Free My Fair Duchess (A Once Upon A Rogue Novel Book 1) by Julie Johnstone Page A

and the men would indeed retire? As if on cue, the singing ended, and her brother spoke in a rather slurred tone. “Let me show you to your bedchamber.”
    “There’s no need,” His Grace replied. “Your mother showed me where it is earlier and also directed my groom to his sleeping quarters.”
    The duke took a step toward the library. Amelia tensed and caught her breath.
    He took another step and spoke. “I think I will have a look around in the library for a book, if you don’t mind. If you recall, I sometimes have trouble falling asleep and reading usually helps that.”
    Amelia tensed. This could not be happening. The duke could not mean to come into the library at this hour. It had to be close to midnight.
    “I recall,” Philip slurred. “Browse freely. I’d stay but my head is spinning.”
    “Not necessary at all,” the duke said. “Barnes will help you to your room, if you think you can make it without me.”
    “Of course I can,” Philip boomed. “Between Barnes and the railing I’ll be upright all the way.”
    Amelia rolled her eyes before glancing at the only door out of the room. She was trapped. All she could hope for now was that His Grace would be quick about obtaining a book and would not find cause to come near this side of the room. She fingered the thin cotton of her night rail and wished she had taken the time to don a wrapper.
    Her heart began to pound as her brother and the duke’s coachman started up the stairs with loud clopping steps. She forced herself to breathe in slow, long measures that hopefully made no sound. It would be more than embarrassing to be caught in the library dressed as she was. She could think of no possible way to explain her presence here, and then His Grace would know she was not only an eavesdropper but a liar when she inevitably tried to conjure some excuse.
    The duke’s footsteps tapped across the tile of the foyer and grew louder as he drew nearer. Flickering candlelight filled the room. She rubbed her sweaty palms on the sides of her gown and then fisted the material in her hands to help her keep from fidgeting out of nervousness. If she was lucky, the man would leave the rest of the candles unlit.
    He paused in the middle of the room, as if deciding whether to do just that. She sent a silent prayer upward. The duke suddenly turned on his heel and marched straight toward her.
    He stopped so close she could smell the scent of smoke and spirits on him. The aromas appealed to her in a rugged, raw way. Her belly clenched as he moved a step closer, and the heat emanating from his body surrounded her. When his fingers brushed the sleeve of her dress and the door beside her swished away and closed with a soft click she almost yelped, but light illuminated between them as he raised a candle. His humor, visible by the crinkles at his eyes and smile on his lips, took away her momentary fear.
    Whatever could she say? Her mind raced, but her thoughts tripped over themselves as a slow, sinful smile spread across his face. “If you wanted to get me alone all you had to do was ask.”
    She didn’t know whether to be outraged or amused, but her thoughts would not cooperate to form a proper rejoinder as she stared into his hazel eyes.
     

 

    Colin had never kissed a woman who didn’t want something from him, and despite the fact that Lady Amelia probably did, since she had not responded to his question, the way she stared at him made him certain he wanted to kiss her. As he returned her gaze, his body warmed in a way it should not. She was not a classic beauty. Well, perhaps… He glanced at the slant of her high cheekbones. Maybe she was. It was hard to tell from the way she presented herself to Society, though certainly she possessed features that hinted at beauty.
    Regardless, the smart thing to do would have been to turn around, walk out of the library and pretend he had never spied Harthorne’s sister with her nose pressed to the crack of the door. He trailed