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“He is not a dog who usually make friends so easily.” Richard laughed. “Yet, it seems as if he has made his choice.”

“He is completely disloyal,” Gabriel grumbled.

Eleanor scratched Atlas’s head. The brief interaction had given her a dose of confidence.

“I enjoyed the ball last night, Your Grace,” she said. “There is another this coming week, is there not?”

Gabriel paused briefly before answering, and he continued to study Eleanor, pinning her with his gaze, and the corner of his mouth twitching subtly. Eleanor could not tell if his lips were pulling up into a smile or down into a frown.

“There are many upcoming events,” Gabriel replied.

“Oh, there are so many wonderful events at this time of year,” Margaret gushed. “Oh, Eleanor, I really do wish that I could be at your side during them all, but I never got to experience the events for myself, and you have His Grace, who will take careful care of you, I’m sure. It doesn’t hurt that he is so handsome, too. I hope that’s not a distraction for you, Eleanor.”

“Mother,” Eleanor hissed.

“Ellie and His Grace were the talk of the ball after their dance together,” Charlotte added.

Eleanor knew her friend was trying to steer the conversation in a different direction to stop her mother from going on about the duke’s handsomeness, but it only brought back more feelings. She had never been physically closer to any other man. Eleanor scratched Atlas’s head some more to gain some strength.

“Yes, His Grace was kind enough to give me some instruction, so I am ready for the next ball,” Eleanor clarified.

She couldn’t look at the duke now, but she could still feel his eyes studying her.

I didn’t put up any resistance, but you were the one who kissed me. Are you still thinking of the kiss, or am I alone in dwelling on it?

“Your Grace!” The call came from off to the right, a man’s voice, someone who had no qualms about shouting out in public.

Everyone’s attention was claimed, and the conversation between the five of them was halted as they watched the approaching man; it was someone obviously well-to-do, judging by his garb.

“I thought it was you,” the man said with a chuckle. “How the devil are you?”

“Fairfax,” Gabriel stated, his tone impassive.

Fairfax held out his hand and practically scooped the duke’s hand in his before Gabriel could move.

“Floreat Etona,” Fairfax announced with the final shake between the two men. “Ah, how long has it been, Your Grace?”

“Since Eton?” Gabriel asked.

Fairfax threw his arms in the air. “Since Eton! Since the Augustine dinner party! Since I last had the chance to sit down with you and talk! And then, alas, there was far too much of the world to explore for me to be tied to only one country. Ah, but to return home is to find peace in the soul. And Eton will always be one of my first loves.” He turned from Gabriel and addressed the three ladies. “His Grace and I spent many nights at Long Chamber sitting up far past bedtime.” He wagged a finger in the air and turned back to the duke. “They never caught us, though, did they?”

Eleanor felt as if she had been transported into an entirely new world, and she already knew more about the duke than she had only a minute ago. He had gone to Eton, had at least one friend there—whom he had kept—and was a troublemaker. Or might have been if he had been caught. She had so many questions. Perhaps these were conversations for when they were alone.

Gabriel took a beat once Fairfax had finished and took the opportunity to formally introduce him to the group as Lord Sebastian Fairfax, heir to the Duke of Fairfax.

Sebastian took each of the ladies’ hands in turn, but seemed to linger on Eleanor’s a moment longer than the others. He had a strong jaw and was clean-shaven. Gabriel had a rugged handsomeness, while Sebastian’s was fresh. When he looked at her, there was no fire in his eyes, but his gaze had the same effect as Gabriel’s, pinning her to the spot.

Eleanor swallowed, and Sebastian freed her hand.

“It is always a pleasure to be around such beauty, don’t you think?” Sebastian glanced around, indicating that he was talking about the park, but he looked at Eleanor again and smiled.

“Oh, you are a charmer, aren’t you?” Margaret said brazenly. “And a handsome one to boot. Isn’t he handsome, Eleanor?”

Eleanor swallowed again. She glanced at Sebastian, who still looked at her with a playful smile on his lips. She didn’t dare look at Gabriel to gauge his thoughts on the matter. She knew exactly what her mother was insinuating, and it was obvious that Sebastian had taken a liking to her.

“Don’t worry, Lady Eleanor,” Sebastian told her. “You need not reply to that. However, I will have it known that His Grace does not like to attend the same events I do, or he wouldn’t be the most eligible bachelor there.”

“Except I don’t need to be seen as eligible,” Gabriel commented.