The Heart of a Duke (38 page)

Life would be blissful if she could spend
every moment engaged in experiments with Mr. Foster, his strong arm
and brilliant mind showing new wonders every day.

What she had done before hadn’t worked. Could
she really risk her heart again? Alison sighed. “You still aren’t
telling me how to catch his interest. I laugh too loud, and always
at the wrong moments. I speak of things I should never mention,
according to Mama. I try to behave like a lithe swan, but I
inevitably end up a loping turtle.”

“
First, you stop staring and go
speak to him. It’s not as if you haven’t been introduced. Simply
ask if he intends to stay for the entire party.” Of a sudden,
Charlotte’s eyes grew wide. “The pendant. Aldora gave it to you,
didn’t she?”

Alison frowned, not wanting to admit it was
resting in her pocket—or that she hoped the gypsy had a little
magic after all. Alison shook her head to deny her own thought.
“No.”

“
She didn’t?”

“
No, she did. She gave it to me,
but it’s silly. I’m a woman of science, not fairy stories. After
all, what does a pendant know about social status, or love, or
wooing dukes? And besides, Mr. Foster is not a duke, so how could
the pendant lead to his heart? “

“He’s not a duke
now
, but he is close
enough, I think. Put it on and speak with him. I’m sure he’ll
see—”

Alison held up a hand to halt her sister, and
to keep her fingers from reaching inside her pocket to touch the
pendant, as they longed to do. “I don’t believe in magic. I believe
in the real facts of the world around me. In science two chemicals
may attract, but love is an inexplicable explosion of light, like a
thousand invisible fireflies floating through the
ether.”

“
Love?”

The blood rushed from her cheeks. “Er, magic.
I meant magic. It is not provable or repeatable. So I will believe
in science, not some silly chunk of metal.”

“
All right, all right.” Charlotte
lifted her thin shoulders in an elegant and almost imperceptible
shrug only a sister would recognize. “It was only a
suggestion.”

“
Well . . .” She glanced at Mr.
Foster, then to Papa. Her stomach fluttered. If the pendant made
Mr. Foster notice her, even for a moment, perhaps she should wear
it. “If it will make you feel better, I will get it. I believe I
remember where I put it, but I’ll have to search a bit.”

Charlotte’s eyes twinkled. “It would make me
very happy.”

Without another word, Charlotte all but
floated across the room, and Alison turned back toward Mr. Foster.
Her gaze met eyes the color of rich earth specked with gold dust. A
shock shivered over her skin, making her jaw drop and her shoulders
jerked back. His brow furrowed.

Alison glanced away and closed her eyes,
chiding herself for the blatant reaction and wishing she could be
Charlotte, with grace enough for any society event. But she wasn’t.
No one could seem to show her how to suppress her body’s natural
instincts. Her mother had tried. Her governess had spent hours on
the subject. Alison had made every effort to follow their
instruction, but to no avail.

“
Are you well, Lady Alison?” Mr.
Foster asked.

“
Oh my!” Alison pivoted and her
hand flew to her chest as those invisible fireflies fluttered along
her skin. “Why, yes. I, er. It’s only that you startled
me.”

“
I’m glad to hear it,” he said,
then held out a hand. “That you’re well, not that I startled
you.”

She held up her hands to show she already
understood and he needn’t explain. “Oh, of course.”

He stood close enough she could smell his
scent. Burnt charcoal, some woodsy aroma, and a deeper and more
masculine scent beneath it. The exciting combination made her skin
prickle.

“
Will you stay through the week’s
end?” Alison gripped the pendant in her pocket. If only she could
trust that bit of metal to bring her the man she truly wanted. “Or
will you leave in the morning?”

“
Yes, I do believe I will remain
for the duration.”

“
To regale us all with your
intriguing tales of inventing and science?” She leaned in, hoping
he might speak of his latest work with her.

Mr. Foster’s eyelids lowered and he glanced at
the door. “Perhaps.”

Her chest went hollow as his waning interest
became more obvious. “Will you tell us more about your latest
invention?”

