Forbidden to Love the Duke(44)

Rue turned her face to the wall. The bees had started to disappear. The sky turned a shade darker before she spoke again. “I’m too ashamed to tell you.”

“You can tell me or Rosemary or Lilac anything. Anything.”

Tear after tear slipped down Rue’s face before she worked up her courage to speak. “I went out into the hall of the hotel because there was a party being held in several rooms. I wanted to find a servant to ask the guests if they could please make less noise.”

“I must have been dead to the world.”

“You needed to sleep. I took care not to wake you. But I never found a servant, only a group of young men who mistook me for a woman of the night.”

“And you corrected them?”

Rue nodded. “Eventually. They offered me money.”

“Please, Rue . . .”

“That’s all I can say right now. One gentleman took me into a private room and—we, oh, I can’t say what happened. We talked. It’s over, and the problem is that I thought I’d be able to forget him. I never believed in love at first sight. Do you?”

“I might.”

Rue sighed. “I’m afraid I don’t have time to explain everything before I leave.”

“Leave?” Ivy said in bewilderment, wiping her sister’s face with her fingertips. “Because of what happened?”

Rue gave her a watery smile. “Have you read the letter I sent you this morning? I’ve accepted a position as companion to an elderly viscountess. She’s taking the waters with her niece, and I’m to start when she returns.”

“Well, congratulations, then. It’s a relief, I suppose. At least you’ll be safe with an older woman.”

“Bored to tears, too. Oh, dear.” Rue nudged Ivy’s hand. “Oliver is walking towards us, and it’s getting late. Don’t you have to leave?”

Ivy shook herself. “I should have gone an hour ago.”

“It was good to talk,” Rue said.

Ivy rose from the bench. “All you’ve done is give me more to worry about.”

“What about your duke?” Rue teased.

“What about him?”

Ivy met her sister’s gaze. Sooner or later Rue would reveal everything. Ivy knew there had to be more to her tale. The sisters couldn’t keep secrets from one another, even though some took years to share. In fact, Ivy had never confessed that she’d kissed a rogue at a masquerade ball, years ago. Or that the duke was that man.

And that she had kissed him again and craved his kisses too much for her own good.

“Dearest.”

At the sound of Oliver’s voice, Ivy turned and she and Rue came to their feet. Within moments he managed to insert himself between them. Ivy sighed and grudgingly took the arm he offered. Rue pretended to shake out a stone in her shoe and ducked the forearm that hovered above her head.

“I’m afraid it will be dark soon,” he said, bearing Ivy toward the house with an impressive show of urgency. “I wouldn’t want to cause you grief. I’ve informed the others that we’re leaving.”

The sky darkened with every step they took toward the manor. Ivy hoped the duke would understand. “At least his carriage is swift,” she muttered.

Oliver slowed. “Whose carriage?”

“The duke’s, of course.”

“Didn’t I mention it to you? I sent his carriage home.”

She unhooked her arm from his, feeling the blood drain from her face. “You did what?”

He shrugged. “I wanted a little time alone with you and it seemed the only way. How else am I to court you?”

Ivy shook off his arm and said nothing. She decided it would be best to save her wits to answer the duke when she returned to the park.





Chapter 16


James had his spyglass focused on the light carriage stopped outside the park’s gates. He stood motionless, but inwardly his temper burned like a bonfire. So did his old war wound. He didn’t give a damn that a duke should be above prying into his governess’s personal life. If there was any immorality to take place on this estate, James would be the responsible party, thank you.

Then again the governess should not conduct her love affair on her master’s property. There was little doubt that James was witnessing a clandestine romance. Before his very eyes she had just kissed the bastard who had brought her home. Now she appeared to be running away from the goat, leading him on a merry chase through the garden maze. What was she going to let him do when he caught her? Nothing if James moved fast enough.

“Hellfire and damnation,” he said through his teeth. “I’ll tear the little satyr apart hoof by hoof.”