Page 12 of Raising the Duke’s Unexpected Twins

But he couldn’t resist pulling her close, his one hand still holding hers, and his other on her waist. He could feel her tense against him as he whispered, “We are in agreement then, and I will take care of the rest.”

She shivered against him, and with a smile, he pulled back, dropping her hand as he did. “I suppose it is time that we return to the ball.” He turned away and went to the door, pausing briefly. “You forgot to make one important rule.”

“Oh? And what is that?” she asked, not having moved from the fire.

“You did not forbid us to become more…intimate during our marriage. Therefore, I am willing to wait for you to beg. Whenever you are ready, I will happily be the one to finally tame the shrew.”

“Oh, you insufferable beast!” she cried, and he moved out of the way as a pillow came his way, and he quickly shot out of the library, a smile on his lips.

Pulling on his coat lapels to smooth his jacket, Nicholas slowly made his way back to the ball. He was feeling victorious at their interaction, and suddenly, thoughts of Cordelia Debrett beneath him, her dark hair splayed out on the bedclothes, her lovely lips parted and breathing his name was an image shockingly stronger than he expected.

He cleared his throat, turning his mind to something, anything else. Perhaps a night with one of his mistresses? As soon as he entered the ball, he reached for the first glass of wine he saw and was soon accosted by Lady Rosemere, as if she’d been seeking him out, ready to pounce.

“Your Grace, how good to see you again. It has been some time.” Her fan was moving gently over her deep decolletage, and her gown was a deep green that drew the eye.

“Yes, it has, my lady,” Nicholas replied, staring down at the beautiful woman, attempting to replace Cordelia with her in his mind’s eye.

“Perhaps you and I should like to go somewhere more private,” she whispered. “Like old times. It has been so very long.”

The answer had been on the tip of his tongue, but he spied Cordelia across the room, her gaze narrow as she watched the interaction. The sight of it made him want to laugh.

“I’m afraid that cannot be possible,” he said, surprising himself as he spoke. “And you should not expect to hear from me any time soon.”

“Whyever not?” Lady Rosemere asked sharply, all attempts at flirtation gone. “What has happened?”

“Because, my dear, I will be getting married.”

CHAPTER 5

Afew hours later, Cordelia was gratefully descending from the family carriage at the front of her home. The ball was now over, and sleep was the only thing on her mind at the moment.

Well, not the only thing.

“Wasn’t it marvelous?” Danae cried as soon as they entered the foyer and were handing their things to the footman. She spun around, clasping her hands to her chest and sighing.

They didn’t have many staff left, but those who were able to remain were used to Danae’s antics.

“Danae, I think you are going to make yourself dizzy,” Emma reprimanded. “You have just danced for hours, and yet you wish for more?”

“I could dance for a lifetime,” Danae replied with a passionate sigh, floating the way to the sitting room.

Cordelia would have loved to sneak her way up the stairs to her bedroom, but her mother called for tea and took her arm to lead her bodily into the room. Fiona was never loud or sharp, but she had her ways of forcing conversation.

“And?” Cordelia asked her youngest sister as they all sat down with huffs of fatigue, piles of muslin, “did you find a soulmate this evening, then?” Cordelia was ready for any other discussion besides that of revealing to her family that she was engaged to the Duke of Meinster.

“Oh, ever so many,” Danae said, a wicked look in her blue eyes, and Emma rolled her eyes.

“But what I think is even more important, Cord,” Danae said with a bright smile and a mischievous look in her eyes, “is that you tell us where you went off to during the ball. You had been glued to edge of the ballroom all evening, hoping for some young man to come along, and then you were simply gone. Vanished.”

Cordelia blushed. Could she never be rid of this annoying habit? It frustrated her, revealed her feelings, and gave Nicholas far too much to tease her about. When her eyes caught her mother’s, she let her shoulders sink.

“Well, did you find yourself a potential suitor?” Fiona asked, hopefully, but Cordelia could tell there was a little worry in her voice.

After a moment, still unsure if she should believe it herself, she nodded.

“Well, that’s wonderful. Is it not?” Danae asked. “You had been needing to find someone and now here he is!”

Emma was not so keen to rush to celebration. “Please, tell us more, Cord. You’re leaving us all in suspense.”