When Only An Indecent Duke Will Do (Romancing The Rake Book 1)
Page 10
Luke held back his grunt of disdain. He was as fond of the title as he was of wholesome pursuits. None of them were meant to be his.
The Honorable Thomas Moorish rose along with four young women, each a delight in her own way. He swept his gaze down the line of them, attempting to decide which might be his favorite. Moorish gave him a welcoming smile. “Good evening, my lord. So nice to see you again.”
“And you,” he gave a nod, his gaze drifting to the man’s daughters again.
“Right,” Moorish pointed to the first of the ladies in the line. “My daughter, Miss Juliet. I believe the two of you met yesterday.”
They had. She was a darling little auburn-haired confection with curves like Ophelia’s but a more trusting nature. She’d do nicely for his purposes.
“And this is Cordelia,” Lord Moorish pointed to a serious looking, but very pretty woman that Luke dismissed on the spot. She’d never fall for a rake’s charm. Even now, as she stared back at him, her eyes sparkled with intelligence.
“My daughter, Bianca.” Mr. Moorish pointed to the third woman in the line.
Bianca gave a bit of a giggle and a wave and he returned a smile. She was a contender for certain. He stood straighter wondering which delightful miss he’d like to taste.
Lord Moorish pointed to the last girl down the line. “And this is Adrianna.”
Luke glanced at the last woman, dismissing her from the first. She was slender for starters, more so than any of her sisters, and he liked some good curves to hold onto. While her features might have been the most perfectly symmetrical and beautiful he’d ever seen, there was a hardness about her eyes that told him she’d not be interested in what he had in mind. “A pleasure, ladies.”
“We’re very much looking forward to dining with you, my lord, but first lets you and I discuss the schedule tomorrow.” Mr. Moorish gestured toward a chair for Luke to sit. “We’ve a boat that will be stopping to pick up additional goods in Haversham that leaves at noon. If you’re still interested in heading north, you’re more than welcome to board it.”
Luke slapped his thigh, his first objective already met. “Thank you, most kind of you.”
Lord Moorish held up his hand. “Please understand this isn’t a passenger ship. We keep a tight schedule and if you’re not on that boat by eleven forty-five, it sails without you.”
Luke gave a single nod. “I understand. Perfectly. Eleven forty-five.” Silently, he gave a cheer. That left plenty of time for drinking tonight and to drag himself from bed in the morning to board that boat.
“You must have very important business in Haversham that you are working so hard to get there.” Juliet straightened her skirts about her knees, her slender hands, drawing his attention to the lovely silk of her gown.
He hated the rumble of guilt that reverberated through his chest as he tried to think of an appropriate answer. Why should he feel guilty lying to these women? He didn’t. Nor would he allow guilt at the idea of stealing a little peck. A kiss was almost no harm, it wasn’t like he intended to leave one with child. She might even like such a romantic adventure. Experience. “Indeed. Important land deal,” he muttered trying to give as little detail as possible.
“Really,” Adrianna asked, leaning forward. “A land deal? Are Lord Dashlane and Lord Craven also participating in this deal?”
He looked at the last Moorish sister, attempting to quell his irritation. Her bright blues eyes stared back at him, one eyebrow slightly cocked and her chin notched at a jaunty angle that dared him to continue to lie. What a minx. His blood surged in his veins. Dare accepted.
* * *
Adrianna Moorish stared at the cad who currently lounged in her sitting room as though he were a dear member of the family and not some snake outsider come to pillage their fruits.
She drew in a breath, puffing out her small chest. Not on her watch. She might be the youngest Moorish but she was also the strongest. She’d developed a razor-sharp tongue over the years, likely because it had been her only defense in her youth against the onslaught of four older sisters who were all bigger and stronger. She was still the smallest, of course, but in all likelihood, the most feared.
