Free How to Seduce a Duke by Kathryn Caskie Page B

was too shaken to address you properly. So I shall do it now. Please accept my thanks, Lord Wetherly , for saving our lives.”
    “It was my duty, Miss Royle ... and my pleasure.” The viscount elbowed his brother. “Now my brother has something he wishes to say to you. Is that not correct, Rogan?”
    “Miss Royle .” The duke cleared his throat. “I beg your forgiveness for the near-accident this day. I am greatly relieved that you and your sisters were not harmed in any way.” He leaned closer to her. “Might I suggest the use of a carriage in the future?”
    “You might, Your Grace, but since we do not own a carriage, and hackneys are too dear to hire with any regularity, my sisters and I will likely continue to walk whenever possible. I am sure you understand.”
    He cocked his brow at her then, and his eyes brightened, as if he did suddenly understand, though, from the curious expression on his face, Mary was not at all sure what he might have gleaned from her innocent comment.
    She leaned toward the great beast, although it made her heart thud hard in her chest to do so. She held the tone of her voice as low as possible. “Might I suggest keeping your mind focused in the future, so the lives of others are not imperiled ?”
    The duke grimaced at her, then exhaled loudly. “I think I shall succumb to nausea if I do not locate a glass of wine. Perhaps the ladies might also enjoy a libation as well?”
    “I would adore a sip or two of wine, Your Grace.” Lady Upperton unfurled her fan and swished it across her powdered face.
    “Very good, Lady Upperton .” The duke looked to Mary. “And you, Miss Royle ?”
    “No, thank you, Your Grace.”
    The Black Duke started for the refreshment table, but before he had traveled a full step, he turned around. “Quinn, will you assist me?”
    The sheen of disappointment was clear in the young viscount’s eyes. “Do excuse me, ladies. I shall return promptly.” He bowed politely—something the grand oaf had not troubled himself to do—then followed his brother through the heaving crowd.
    The moment the two gentlemen were no longer discernable amongst the collection of dark dress coats, Lady Upperton’s manner changed abruptly. “Mary, Lord Wetherly mightn’t have realized you were lying, but I certainly did.”
    Mary frowned. “I didn’t lie. In actuality, I was very careful to tell the truth.”
    Lady Upperton huffed a breath of air between her painted lips. “I was holding your hand, dear. I felt it twitch and saw your body tense whenever the duke made his ridiculous accusations about garden statuary.”
    “I didn’t lie.”
    “You mightn’t have, but you certainly danced a full quadrille around the truth.” Lady Upperton leaned close and tilted her chin up. She studied Mary’s face through squinted eyes. Then she gasped. “Oh, my word, Mary. He wasn’t incorrect. You were the statue in the Underwoods ’ garden! What could you have been thinking?”
    “I only wanted to show my sisters the gentleman I would one day marry.” She paused, but Lady Upperton folded her arms across her chest and lifted her eyebrows, as though waiting for the rest of her story.
    “You see, earlier, our cook asked for the evening off to earn a few extra shillings by helping to prepare the dinner for the Underwoods ’ garden party. We cannot afford to pay her much in the way of wages, so we agreed. Cook was very happy about this, as you might imagine. She began to tell us about the food that was to be served... and sometime during the conversation casually mentioned that Lord Wetherly , the young war hero, would be a guest.”
    “But you said you are not acquainted with the Underwoods .”
    “Well, we aren’t. So we were not included on the guest list. But I did so want Anne and Elizabeth to see the man I have set my cap at, Lady Upperton . And la, he was going to be just next door. So close. I knew I daren’t miss the opportunity, so we powdered ourselves and crept