The Duke of Desire

by Michaels, Jess

  “And he’s already written her three times since he left,” Meg teased.

  The women all laughed as Adelaide blushed, but there was something hollow Katherine felt at the exchange. She had been married for two years and Gregory had left her at his estate plenty of times to take care of business. She did not think she had three letters from him in that entire time. As for missing him…during her mourning period she had certainly been sorry he was dead. But miss him? No.

  And watching Adelaide, seeing how her entire face lit up when she spoke of her husband, Katherine felt jealousy rise up in her. A feeling she tamped down with all her might as the subject switched to all the activities they would participate in during their time in the country.

  But the hollow feeling didn’t fade, even as the topic of much-beloved husbands did. And she tried very hard not to think of how it would feel to experience that weight in her chest for the rest of her life.

  Chapter Six

  Robert drew in a long, cleansing breath of fresh air as he galloped through the gate of James and Emma’s country estate in Abernathe. After the past few weeks in London, where he had felt stifled and out of sorts, the days of riding in the brisk autumn air had done him good. He felt a new man, untroubled by thoughts of the future. No longer obsessed with how he would bed Katherine.

  Not that he was certain he still wouldn’t try. But some time away would give him perspective. He maneuvered up the long drive and grinned as the huge manor house came into view. James had made quite the life for himself here. At first, that hadn’t been certain. Abernathe had been so unsure of how to be a duke, it had caused a great many problems for him in the past.

  But now that was all over. James was happy and settled with Emma at his side, Bibi in his arms and a new child to come in the spring. Robert was happy for him. Happy, that was all. Nothing else. Nothing sharp and empty that taunted him at night.

  No. Just happy.

  He rounded the last bend and saw that a carriage was already sitting on the circular drive. Emma and James stood at the top of the stone stair to greet their guests. The carriage must have just arrived, for servants were just getting down from the top of the rig and rushing from elsewhere to help the occupants.

  Robert pulled his horse up behind the vehicle and swung down, stretching his back as he watched for the other guests to come down. He couldn’t see the crest on the rig from this angle, so he wasn’t certain which duke and duchess would greet him to walk up to their hosts together.

  A lady’s hand extended from the vehicle and he craned his neck as she stepped down. Suddenly the world shifted, stopped spinning, for as she turned her face toward the house, her identity became clear.

  It was Katherine.

  Robert took a step toward her with a gasp. She had not yet noticed him as she moved aside to allow her aunt to join her on the drive. The two ladies conferred for a moment. Katherine said something to her driver, then glanced around and her eyes caught him.

  They widened, a look of pure shock flowing over her features. Her aunt was talking and Katherine waved at her to go, so the older woman began to make her way up the stairs to their hosts. Meanwhile, Katherine just continued to stare, blinking as if she could make him disappear if she just focused hard enough.

  He moved toward her, almost against his own will, for he had no idea what he would say to her, what he would do now that she was standing there, looking fetching in that lovely burnt orange dress that warmed her skin and brought out hidden highlights in her dark hair.

  He reached her and she dipped her chin, muttering, “Son of a bitch.”

  He stopped up short and grinned despite the fact that she wanted him anywhere but near her. God, but she was a spitfire. She never backed down, even though it was clear he made her nervous. He liked that. In some odd way, he liked having to work for even her barest regard.

  “My lady,” he said, casting a quick glance up the stairs to where James and Emma were greeting Katherine’s aunt, though both were staring down at the two of them and neither appeared happy. “What a surprise.”

  She folded her arms and looked up at him with a nod. “Indeed, it is that.”

  He arched a brow at her cool tone. Dismissive, even. He wanted to get under her skin. “I believe I was invited here in order to avoid you.”

  Her eyes went wide and her arms dropped away from their position as shield. “I—well…yes, I believe that was the same reason I was asked to come here.”

  He chuckled at her honesty, forced from her by surprise. With her guard down, she was even lovelier. The flush to her cheeks made her look alive, made him wonder how low that blush traveled down her curves. How it would look if it were coaxed by pleasure and not shock.

  He nudged his head toward the others. “Do you think they are secretly trying to put us together?”

  Her lips parted as if she had not considered this option. Her gaze flew to the top of the stairs, and together they looked at James and Emma again. Now that Katherine’s aunt had stepped aside, the couple had their heads together and were talking, apparently at once, and staring down at Katherine and Robert.

  “Judging from how all the color is out of Emma’s cheeks and the animation of their conversation, I would say no,” Katherine said.

  “Well, at least we are entertained,” he said, looking back at her.

  She glanced at their flustered hosts once more and then she smiled. Robert promptly forgot how to breathe as he stared at her. He’d never seen her smile. Not really smile, as opposed to some fake thing she wore as a mask. She was…stunning. All the life of the world was in her bright eyes, and he wanted nothing more than to keep that expression on her face forever. It was as warm as the sun.

  He blinked, trying to clear his mind of these errant thoughts. He held out his elbow and winked, hoping she would not see past the cad he played in public. “Shall we make the best of it?”

  She made a little sigh. Just the tiniest sound from the back of her throat. His body tensed because it was a sound of…surrender. Then she took his arm and let him lead her up the stairs to their horrified hosts.

