Page 16

“Good.” The duke clasped his hands together and came further into the room. “There have been many invitations arriving, as was to be expected. We can spend some time this afternoon whittling those down to the most premium events. You shouldn’t waste your time going to every event simply because you are invited.”

“Excuse me,” Margaret said suddenly. “Please. Continue the discussions about event attendance, and I look forward to your decisions.” She walked out of the room.

Eleanor’s eyes widened, much like they had on the first occasion they had met and been left alone together. She didn’t know what her family’s problem was. Twice, she had met the duke, and twice, a family member had left her alone with him.

“I must apologize for my mother,” Eleanor conceded.

“You must not,” the duke replied.

“She is my mother,” Eleanor argued. “I can apologize for her all I like.”

“I wondered how long it would take you to start an argument with me,” he told her. “I didn’t expect it to happen quite so quickly.”

“Oh, don’t you dare!” Eleanor warned. “I was perfectly acceptable last time, and you were the one who tried to dictate my life. You are impossible to deal with.”

“And yet, you must deal with me,” he told her. “Now, are you ready to discuss this in a more civilized manner?”

Eleanor clamped her teeth together. If she opened her mouth, she would say something that she might not regret, but that would make her look like the unreasonable and argumentative one.

He had played a neat trick on her. Arguing with him when he was being civil made her look bad. Yet agreeing with him gave him the upper hand.

Oh, who cares? I am here to arrange my Season, and that is all. Why am I so intent on arguing every point?

Eleanor walked to the chaise lounge and sat down, leaning back and extending one arm over the back of the chair.

“I would love to talk about the invitations that have been received.” And I have to maintain my composure, or I will gain a reputation for being difficult. I can’t let him win the battle between us.

Eleanor scolded herself again. She didn’t care enough for it to be an argument between them. She would not rise to his barbs, but she would not back down from what she wanted either.

Gabriel took time to study her before walking over to the armchair opposite where she sat. He paused, then sat and faced her.

They had stood close in her brother’s study, but it felt more intimate to be sitting opposite the duke, with his perfect jaw and rich, blue eyes. And he wasn’t staring at her with fire in his eyes, but with the look of a man who simply needed to take care of business.

And then there was his scent. His cologne hung in the air between them, sandalwood doing the heavy lifting, with a hint of lemon and bergamot underneath.

Eleanor did him the courtesy of looking into his eyes. She wouldn’t back down this time, no matter how long he stared at her in silence. Her mother and Lottie were right, of course. He was handsome, and one of the most eligible bachelors in London. If he were not so stern and demanding, she might find him agreeable.

Might.

“I have contacted a matchmaker,” the duke told her.

“Whatever for? Am I such a lost cause that you don’t think I can attract a man on my own? Or is this because you will scare them all off?”

Oh, Eleanor!

She had managed to hold her tongue well enough when he wasn’t talking. But as soon as he opened his mouth, she had the urge to open hers. Still, she hadn’t yet debuted, and he thought she needed help.

“No, it’s not for that,” he informed her. “I know the best families in London, so I understand which events will be more popular. Still, I don’t know exactly who the most eligible bachelors are, and where they will be. I have been told this matchmaker knows everything going on in town, and I thought it prudent to consult her. With careful planning and a measured approach, we can be more economical and efficient.”

Eleanor managed to hold back her words at first, but she couldn’t hold back the laughs bubbling up from deep within her.

“When I was dreaming of attending events as a young girl, I always considered how to be efficient,” Eleanor laughed again. “All society ladies can talk about is how to be more economical during the London Season.”

“I don’t understand why you are laughing about this, Lady Eleanor,” the duke scolded. “Do you not want a husband? Do you wish to waste your time dancing with men you have no intention of seeing ever again? You are a very beautiful young woman, and you will have many suitors.”

Eleanor didn’t know why it surprised her so much to be called beautiful by him, but she was silenced for a moment. She didn’t think she was plain by any means, but being called beautiful by a man who could have practically any woman he wanted was a great compliment, and it caught her off guard.

“I do wish to dance,” Eleanor managed. “I understand what you are saying, but I don’t wish to be forced to wed the first man I meet. Perhaps Mother has it right about some of this. She only wants to have fun, and I don’t only want that, but can’t these events be fun, too?”