Her brow crinkled. She supposed that was very nearly true. Maybe not the honest part. Her sisters accused her of creating little schemes to manipulate them. Like when she’d hidden her cat and made her sisters and the lords search for them. But she’d done it for Adrianna’s own good. Perhaps Juliet had also wanted time alone with Lord Dashlane, but her focus had been on her sister. “My sisters would tell you many of my traits are rather annoying. I’m certain they like the more quiet me.” She thought Dashlane might like this version of her better too. He’d been giving her subtle glances all evening and had even tied the cravat about her. Funny. It hadn’t made her pulse race the way…well…the way Hartwell’s touch did.
He quirked a brow. “While both versions of you are lovely, for the record, I like the girl who stood toe-to-toe with me and told me I was blind.”
Heat and joy made a flush rise in her cheeks. “For the record, I said that you didn’t see anything at all. Not that you were blind. And I stand by that. Ophelia and your cousin are an excellent match. I hope you’ve come to understand that.”
“There she is.” He gave her a rare smile and Juliet had to confess that because he didn’t grin all the time, it seemed special that he’d given her one.
“You still didn’t acknowledge they are a perfect match.” She tapped his arm with her hand.
He shook his head. “I’m not convinced. But you’re a wonderful sister for trying to show me and I look forward to your continued lessons.”
Chapter Six
Dane wanted to kick himself. What had happened to him that he showered Juliet with compliments? Surely, this was so out of character for him and yet he couldn’t resist.
Dane had meant what he’d said to Chase earlier. He didn’t believe in love, and certainly not in falling in love in a week. But he also couldn’t deny that something odd was happening.
He’d grown terribly jealous over Juliet. That was the first indicator he was losing his faculties. And then, she felt too perfect tucked into his side. And he’d been telling the truth, he enjoyed her boisterous personality. It was fun and joyous when he often allowed the seriousness of a situation to weigh him down.
He closed his eyes. He could not allow this to happen again. He knew how this ended.
“I’ve got an excellent idea,” Juliet said, squeezing his arm. “Let’s go on a picnic tomorrow. Just the four of us. That way, you can get to know Ophelia a bit. I’m sure it will calm any fears you might have.”
He looked down at her, his eyes widening a touch in surprise. It was a good idea and he appreciated the effort on her part. “Really? You don’t mind?”
She gave him a large smile. “Of course not. I’m happy to help and I love planning things. It’s my specialty.”
They entered the dining room and Dane was forced to let her go as she made her way to her seat. He was seated next to Charlie, near Mr. Moorish, and while he liked his host immensely, he wished to be at the other end of the table. His mouth tightened when he realized Lord Dashlane had been seated across from Juliet.
The other man smiled at her. “Miss Moorish, I must confess you’ve been a delight this evening.”
He saw her blush and stare down at her plate and his own gaze narrowed. That man was all wrong for Juliet. A dandy who was always flashing his smile, he was a rake of the first order. And honestly, even if that weren’t true, he was complimenting her on not being herself.
Did she like Dashlane’s compliment? Did she like that dandy rake? Jealousy reared inside him again, hot and fresh, and he gave his head a bit of a shake. He didn’t react emotionally. He was calm, centered.
Chase sat across from him, Ophelia at his side. “What are you looking at?” His cousin gave him a knowing grin.
“Nothing,” he grumbled, averting his eyes as a light vegetable soup was spooned into his bowl.
Ophelia offered him a gentle smile. “His Grace tells me that you and your sister have been like siblings to him since the loss of your parents.”
Dane grimaced. They’d managed to lose both sets of parents in the same stroke of fate. As he’d been the older of the two, he’d taken up the mantle of parent to both Chase and Charlie. The burden of a dukedom along with his own duties had been near crushing. But he wouldn’t change a thing. “And him to us. We forged a new family in our loss.”
She nodded, her eyes crinkling as though she understood. “My sisters have been my saving grace.”
