faith sipped the last of her soup and turned to Mary. “You didn’t like the soup?”

  “I’m not hungry. I’m certain it is quite good.” Mary narrowed her eyes at Faith.

  “It’s really too bad, it was the best I’ve tasted.” Faith smiled warmly and turned her attention back to Geb. “Poppy told me how wonderful your cook is and now I can taste the truth of it.”

  “You always did have a great love of food, Faith.” Mary’s voice rang with disdain and she peered down that thin nose at Faith’s curvaceous figure.

  Poppy looked ready to leap across the table and do Mary physical harm.

  A low laugh from Faith calmed the situation. “I suppose where I am fond of a good meal you are fond of a good bit of gossip. We each have our hidden desires. Don’t we, Mary.”

  It was a warning, but Nick didn’t have enough information to know what was at stake.

  Mary bit her bottom lip and narrowed her eyes before masking all emotion and nodding. “I suppose that’s true of everyone.”

  A flush of pride swept over Nick. He had no right to feel any sense of esteem for Faith’s ability to outthink another woman and put her in her place. Yet, he couldn’t help liking that she had not been bested by a bigoted daughter of parents who would attend the dinner party of a man they clearly didn’t like, but wanted something from.

  Turning his attention back to Geb, Nick noted his friend’s amusement at the social volley going on at the table. Geb smiled warmly at Poppy as she changed the subject to the delectable pheasant and fine wine.

  By the main course, Nick had given up on the other end of the table and was ensconced in a lively conversation among the four people around him. Rhys was well versed in politics and they discussed the state of coal mines. Faith and Poppy both added their opinions, which were well thought out and more astute than he would have thought for ladies of their rank. Perhaps he should rethink his views of what ladies ponder in the course of a day. Clearly it was more than stitching and tea patterns.

  Geb, too, ignored the reticent group at the far end of the table and joined the banter. When Kosey announced that cake and sherry were being served in the grand parlor, Nick was disappointed to leave the conversation.

  As soon as they entered the parlor, Flitmore cornered Geb about the sale of several horses, and Sir Duncan wanted to know when the next shipment of spices from India would be arriving.

  Stomach turning at their duplicity, Nick escaped to the garden.

  Geb had torches lighting the paths. The gardens here were one of Nick’s favorite places in England. They were orderly and wild at once. White stones lined the lanes meant to guide one through the low plantings. It was a maze but without the threat of becoming lost. The fountain at the far end broke the silence of the pleasant autumn night. Soon winter would turn the garden into a wasteland and a good snow would give it the feel of an abandoned house.

  Nick sighed and walked on.

  “Are you determined to be alone, or might I join you, Your Grace?” Faith called from only a few feet behind him.

  He must be losing his training for her to have sneaked up behind him without notice. “Is there something you wanted, Lady Faith?”

  She stepped closer. Several curls had freed themselves of her elaborate coif and called out to Nick to touch them. “It is a lovely garden.” She glanced around and smiled.

  “Yes. Geb has taken bits from all his travels and placed them in his home and this garden. I think it brings him comfort.”

  Faith’s golden eyes filled with sorrow. “Do you think Mr. Arafa is lonely here in England?”

  “It is never easy to live amongst a people not your own.” Nick considered all the time he’d spent in France, Spain, and Portugal and how much he’d missed the rainy days in England and people who understood his humor.

  “The Wallflowers are very fond of Mr. Arafa. We have not entertained much, but I will see that he is added to our invitation list. Perhaps a circle of good friends will make him feel more at home.” She’d placed her index finger on her chin while she considered how best to help Geb.

  Adorable.

  He needed to be free of this woman. “You didn’t say what it was you wanted, Lady Faith.”

  Frowning, she walked forward and down the path. “Must I have a reason to walk in the garden with my fiancé?”

  Leaving her to her own devices and returning to the house flitted through his mind, but it would cause gossip and he was curious about her reason for seeking him out. “We are hardly the perfect picture of an engaged couple.”

  “No. That is true. I wanted to apologize for any undue strain I may have caused you by trying to find out what kind of character you have.”

  “Is that your apology, or shall I wait for more?” he said when she didn’t elaborate.

  She stopped and puffed up her chest. Her cheeks were red and fire flashed in her eyes. “Why must you be so difficult? Even when I’m trying to be nice, you find fault. The entire situation was mostly your doing. If you had been open and honest, that would have been an end to our query and none of the rest would have been necessary.”

  Even more beautiful when she was in a temper, he longed to pull her into his arms and taste those alluring lips. He was certain just one tug would topple all those curls from the pins that held her hair in place and he could find out if they were as soft as they appeared. It was maddening. “I hardly see how it was my fault. You and your friends spied on me and involved Geb, which is unforgivable.”