  Robert smiled. This was going to be a very interesting ten days, to say the least.

  It took every fiber in Katherine’s being to control herself and not tremble as she held her hand in the crook of Roseford’s arm and moved up the stairs at his side. He was very warm and very handsome and very…hard. His arm was very hard, and it was as distracting as his unexpected appearance was.

  But of course he was here. She had come to Abernathe to escape him, but her life had never been about escape. She had been forced to face her demons, fight them and never quite win, for as long as she could recall. Why would it be different now? Roseford was here. How, why, she didn’t know. But she would have to deal with him and that was that.

  They reached the top of the stairs and he released her, his warmth clinging to her body even after she moved away to greet Abernathe, then stepped toward Emma.

  Her friend’s face was pale as paper as she drew Katherine in for a brief embrace.

  “Katherine, I am so sorry,” she whispered. “I had no idea James had convinced Robert to join us. And somehow in the excitement of our coming, I hadn’t mentioned to him that you would be in attendance.”

  Katherine drew back and smiled at the pretty duchess, whose brown eyes were now soft with concern and guilt. There seemed to be no treachery there. She looked truly horrified and that somehow comforted Katherine. At least she was only dealing with one enemy.

  “You don’t owe me an apology, Your Grace, I assure you,” she said, and was pleased that none of the conflict she felt was present in her voice. “The Duke of Roseford is a friend of your family—I would never presume to be upset at who is at your estate. I will manage just fine.”

  Emma did not look certain, but she smiled at any rate. “Well, Adelaide is already inside if you’d like to share tea with her. I see another carriage arriving, so we will have t
o stay outside a while longer. Otherwise, I hope we can talk in depth later.”

  Katherine linked arms with her aunt, who was waiting for her a few steps away. Bethany gave her an odd look, which Katherine ignored as she cast one last glance down the line toward Roseford. He was talking to Abernathe, their heads close together in what seemed a very serious exchange. He didn’t look at her. Of course he wouldn’t.

  “Thank you, I look forward to it,” she said to Emma, and then she and her aunt entered the house. The butler rushed to take their things.

  “May I show you to your chambers?” he asked.

  “I would love a lie down,” Bethany said even though concern still lined her face. “Are you coming up?”

  Katherine paused. She actually wouldn’t mind a moment alone in her chamber to re-gather herself. But if the look on Bethany’s face were any indication, that would not be what would happen. Her aunt had questions, ones Katherine wasn’t ready to answer.

  “No, I think I’ll stay downstairs,” she said, and turned to the butler. “The duchess mentioned something about tea?”

  He nodded. “I will call on a servant to take you.”

  “Oh, just give me the direction,” Katherine said. “I know your staff is busy, I can find it.”

  The man looked relieved at her suggestion and quickly told her how to find the parlor. Then he and her aunt moved up the stairs so he could show her to her chamber.

  Katherine took a deep breath. The first since she’d turned on the drive to find Roseford staring at her. She was trying not to panic about that fact, but now her mind was beginning to turn. She was here ten days. He was so intent on following her around, trying to…well, whatever he thought would fulfill that bet he’d made about her.

  Trying to bed her.

  She shivered and tried to tell herself it was in disgust, but she couldn’t help but picture all those moments when he’d nearly kissed her. Old and new, merging together. Imagine those hard arms she’d had around her when they danced or when he escorted her up the stairs, that hard body that had to go with them. Imagine a man so well-versed in sin giving her a taste of it.

  No matter what his motives were.

  “Stop,” she growled to herself, shaking away the thoughts.

  She headed down a long hall and quickly found the open parlor door the butler had described. She stepped inside to find Adelaide sitting by the fire, a book in one hand, teacup in the other. She lifted her gaze as Katherine entered and smiled.

  “You’ve arrived, wonderful!” she said, setting all her things aside and coming to briefly embrace Katherine. “How was your trip?”

  “Uneventful,” she sighed as she watched Adelaide go to the tea service to pour her a cup. “Until I arrived here and found Roseford on the drive watching me.”

  Tea sloshed from the cup Adelaide was preparing and the duchess turned, eyes wide. “What?”

  “There was a miscommunication.” Katherine said. “Abernathe invited Roseford in order to separate him from me. Somehow he didn’t know Emma had done the same with me. And so we are both here. For ten days.”

  Adelaide set the teapot down, bent and opened a lower cabinet. She set a very expensive looking bottle of scotch on the top, then two glasses. She splashed the alcohol into both and handed one over.

  “This calls for something much stronger,” she said with a shake of her head. “Oh, Katherine. What do you think?”

  Katherine tipped her glass and took a sip of the burning alcohol. “I think you know why I was invited here to be away from him. Isabel told you all about his bargain, didn’t she?”

  Adelaide hesitated a moment and then nodded. “She did. But it is only because we are all so close. Not a one of us would judge you for it. Though we as a whole do judge him. He will not find many friends amongst the duchesses at present.”

  Katherine smiled at the idea of this wall of women rising up before her in sisterly protection. She had not ever had that kind of support in her entire life. It was nice. Yet she didn’t want to depend upon it. She knew from bitter experience that the husbands made the decisions. No matter how loving the dukes seemed to be with their wives, the men would take Roseford’s side. They’d been friends with him for so long.