Chase winked at him across the table. “Ophelia lost her mother several years ago, and as the eldest, has had a hand in raising them.”
Dane’s eyes widened. Chase was marrying a female version of Dane. “You helped raise your sisters?”
She shrugged. “We still had my father, of course. I don’t want to overstate my role. But honestly, I loved helping them. It’s been a joy. And now…” She gazed at Chase, her eyes sparkling with an affection that made Dane wince in regret. “We get to start a family of our own.”
Understanding and a bit of regret made him dip his head. Dane cleared his throat. “I’m very happy for you.” He was. He looked down the table at Juliet. Had she been right all along? Was it possible to fall in love? He gave his head a shake. Clearly, he was losing his mental faculties.
Juliet glanced down the table, watching Dane converse with Ophelia and Chase. Was Dane discovering what she already knew? The two were well suited to one another?
That thought should have been a relief. Instead, sick feelings of ill will made her limbs heavy as Hartwell smiled at Ophelia. She’d set out with two goals in mind. One to make certain Hartwell did not get in the way of Ophelia’s wedding. The other was to capture a love of her own. Now Dashlane was raptly paying attention to her and Hartwell was smiling at her sister.
But neither thought brought her comfort. If Hartwell decided to support the match, she’d have no excuse to take him on the picnic or watch over him at all. Did she want that? She was supposed to care about the man now sitting across from her.
She frowned as Dashlane smiled at her sister, Cordelia, leaning in close to whisper something in her ear. No jealousy flitted in her belly…only relief.
How odd.
The soup course over, their dishes were whisked away as a lovely lamb was placed in front of her. She hardly touched it, her mind working overtime. Why had she suddenly changed her mind about Dashlane?
She thought about Ophelia’s words. She’d know the man she wanted by his smell, the way he made her feel. But the man who drew her in was Lord Hartwell. And he was serious and stiff and didn’t believe in love. He wasn’t actually who she wanted, was he?
Her brow knitted in confusion. She looked back at Dashlane. He was telling a story about dueling where he bested his opponent in a single shot. His chest puffed and his smile flashed. He had the attention of everyone around him. Her gaze narrowed. Suddenly, he reminded her of a strutting peacock.
She pushed back from her chair, mumbling an excuse and making a dash out the door. She needed a moment to clear her head, and so she walked out of the dining room and across the hall to the open music room. The balcony doors were still open and she stepped outside, drawing in a deep breath of air.
“Are you all right?” Hartwell called from behind her.
She turned her head, his large frame filling the door. “You shouldn’t have come. I told you this morning. You can’t be alone with me, my father—”
“Suggested I find out what was wrong.” Then he looked over his shoulder. “They can see us, I think, through the open doors.”
“My father sent you?” She glanced over his shoulder.
He winced. “To be fair, I might have stood when you exited the room.”
She gasped, covering her mouth. “You did?”
“I…” His voice trailed off.
Juliet pressed her hands to her stomach. “I appreciate your concern a great deal.”
He tunneled his fingers through his hair. “Is everything all right?”
“Fine,” she answered. “I
found the dining room a bit oppressive and I needed a moment.” She looked out over the dark sky listening to the waves crashing onto the shore. “I must confess that today has been a strange day and my thoughts needed ordering.”
He gave a chuckle. “I can understand that. Shall I leave you here to order them or escort you back to the dining room?”
“I’ll come,” she said, smiling. “I should eat more dinner. I think it might be a late night tonight.”
“You should.” He winked. “And it likely will. If Charlie has anything to do with it, we’ll be up until the wee hours of the morning.”
“Oh dear.” She laughed, slipping her hand onto his arm again. “Well then. I’ll have to eat my lamb.”
He returned her to her seat, all eyes assessing her as she slipped back into her chair.
“Everything all right, dear?” her father asked.
“Yes.” She injected her voice with a light tone and lifted her fork. “The sea air has invigorated my appetite.”