  As soft and lovely as she was, a hard edge caught in her voice. “I suppose, then, you will not accept my apology. I see. Well, in that case, I’ll leave you to your solitude.” She turned to walk away and stopped, eyes narrowed into the darkness beyond the gardens, which were surrounded by tall evergreens.

  Following her gaze, Nick saw nothing, though the hair on the back of his neck rose. “What is it?”

  “I felt eyes on me, as i
f someone was watching.” She shivered and continued straining to see in the shadows.

  “I’m sure you are imagining things.” He dismissed her worry.

  That hateful glance fell on him before she plastered false serenity on her face. “Perhaps.”

  He preferred the disdain to the untruthful agreement. Why he should care when he wanted nothing to do with her, he didn’t know. “Shall I escort you back inside, Lady Faith?”

  “You are too kind, Your Grace, but I can manage the journey on my own.” With a curt nod, she stormed away from him toward the house.

  Unable to look away, he admired the gentle sway of her hips until she climbed the veranda steps and went inside. Lord, how he longed to hold those hips and slide his hands up to that slim waist, and so much more. He shook away the wayward thoughts before he embarrassed himself with his desires.

  One thing was certain, Faith Landon would be his undoing.

  Chapter 2

  “I really don’t know what to do,” Faith said on a long sigh.

  Faith loved Tuesday tea with the Wallflowers of West Lane. It was a time set aside when they all talked and vented their problems. It had been a tradition since Aurora married and moved into her horrible husband’s West Lane townhouse in London.

  Luckily the Earl of Radcliff had been killed when cheating a gambler at a less than reputable establishment. His death had freed Aurora, but the scars remained.

  With or without that terrible character in their lives, they still met every Tuesday for a long, relaxing tea. Several months ago, Poppy had married Aurora’s brother Rhys, and he had joined them and been named an honorary Wallflower.

  Rhys was a welcome addition and always added a bit of fun to the conversation. His rakish days behind him, he’d settled into a lovely life with Poppy and never looked back. His golden-boy good looks still turned heads in the ballroom, but Rhys only saw his wife and none other.

  Rhys turned a serious eye on her. “To be honest, Faith, I’m surprised you haven’t just called off and let that be the end of it. Breckenridge has given you leave to do so and been a good sport and gentleman by not calling an end to the engagement himself. He’s protecting your reputation.”

  “Mother would be furious. She’s already quite in despair over my behavior. Well, what she knows of it.” Faith cringed at the lectures she’d had to endure the last few times she’d seen her mother. Living at the West Lane house made it more tolerable. Still, she hated to be at odds with Mother.

  “I don’t think your mother is why.” Mercy was curled up on the chaise with her feet pulled under her willowy figure. Her green eyes flashed with merriment, and she twirled a strawberry-blond curl around one finger. Her yellow dress was a direct compliment to the butter yellow and blue décor.

  Faith shrugged. “I was just starting to find him interesting when he found out about our investigation.”

  Aurora patted her silken blond hair back into place. She had dropped all pretense of mourning the beast she’d been married to, and was in a lovely royal-blue day dress. People talked that it had only been eight months since her husband’s death, but she’d had enough of black and brown frocks. “Do you think you would like to marry him, Faith? I mean, despite his reluctance to tell you what he was doing all those years out of the country? We still know almost nothing about his character, beyond the fact that he seems nice on the surface.”

  “No,” Faith answered quickly. “I won’t marry him under the current circumstances.”

  Mercy laughed and pushed her spectacles up on her nose. “It seems the two of you are in agreement then.” She sobered. “There would be some scandal if you called off without an offer from another gentleman, but we can survive a bit of gossip. You would recover.”

  Frustrated, Faith plucked at the end of her ruffled sleeve. “I don’t like the way any of this has gone. I wanted to know him before I married him or rid myself of him. Is that so much to ask?” She hopped up from the settee and paced to the window.

  The parlor faced the street, and the rainy day had kept most people inside. Still, there were a few hearty souls trudging down West Lane with their umbrellas held high. The weather was a reflection of the disaster she’d made of her life.

  “What do you want?” Rhys asked.

  Turning, Faith faced her closest friends. They would do anything for her and she would do the same. All four women had been sent away to finishing school in Lucerne due to bad behavior, and the three years growing into young ladies had been a pleasure because of the friendship they’d forged. Nothing would ever separate them; not marriage nor distance. They were the Wallflowers of West Lane. It had been the luckiest day in Faith’s life when she met these three on the way to Switzerland. She shuddered when she imagined having to survive the Wormbattle School for Young Ladies on her own.

