Page 47 of How to Tempt a Duke

She was sliding away from him emotionally, leaving him cold in her wake. “Will you be at Hyde Park tomorrow?” he asked.

“My mother did not know you in order to recognize you before,” she replied. “I cannot believe she will be thrice fooled now that she’s seen you enough to make the connection.”

Devil take it, that was an excellent point.

“But you’ll come tomorrow?” Was he bargaining with her?

She tilted her head, her expression sweetly pleasant. “Perhaps.”

Footsteps sounded outside the door before Lottie entered, with Eleanor’s cloak and wig draped over her arm.

Eleanor began to assemble herself for her immediate departure. “Thank you again for everything, Lottie.”

Lottie pulled her into another gentle embrace. “The pleasure has been mine, Lady Eleanor. I hope our time together has been beneficial.”

The footman appeared to announce that her hackney had arrived. Eleanor inclined her head at Charles and gave him a seductive smile that set his heart pounding.

“Thank you for the tulips, Your Grace.”

And with that, she was gone.

The tulips?

“Did you teach her to smile like a coquette?” Lottie asked. “If so, I’m quite impressed with you.”

“That was of her own creation,” Charles replied.

“Well, then, I’m quite impressed with myself.” Lottie winked at him. “Did you come to any exciting revelations?” she asked.

Too many to share.

“Nothing in the journal,” he answered earnestly.

She nodded slowly and then smirked at him. “Tulips, Charles? Mind you do not lose your heart to the girl.”

“Lose my heart?” Charles scoffed at the preposterous notion. “I merely have an interest in seeing her succeed. And I assure you the tulips were not from me.”

Though, dammit, he could not help but sift through his memory to think on who might have sent them.

Lottie shrugged, as if she did not believe him. “I have a favor to ask you regarding Lady Eleanor.”

He gave a tense nod, suddenly fearful that Lottie might suggest he never come back to assist Eleanor.

“Will you go to Vauxhall the night she is to meet Devonington?” Lottie wrinkled her nose with distaste. “I do not like the man.”

“I’ll be there.”

Charles poured himself a finger of Scotch. He didn’t much care for the man either. But then, he hadn’t liked any of the suitors vying for Eleanor’s affections. Not a one of them was worthy of such a woman as Eleanor Murray.

Least of all him.

Chapter Fifteen

The dinner at Vauxhall Gardens could not have been more terrible. Eleanor made her way to the carriage line through the thick crowd, desperate to be done with it all.

A day with the promise of heavy rain had left the London air thick with moisture. Her skirts hung with damp stickiness against her legs, her hair felt as though it were plastered against her brow and the evening chill seemed to have taken up residence in the marrow of her bones.

And, as if the atmosphere were not already uncomfortable, the company had been far worse.