With a nod, her father turned his attention back to Chase and she started to eat once again. But questions still swirled in her mind. Which man did she want? Popping a bite of food in her mouth, she decided it was best to sleep on it. With the ball just a few days away, she’d have time to decide.
Chapter Seven
The sun shone brightly outside as Chase and Dane stood at the door waiting for Juliet and Ophelia.
Chase had barely said a word, but he kept looking at Dane as though he had a thousand questions he wished to ask. Dane, for his part, kept his eyes straight ahead, not meeting Chase’s gaze. He wasn’t ready to say that Chase had actually been right. It might be possible to develop feelings in a short time.
“Juliet isn’t like her, you know,” Chase said, looking over at his cousin.
“Who?” he asked, his gut clenching.
“Lady Tiffany Sterling. She was a social climber. Juliet doesn’t give a fig about titles.”
“You know that for certain?” Dane rubbed his neck, looking down at the floor. “I can’t be manipulated like that again.”
“She’s never said a word about becoming a titled lady. I know she’s a genuine person.” Chase placed a hand on his shoulder. “But don’t take my word for it. Get to know her yourself. Then you’ll be able to decide.”
He didn’t respond as Ophelia and Juliet came down the hall, carrying a large basket and umbrellas.
Chase stepped out and took the basket from Ophelia’s hand, placing a warm kiss on her cheek. “Do we need a blanket?”
“I packed one,” Ophelia replied, smiling at Chase.
“Candles?” he asked with a chuckle. Ophelia laughed too, the intimacy of the suggestion obvious to anyone watching.
Juliet approached him just as Chase asked the question and she gave a long sigh. “When Chase proposed, he lit one hundred candles in a little hideaway in the cove. Isn’t that romantic?”
Dane raised his brows. His cousin had carried all those candles down to the beach? “That sort of labor takes commitment.”
She adjusted her skirts, looking down at the floor. “We all helped on that front. Ophelia has done so much for us that I…we wanted to give back to her.”
He gave a quick nod as Chase turned back to them, Ophelia on his arm. Chase was right. Juliet had a caring heart.
They made their way down to the beach. As they traversed the steep path, he found that he covered the hand she’d tucked into his elbow with his free hand, wanting to hold her close and keep her steady. He was normally only this protective with Chase or Charlie.
“Do you like Seabridge Gate?” she asked. “It’s rather quiet but so pretty. It’s been a wonderful place to grow up.”
“I like it very much.” He looked down at her stunning profile. “My summer home isn’t far from here. It’s my favorite property.”
“Do you winter in London?” She stopped turning toward him. “My father’s been promising that we’d take a trip there, but work keeps him here nearly all the time.”
“I do,” he answered. “Do you wish to go there?”
“I’m not certain. Most of my sisters wish to go. I like it here. It’s funny because I tend to be the loudest of them all and so I think they think I’d wish to travel there the most. But the truth is, I’d be no one there. Here, I…”
He understood. “This is your domain.” He cleared his throat. “I also prefer the quiet of the country where everyone acts a little kinder and family seems to matter more.”
Chase and Ophelia had moved ahead, continuing down the path and the two of them found themselves alone once again. “My sisters wished to participate in a season so that they might find husbands.” She gave his arm a squeeze, her umbrella slipping to one side. “But now three of them are engaged. Perhaps I’ll change my mind if I don’t find a match of my own.”
Dane leaned closer, reaching for her chin. He needed her to understand. “Juliet, I have every confidence whether you are in Seabridge Gate, London, Bath, or even halfway around the world, men will find you. You sparkle more than any jewel I have ever met.”
She gasped in a breath. “That’s so strange. Ophelia called me a gem yesterday too.”
He chuckled. “That’s because you have a brightness about you that cannot be denied.”
Even now, the green of her eyes danced as they met his. Quite without meaning to, he leaned down. Perhaps to inspect them closer but as her chin tilted up, their lips softly met. It was the lightest touch. Almost like the beat of a butterfly’s wings but it sent need coursing through him.