Not that she’d ever truly hurt her sisters, she’d protect them with every tool she had, just as they would her. But this man had come for nefarious purposes and she was going to cut him down until he skulked away in tears. All right. She couldn’t actually picture the earl crying, but he’d skulk. There would be definite skulking. There was no doubt about that.
Just as she’d make certain he didn’t go near any of her sisters. She’d been given this task and she had every intention of completing the job. Her soon-to-be brother in law, the Duke of Rathmore, had pulled her aside earlier in the day and warned her that Crestwood was the worst sort of gentleman. He’d told her not to allow any of her sisters near the man and certainly not to allow them to be alone with him.
Adrianna had scrunched her brow, staring at her Rathmore. “Why are you telling me all of this?”
Rathmore had given her a pat on the shoulder. “Because you are just the Moorish to keep him in check. He’s a rake, Adrianna, through and through. Don’t allow his charming smile to win you over and don’t let him anywhere near your sisters. Juliet and Bianca are so trusting. Please watch over them tonight.”
Adrianna levelled Crestwood with another glare. She was ready, and Rathmore was correct on both counts. This man was the worst sort of rogue, she could see it in his every gesture, and Adrianna was the woman for the job when it came to protecting her family. “Well, my lord, are you going to answer my question?”
He sat up straighter, his grin growing brittle as more of his teeth showed. He was a wolf, a handsome wolf, but a predator nonetheless. “What question was that? I’ve forgotten.”
“What sort of land deal are you and your friends venturing into that cannot wait?” She sat straighter, a triumphant smile surely curling her lips. This was a topic she actually had some knowledge on, making it a perfect one to highlight his deceitful nature. Her sisters would surely see what a snake he was by the time she was done. She’d bet her dowry he was lying.
Adrianna might have just told her sisters outright that the man was no good but she’d seen firsthand that it wouldn’t work. Juliet wouldn’t believe her, and in all likelihood, her elder sister would just spend that much more time with the man, trying to prove Adrianna wrong.
Crestwood’s mouth turned down further but he didn’t respond as her father interceded. “Adrianna, that’s not something our guest need answer.”
Drat, she tapped her fan against her knee. She’d nearly had Crestwood trapped. Any parcel of land large enough for three lords to consider buying together, had a very limited pool of buyers. Which meant there was likely no competition for the sale. So why the rush?
“I’m simply making conversation, Papa. Shouldn’t I be interested in the topic our guest had mentioned for discussion?”
Her father frowned and muttered something about an interrogation, but she ignored the word.
Instead, she turned back to Crestwood and put on her best smile, trying to relax her brow in the hopes of looking kind rather than accusatory. “Isn’t that right, Lord Crestwood? You mentioned the deal. Wouldn’t you say it was polite to ask questions?”
He gave her a long look, turning his head first one way and then the other. “Polite isn’t quite the word that came to mind.”
She gave a delicate sniff, pretending not to understand his meaning. Two could play this game. “I find real estate quite fascinating. For example, did you know that the Louisiana Purchase was over two million kilometers?”
“Fascinating,” he replied, sitting back in his chair. His tone implied he’d found it anything but as his arms relaxed at his side, she narrowed her gaze. He was stepping directly into her trap.
Adrianna leaned forward. “Now that is a tract of land fit for three lords of your stature.”
“Quite,” he answered, crossing one
knee over the other as his gaze drifted to her sister Bianca. He looked like a cat about to steal the milk. His square jaw flexed even as his dark eyes glittered with nefarious interest. His arms flexed as he wrapped his large hands about his knee. For just a moment, she watched his long, tapered fingers lace together. Oh, he was handsome. That was for certain. It’s part of what made him so dangerous.
Not to her, of course. No matter how masculine he looked, she was not fooled. Despite having grown up in this tiny hamlet, she considered herself smart enough to do battle with the likes of a rake. It was her best asset and the one that would keep her sisters safe as they all hunted for husbands. Bianca was a lovely woman with a heart of gold, but she’d never defend herself against a man like this. Which was why Adrianna needed to frighten him away right this minute before one of her sisters succumbed to his good looks and charm.
