Free At the Duke’s Pleasure by Tracy Anne Warren

grateful that they have you to thank for their reprieve.”
    Her mouth curved into a smile. “You wouldn’t really have sent them away, would you, Your Grace?”
    A long moment passed before he gave an enigmatic smile. Tucking her hand more tightly against his arm, he drew her into a slow walk. “We haven’t had a chance to speak privately since you arrived. How are you finding the house? Is everything to your liking?”
    “Yes, very much. You have a beautiful home.”
    His gaze met and held her own. “I am glad you approve.”
    For a few seconds she couldn’t look away, her skin tingling as she realized precisely how close they were standing together, near enough that she could feel the warmth of his body through his sleeve and catch the clean scents of soap and man hidden in the clothing he wore. She found herself wanting to lean closer. Then called herself ten times a ninny for the impulse.
    “My hope over the next few weeks,” Edward said, “is that you will begin to think of this as your home. Because it is, you know. Or at least it shall be soon.”
    Trembling, she lowered her gaze.
    “I see that Mallory is making her way to the pianoforte,” he observed. “Perhaps you might care to join her for a song? I understand that you have an excellent singing voice.”
    “It is nothing remarkable, I assure you, Your Grace.”
    “Edward,” he reminded. “And that is not what your mother says. Lady Edgewater informs me that you sing so sweetly you put canaries to shame.”
    She gave a dismissive shrug. “Despite my mother’s praise, I don’t believe that canaries have anything to repine over.”
    “Nevertheless,” he said, drawing them to a halt next to the richly polished pianoforte, “I should like to hear you sing. Mallory, what do you say to accompanying Lady Claire in a song?”
    Mallory’s face brightened. “Of course. Have you any favorites?”
    “Your Grace…Edward,” Claire corrected. “I would really rather not perform tonight.”
    “But we are all family here,” he said. “I would not ask otherwise, and I think you will find us a kind and generous audience.”
    “Oh, do say we may make a duet together,” Mallory urged. “Your pretty voice will conceal any mistakes I may make in my playing.”
    Claire chuckled and felt herself weaken. “Very well, since you both insist.”
    Edward smiled, his deep blue gaze warming in a way that made her feel rather warm in return. With a bow, he excused himself and left her to consult with Mallory. From the corner of her eye, she saw him pause to converse with Lord Drake before he took up a seat at the far end of one of the Hepplewhite sofas.
    Paying only partial attention to Mallory as she discussed which song to choose, Claire silently weighed her options. Without his intending to, she realized that Edward had given her an excellent opportunity to shock and displease him once again. Or try to at least.
    Her mother was right that she often garnered praise from others for her singing. But what if tonight she sang poorly? What if she sounded like an off-key screech owl, making sounds so horrible they would all be covering their ears?
    She smiled inwardly at the notion and were it only Edward in the room, she would definitely have proceeded with the plan. But considering her first failed attempt back home at Marsden Manor, she wasn’t necessarily confident of her success. Edward had seen through her ploy then. What if he did again?
    Then too, there was the reaction she was sure to draw from her mother. Last time, after having her mother ring a peal over her head, she’d managed to convince Mama that she had only been playing a silly prank on the duke and that he’d found it vastly amusing. But she knew Mama would not condone a repetition of such antics, particularly in front of half of the duke’s family.
    And then there were Edward’s siblings themselves, who had been nothing but kind to her. Somehow it didn’t seem fair to torture them in order