His lips touched hers and the world tilted. Juliet lifted her hands, grasping his jacket to keep from sliding off the surface of the world into the ocean. He was warm and strong, and he anchored her enough that when his lips lifted, her eyes fluttered open to find the world was exactly as she left it.
Only, everything inside seemed completely different. Perhaps it wasn’t the world that had shifted but her. Things she thought she knew had grown fuzzy and other ideas that she’d been picking around, that had seemed foggy and grey, were suddenly very clear.
Her heart beat wildly as desire pulsed through her, settling between her legs. She wanted this man. Despite her belief that Dashlane was the Lord for her, it was Hartwell’s touch, smell, and feel that made her heart race in her chest. She’d been wrong all along.
She blinked up at him, trying to form words that wouldn’t come. What did she say that expressed how her feelings had shifted, grown sharper with such a small touch?
“Are you upset with me?” he asked, his voice rough and gravelly.
Upset? “No. Of course not,” she answered, squinting up at him through the sun. Her umbrella had fallen to her side. Why would she be upset? “It was a lovely first kiss. I never imagined…”
“First kiss?” he croaked, his hand tightening at her waist.
A flush started to climb her cheeks. “Does that bother you?”
He shook his head. “Yes. No. I don’t know.”
Pain lanced her chest at the idea that he regretted the touch. She tried to step back, but her knees were still wobbly and he tightened his grip on her waist. “Let me go.” Why did her voice sound so raw?
“Juliet,” he whispered. “Wait.”
She shook her head. What was wrong with her? Dashlane didn’t like her. Not really. And now Hartwell rejected her. Her sisters had effortlessly received proposals and yet here she was…
“I’m so foolish,” she said, covering her mouth while still holding his jacket. She pried her fingers loose, trying to take a step back once again. “Please don’t tell anyone. I—”
“Don’t tell anyone?” his voice had dropped low. “You should be demanding that I marry you for taking such liberties.”
She stopped, her head spinning. Was that why he regretted the touch? He was worried about being forced to marry her? “I don’t want you to propose.”
He tugged her just a bit closer. “I’m not sure whether I should be insulted or relieve
d.”
His words so closely mirrored her own feelings that a laugh bubbled up in her chest. “Lord Hartwell—”
“Dane,” he corrected, cupping her cheek. “For this conversation, you should use my given name.”
“Dane,” she whispered, testing the name in her tongue. She liked it. It suited him. “I thought you didn’t like my kiss.”
He grimaced, placing a hand on her waist. “It was a fantastic kiss.” He stepped closer, dropping his forehead to hers. “I just don’t normally act without thinking through the consequences of those actions and I had no intention of kissing you today. My withdrawal is my own internal struggle.”
Relief washed through her. He wasn’t rejecting her. He’d been taken by fancy and kissed her. That was so much better. “Well, in this case, there will be no consequences. I won’t tell if you won’t. But I would like to ask you a favor.”
He softly massaged her cheek, his nose touching hers. “What favor is that?”
“At the ball tomorrow night, would you dance with me? One single dance? I’m afraid no one will ask and then I’ll be the only one of my sisters who…”
“Juliet,” he said her name again, this time on a strangled groan. “You, of all people, can’t actually be afraid of being a wallflower.”
She shrugged, the confession that rose to her lips painful to admit. “Lots of people find me irritating. Even my family, though they love me.”
He drew in a deep breath. “I don’t. I love that you put yourself out there. I think you’re marvelous.”
Her brows drew up. That made heat flush her cheeks. Those words filled her with warmth. “Even though you don’t want to wed me? You looked awfully frightened after that kiss.”
A muscle in his jaw ticced and he swallowed. “It’s not you that frightens me. I was nearly engaged once. I thought I knew her too. That was until I caught her in the arms of another man telling him how dreadful I was.”
Romancing the Rake: Seven Regency Romances Page 32
