Page 2 of The Duke Meets His Match

Holy hell.

He had seen her before.

A few loose tendrils of golden hair had escaped her pins and brushed the slender column of her throat. Her facial bones were delicately carved, and her lips temptingly plump. But it was the sapphire eyes—exotically slanted like the pharaohs surrounding them—that made his breath hitch.

Chloe Somerton was the picture of beauty, grace, and innocence.

She was also a fraud.

He must have taken too long to answer her question. She met his gaze, and for a brief second her smile faltered, but it was back in place so quickly he imagined it a quirk of the sunlight reflecting off the glass cabinets.

“Your Grace!”

A dark-haired lady wearing a blue gown rushed forward with Henry in tow. “I’m Lady Huntingdon, Your Grace. I believe you are acquainted with my husband.”

Michael bowed. “Of course. Huntingdon is an old friend.” He glanced at Henry. “I’d make the introductions, but I see you’ve already met Lord Sefton.”

“Yes. Lord Sefton and I were discussing the uniqueness of the pharaohs.” She motioned to her sister. “May I introduce my sister, Miss Chloe Somerton.”

The object of young Henry’s interest curtsied. Chloe’s bodice was trimmed with lace; just enough to display the creamy swell of her breasts. She wore no necklace, and the ivory skin at her throat was temptingly smooth. Her lips curled in a smile, revealing a dimple in her cheek, before she turned her blue gaze to meet Henry’s.

Michael’s protégé looked as if he would bow down to kiss her slippers.

“Lord Sefton and I previously met at Lady Holloway’s ball,” Chloe said. “How nice to see you again.”

Something in her tone aroused Michael’s suspicions. Had she known they would come? Had she devised for Henry to overhear her when she said she would be at the museum today?

The last time Michael had seen Chloe she wasn’t wearing a fine gown or touring a museum. She also wasn’t flirting with a young eligible gentleman who’d recently inherited an earldom.

What was her game?

“Do you have an interest in ancient Egyptian artifacts, my lord?” Chloe asked.

Henry emphatically bobbed his head. “Oh, yes. Both of us do.”

“Splendid!” Lady Huntingdon clasped her hands to her chest. “I’ve arranged for a private tour from Mr. Bullock, the founder of the museum himself. He’s a fascinating man who began as a jeweler and goldsmith before forming his collection during seventeen years of research. No one knows the museum better. Please join us.”

Henry’s eyes lit up as if she’d offered him all the gold in Egypt. “We’d be delighted.” He glanced at Michael with a hopeful and excited expression.

Michael forced a smile. “Thank you for the gracious offer.” It wasn’t what he’d expected for the day, but at least he’d have a reason to observe the little charlatan and figure out her game. If she’d set her sights on Henry, then it was Michael’s responsibility to look after the lad and his newly inherited fortune and title.

“We’ve been meaning to visit the museum since our return from Hampshire two weeks ago,” Lady Huntingdon said. “But Chloe has been quite busy. She volunteers at the orphanage every Tuesday and Thursday.”

“What admirable, charitable work,” Henry said.

Chloe smiled sweetly. “I enjoy the children.”

Michael doubted she’d know what an orphan looked like if she stumbled over one in the street. How could someone so fraudulent appear so angelic?

Mr. Bullock, the museum’s founder and their guide for the afternoon, approached. A short, middle-aged man, he had a dark complexion more like a Spaniard than an Englishman. “Good day. Are you ready for your tour?”

The foursome were ushered out of the great hall, past pyramids and papyrus columns, and down a long corridor. Henry was quick to offer Chloe his arm, and his chest appeared to puff in his waistcoat when she placed the tips of her gloved fingers on his sleeve.

Michael’s frown deepened. It was worse than he’d thought. The boy was already ensnared by her feminine wiles.

Mr. Bullock stopped outside an open doorway and waited for the group to enter. “This is our African room,” he said, motioning to a dioramic taxidermy display of an elephant, zebra, lion, and other animals behind a roped-off section. Tall trees were also part of the display. The room was of an impressive size, and a long bench with a red cushion sat in front of the scene so one could sit and admire the animals.

“Oh my! I’ve never seen anything quite like this,” Chloe said, her tone filled with awe. Her gaze traveled over the huge elephant with its wrinkled gray skin and ivory tusk, the zebra with its distinctive black and white stripes, and the lion with its razor-sharp teeth. She leaned across the rope to get closer. “They appear alive. I want to reach out and pet the zebra.”