Page 55 of To Dare a Duke

Helena pursed her lips and picked up a knife, intent on piling copious amounts of marmalade onto a piece of toast. “I can, when you stare into space with that morose look on your face, but it seems I’m not to blame for your ennui, so… tell me everything.”

She waggled her eyebrows at him before taking a large bite of toast with even, white teeth.

“There’s nothing to tell,” he said, doing his best to force Prue’s words from his mind.

“I’ll not swap a tyrant for a villain.” As they’d been echoing there all night, he didn’t expect them to budge an inch.

“It’s a woman,” Helena said, dropping her toast and clapping her hands together with excitement. “Oh! At last,” she squealed. “Who is she? Will I like her? Are you in love?”

Robert rolled his eyes at her. “I just said there’s nothing to tell,” he pointed out, bewildered, as ever, by his sister and her uncanny knack of knowing what he was thinking.

“Yes, and for a man with such a terrible reputation you’re the most hopeless liar. There is clearly a great deal to tell.” She took another bite of toast, staring at him and making go on then motions with her free hand.

“I suppose you’ll tell me every detail of your romantic affairs when you finally come out, won’t you?” he said dryly.

Helena dropped her toast and stared at him, wide-eyed. “Why of course, Robert, dearest. I’d never keep anything from you.”

He snorted, shaking her head. “I’ll admit, you’re far better at that than I. I pity your poor husband.” A troubled look crossed her face and he cursed himself. “Helena, I didn’t mean—”

She smiled then, quick and bright, like a sudden shaft of sunshine. “I know,” she said. “And you do know I’d… I’d never lie, not about anything important. Not unless…. Oh, I don’t know, unless there was simply no other way. To protect someone, perhaps, where the truth would cause heartache. Do you know what I mean?”

Robert frowned, considering her words. “Yes. I know what you mean.”

He’d thought Prue such a woman. He’d thought he’d felt a connection to her, something he’d never dared to hope for. She was funny and vivacious, and said the most peculiar and outrageous things, and every time he was in her company, he didn’t want to quit it. She was like no one he’d ever met before and, every time she walked away from him, he grew increasingly impatient for the time when he would see her again. Except, she’d made it clear she wanted no part of him. He sighed with frustration and then caught Helena watching him, her eyes full of sympathy.

“You’ve not gone and fallen for someone unsuitable again, darling?” she asked, such concern in her eyes he cursed himself for causing her such worry.

Lavinia had not only blackened his name; Helena would always be associated with her brother, The Damned Duke.

“No,” he said, with a brief smile. “This time she is eminently suitable, handpicked by Uncle Charles, in fact, but….” He shrugged. “She’s not interested.”

“But how can that be?” Helena demanded, so obviously baffled that Robert could only laugh. “Well?” she pressed, shaking her head. “If Uncle Charles recommended her, then she’s a sensible girl who would never listen to gossip, so it can’t be your reputation.”

Robert frowned. “No. No, it’s not that.”

She’d challenged him about his reputation to begin with, but she’d never seemed afraid of him. Not past the first few minutes of their acquaintance at least. He felt sure she didn’t believe the worst of him any longer. So why had she flung that accusation at him last night?

He realised then she’d only said it when he’d failed to be angry at her asking him to dance. Thinking about it now, he supposed he ought to have been angry with her, but he’d only been charmed that she wanted to dance with him enough not to wait for him to ask her. Her boldness thrilled him. Her bravery made him want to be brave too, to spit in the eyes of the gossips and tattle-mongers and not give a farthing for them or their approval, propriety be damned.

She had gone out of her way to make him angry, though, to hurt him, to make him stay away. Why had she done that? It was only now he considered how she’d looked as she’d walked away from him. At the time he’d been too hurt, too raw to consider anything else but his own feelings, his own disappointment. Now, though….

She’d been close to tears.

What the devil was she playing at?

He looked down as Helena laid a hand on his arm.

“Let me help you,” she said, eyes glinting with mischief. “If anyone can discover what is holding her back, it will be me. You know how good I am at winkling out secrets.”

Robert frowned at her for a moment, but then nodded. “I’d appreciate that.”

Helena gaped at him, so astonished he couldn’t help but laugh.

“I never thought you’d agree,” she said with delight. “I thought I’d have to torture you into it.”

He shook his head, unable to hide that he was in a quandary. “I… I think she could be the one, Helena. I feel like I….” He trailed off, unable or perhaps unwilling to put it into words. If he said it aloud there would be no denying it, no taking it back. “I’ll take all the help I can get,” he said instead.

“Oh!” His sister leapt to her feet and crossed the table, throwing her arms around him. “Oh, Robert! I’m so happy. I’ll do anything to help, you know that. I will like her though, won’t I?” she asked, a flicker of doubt in her eyes.