  And eventually it would pull the duchesses away from her.

  “I don’t want anyone’s relationships damaged by taking sides over me,” she said. “In the end, I must deal with Roseford and his intentions myself. I know his goals, I do not think he would be the kind of man to force his desires on me.”

  “Never!” Adelaide said with a shake of her head. “I do not believe he would ever do such a thing. My husband would kill him, for one, and Robert is too self-preserving.”

  Katherine arched a brow at the strength with which Adelaide said the last. She seemed certain, although she couldn’t be right. The Duke of Northfield was Roseford’s friend. There was no way his reaction would be as strong as Adelaide described.

  Katherine shrugged. “Then Roseford is not a danger to me physically.”

  “No,” Adelaide repeated.

  Katherine sighed. “The best thing I can do is ignore him. Do my damnedest to avoid him. It will be no different than it was in London.”

  Adelaide worried her lip. “Except that in London you were not under the same roof with him. And there were far more people to create a buffer between you. There will only be a handful of couples here except for when James and Emma have a ball, like they will tonight. Or a garden party, or something like that.”

  Katherine wrinkled her brow. “Are you trying to comfort me or make me run screaming from the house?”

  Adelaide laughed and stepped closer. “No one wants you to run screaming from the house, I assure you. I was being blunt. Graham will tell you I do it a little too much, I fear. You are right, of course. Ignoring him is best. I doubt he’s ever had a woman do that, especially one he is actively pursuing. It will serve him right.”

  Katherine chuckled as the pleasure lit up in her friend’s eyes. “I suppose I hadn’t thought of it that way. He has no idea I know of his intentions, his bargain, so his pursuit of me will go on as planned. And if I utterly ignore him, I will wound him, at least a little. That makes the entire endeavor seems a little more…”

  “Wicked?” Adelaide supplied.

  Katherine jolted at the word choice. Wicked was something else. Something heated. But she nodded. “I suppose there is a wickedness in teasing him so.” She thought of the consequences of such a thing and shivered. “So perhaps what would be best is to confront him directly. Not about his wager, which I will never discuss with him. But just to tell him that I am not interested. That I don’t want his attentions.”

  “That would likely send him away. If you were very blunt like that. And the duchesses will do whatever we can to assist you—don’t hesitate to ask a one of us to be on your side for rescue or to plot against him,” Adelaide said.

  “Do you all hate him so much?” Katherine asked.

  “No!” Adelaide’s eyes went wide. “There is a big difference between being annoyed at him for being so unexpectedly cruel and hating him. In truth, he is a good man. He is very intelligent—he can match wits with anyone. Not just clever, you understand, which he is, but truly intelligent.”

  Katherine shifted. She had never liked a stupid man. Gregory had been rather…stupid.

  “And he can be incredibly kind, supportive, loving. I have watched him be so gentle with a friend when they are in need. He tries to pretend it away when he is caught, but there is a core of goodness to him. And yet…as the rest of the dukes marry, I think he feels increasingly isolated. He is the wild one of the bunch. The others joined him on his adventures in the past, tempered his worst impulses, perhaps. And now…well, he is in transition and it’s obviously not the best for him. But no one in our circle hates him. And I hope you will not either, despite his awful bet.”

  Katherine had been silent, staring at Adelaide as sh
e recited this warm and loving description of a man Katherine had hated for three long years. To hear him spoken of in such tones softened her a fraction, and she pulled herself up straight as she recalled his cruelty to her, not just in his wager, but in the interactions they’d shared so long ago.

  She could not afford to do anything but hate him. And there was no way to say that to Adelaide or anyone else.

  So she shrugged. “Well, I will call for help if I need it, thank you. Now, when is your husband expected?”

  Just as she’d hoped, the change in subject lit up Adelaide. “Tonight,” she said. “Though I’m not certain when. He may be here before the ball, but it might not be until after it begins.”

  “You must miss him,” Katherine said, unable to be anything but happy for her friend at how deeply she loved her spouse.

  “I do,” Adelaide admitted. “Desperately, deeply. It is the longest we’ve been apart since our marriage, and I do…” She blushed a little. “Long for him. And the time, it goes so slowly.”

  “Well, perhaps I can help with that,” Katherine suggested. “My aunt told me that Abernathe’s property is one of the loveliest in all the country.”

  Adelaide nodded with enthusiasm. “It is. I see where you are going. Would you like to stretch your legs and have a turn about the garden to pass the time?”

  “You read my mind,” Katherine said with a smile.

  Adelaide grabbed for her hand and squeezed before she rushed off to arrange for their bonnets to be brought. In that moment when she was alone, Katherine took a final sip of the scotch that had been meant to bolster her courage. With Roseford swaggering around this place, bent on seduction, she would need it now. More than ever.

  Chapter Seven

  Robert had to give Katherine her credit. She was adept at avoiding him. Here they were, eight hours after the full party had arrived at Abernathe, and she had neither spoken to him nor gotten near him. Despite a supper and now a ball, she was separate from him.