“Now in Haversham, there are only three parcels that could possibly suffice for such a transaction that you’d be interested in making. I’m truly curious. Which one are you considering?”
His knee dropped back down, his gaze fixing on her as the muscles in his face hardened. “Which one?”
“Yes.” she placed her most innocent smile on her face. “Which tract of land are you referring to?” It was difficult, but she kept from crowing over her victory. She had him. Haversham was part of her family’s holdings. Not her father’s, of course, but his older brother’s, The Earl of Seabridge.
He slowly sat up in his chair, as a hand came to the back of his neck, giving the skin a careful rub. “Well,” he started and his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. “The one closest to Haversham proper, of course.” Then he turned to her father, his look brightening. “And if this deal works the way I hope it does, perhaps we can discuss the shipment of our newest goods. It would be a natural pairing.”
Her father brightened considerably. “Now you’re talking.” Her father gave her a pat on the knee. “Adrianna is excessively intelligent. And here I was thinking she didn’t have a point to her questions, but look where she led us. Well done, my sweet girl.”
Adrianna snapped her mouth closed. She noted that Crestwood still hadn’t named a specific plot or the type of product he’d need shipped. But her father was always eager to make a new deal and Crestwood must have realized that. Now her father wouldn’t allow her to interrupt for certain. She’d have to find another way to expose him for the rake he was.
Irritation bristled along her skin. He was good, she’d give him that, but this fight wasn’t over. Far from it. The night had just begun.
Want to read more? How to Catch an Elusive Earl is the second book in the Romance the Rake series!
Also in the Romancing the Rake series:
Where to Woo a Bawdy Baron
What a Vulgar Viscount Needs
Why a Marauding Marquess is Best
Who Wants a Brawling Baron
When to Dare an Indecent Duke
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About the Author
Tammy Andresen lives with her husband and three children just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. She grew up on the Seacoast of Maine, where she spent countless days dreaming up stories in blueberry fields and among the scrub pines that line the coast. Her mother loved to spin a yarn and Tammy filled many hours listening to her mother retell the classics. It was inevitable that at the age of eighteen, she headed off to Simmons College, where she studied English literature and education. She never left Massachusetts but some of her heart still resides in Maine and her family visits often.
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Read Tammy Andresen’s other books:
Seeds of Love: Prequel to the Lily in Bloom series
Lily in Bloom
Midnight Magic
Other Titles by Tammy
How to Reform a Rake
Don’t Tell a Duke You Love Him
Meddle in a Marquess’s Affairs
Never Trust an Errant Earl
Never Kiss an Earl at Midnight
Make a Viscount Beg
Wicked Lords of London
Earl of Sussex
My Duke’s Seduction
My Duke’s Deception
My Earl’s Entrapment
My Duke’s Desire
My Wicked Earl
Brethren of Stone
The Duke’s Scottish Lass
Scottish Devil
Wicked Laird
Kilted Sin
Rogue Scot
The Fate of a Highland Rake
A Laird to Love
Christmastide with my Captain
My Enemy, My Earl
Heart of a Highlander
A Scot’s Surrender
A Laird’s Seduction
Taming the Duke’s Heart
Taming a Duke’s Reckless Heart
Taming a Duke’s Wild Rose
Taming a Laird’s Wild Lady
Taming a Rake into a Lord
Taming a Savage Gentleman
Taming a Rogue Earl
Fairfield Fairy Tales
Stealing a Lady’s Heart
Hunting for a Lady’s Heart
Entrapping a Lord’s Love: Coming in February of 2018
American Historical Romance
Lily in Bloom
Midnight Magic
The Golden Rules of Love
Boxsets!!
Taming the Duke’s Heart Books 1-3
American Brides
A Laird to Love
Wicked Lords of London