  “If I could just get him to listen, really listen. I mean, without all the other noise about what we’ve said and done. I want him to tell me what kind of man he is and answer some basic questions about his life. I want to tell him what I want from life and have him hear me. I know men don’t care what women want, but I refuse to be a doormat.” Faith’s breath had sped up with her desires. She calmed. “If I could take him away somewhere, where he would be forced to listen—” She laughed. “I sound like a madwoman.”

  Mercy tapped her chin. “No. A bit desperate, but not mad. How could we convince the Duke of Breckenridge to go somewhere private, out of the city, where you might talk to him uninterrupted for a few days?”

  Faith threw up her hands. Maybe there had been a better way to handle this arranged marriage her mother had devised, but she still couldn’t think of how. If only Nicholas had simply answered some questions rather than remaining silent on every subject in his past. “It’s impossible.”

  “Not necessarily.” Rhys sat forward from where he had been ensconced in an oversized chair with Poppy.

  Tugging on his shoulder, Poppy forced him to face her. “What’s going on in that head of yours, husband?”

  “A bit of a scheme is all.”

  Aurora narrowed her eyes and rubbed her palms together. “What kind of scheme?”

  Unfolding from the chaise, Mercy rose up to her full height and went to Faith by the window. “Come sit and let’s figure this out.” She wrapped her arm around Faith’s shoulders and coaxed her back to the grouping of seats set up for conversation.

  Sitting on the chaise with Mercy, Faith sighed. “What did you have in mind, Rhys?”

  “Well, Poppy tells me that the best way to judge a man’s character is to see how he treats servants and animals,” Rhys said.

  Poppy grinned wide. “I had no idea you were even listening to me back before we liked each other.”

  The two had been at odds for years before they fell in love. Looking at them now, one would think they had always been together.

  He kissed Poppy’s cheek. “I always listen, my love.”

  Faith couldn’t help rolling her eyes. “What Poppy said is true. A man who is cruel to people in his employ, or animals, is not to be trusted.”

  “It’s important to know if he has a temper as well.” Aurora’s previous playfulness was gone.

  Mercy said, “A temper merely means he is passionate. It is whether that temper is violent and out of his control that is important.”

  Aurora nodded. “Agreed.”

  Stroking his chin, Rhys considered the qualifications. “A gentleman is trained to hide many things in public. If you want to find out the kind of man he really is, you will have to be alone with him and put him in a difficult situation. Are you willing to go that far, Faith?”

  It was outrageous to spend time alone with a man, no matter the situation. To not have a chaperone would ruin her reputation. However, marrying a man whose character was a mystery was far more dangerous, as Aurora had shown them all. Desperate for some way to resolve the
matter, Faith asked, “How do we get Nicholas to go along with this?”

  “He won’t,” Rhys said. “We would have to trick him and trap him somewhere.”

  “Good Lord,” Poppy screeched. “You were incensed by the idea of spying on him only last spring, and now you want to lure him into a trap?”

  “I don’t see how else Faith will be able to find out what she wants to know.” Rhys stood and rubbed his chin while pacing the rug.

  Aurora tapped her fingers on her knee. “Do you think Mr. Arafa might be of some help?”

  “Would he help?” Mercy’s eyes were wide behind her spectacles.

  Rhys considered it.

  Poppy said, “He might. He admires Faith and thinks her a good match for his friend. Also, he feels bad for having told Nicholas about our spying. He didn’t expect him to react so intensely.”

  “Poppy and I will go and speak to him and see what he thinks.” Rhys returned to his seat. “You’ll need to find an animal of some kind to test him with.”

  Mercy clapped. “The downstairs maid, Kathy, just brought in a stray puppy. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind your taking over his care.”

  “That dog is a menace,” Aurora said.

  A wicked smile lit Mercy’s face. “He’ll be perfect to test that anger we talked about too.”

  Faith hadn’t heard about the puppy. “I will go and speak to Kathy after tea and meet the puppy.”

  “This is madness.” Faith must have lost her mind to even consider spending time alone with Nicholas.

  Rhys shrugged. “If you think it goes too far, Faith, then we’ll forget the entire thing.”

  “I can’t live with the current status of things,” Faith said. “I need to know if calling off is the right thing to do rather than the only thing to do.”

  Poppy nodded. “So what we need is a location away from town that we can lure Nick into, and if you are there alone, he would be ungentlemanly to leave you stranded.”

  “Stranded!” Aurora stood. “You mean we are just going to leave Faith at some strange location and hope the Duke of Breckenridge is a gentleman? We can’t just take it on goodwill that he will stay and protect her. He might take her virtue and leave her with no protection. What do we know about him beyond our suspicion that he is a spy?”