His gaze became distant—an expression she’d
seen all too often. “Yes, you’re quite right.”

Alison fought a sigh. He wasn’t listening
anymore and soon he’d make an excuse to leave and rush off to his
notes.

“
I hear my father intends to hold
some sort of competition. Will you be participating?”

Then he caught her eye and smiled. His gaze,
all of a sudden warm as her morning chocolate and twice as
stimulating, held hers for an instant before he bowed. “It is a
pleasure to see you again. I believe I shall have to excuse myself
until the meal. My forgetful mind calls me to action. I have a few
ideas of merit to write in my journal before they slip
away.”

Alison bobbed as he nodded his
farewell, and a moment later, she was alone again.
Dalton’s Law
! It seemed
no matter what she did, how she spoke, or how well she behaved, his
mind remained engaged in his scientific studies. Alison shook her
head. And Charlotte truly believed Alison might win him
over?

Chapter Two

Jonathan Foster glanced at his hastily
scribbled notes, which covered a full sheet of foolscap in both
directions, then returned it to his pocket and took his guard. His
valet, Franklin, stood across from him in the center of the
gardens, blunted sword in hand. Though it was not Franklin’s job,
the man had swiftly become Jonathan’s sparring partner. Sparring
set the body in motion and freed the mind to think.

“
I will win out over Sir Humphry
Davy this time.” He couldn’t remain in Lady Alison’s presence for
more than a few minutes without thinking of how he hadn’t bested
the man. Her shy yet intelligent gaze constantly reminded him that
if he never made a name for himself, never invented or discovered
anything great, he would never be worthy of her affection or
respect. Jonathan swung his sword and it clanged against Franklin’s
blade.

“
I’m certain you will.”

Jonathan gritted his teeth, imagining Davy
across from him, though he’d never actually seen the man, so it was
a bit difficult. But Davy was his personal bane. If Jonathan was
researching something, Davy published his findings first. If
Jonathan was working on an invention, such as the lamp he was
currently designing, Davy would surely swoop in and invent it
first. When Jonathan sneezed, someone said “God bless you” to Davy.
The man had been one step ahead of him for years, and while they’d
never met, it seemed Jonathan couldn’t step out from the man’s
shadow.

He set forward in a ferocious attack. “Damned
right I will. If I don’t, I’ll never be able to wed.”

Franklin puffed, brow furrowed as he
desperately blocked the blows. “I’m not certain I see the
connection. I wasn’t even aware you wanted a wife.”

“
Of course I do. Like any man, I
want a companion and a mother for my children. What’s more, I’ve
known for more than a year now precisely whom I would choose.”
Jonathan sidestepped, blocking a strike. “Her beauty and
intelligence are beyond compare.” And she had a hint of
vulnerability he found appealing. “More importantly, she
understands science better than any other woman I’ve met—and most
men, if truth be told.”

He allowed himself to be distracted by the
image of her widening eyes, her thumbnail tucked between her lips
in a sensual imitation of—the blunted edge of Franklin’s blade
struck his shoulder, and he glanced up with a frown.

“
You certainly have chosen a
distracting bride. That’s the first blow I’ve landed in an age.”
Franklin grinned sheepishly. “So why haven’t you claimed her?
You’re a good man with a respectable family name.”

Jonathan sighed and took his guard
again. “And nothing else to recommend me. I can support her needs,
but I can’t give her what a woman really wants. I must do something
great to make myself worthy. Women don’t want an
average
man.” Or worse,
one constantly in the shadow of another man.

“
Any woman you would choose
wouldn’t care about any such thing,” Franklin said as Jonathan’s
blade struck his chest, dead center. “Easy there, please. If you
ran me through, you’d have to find a new valet.”

“
The blade is blunt and you’re
strong as an ox. Now stop your sniveling and take your
guard.”

Franklin glowered, but his eyes shimmered with
amusement as he lifted his blade. “Women only want three things, if
you’ll forgive my blunt tongue. Strength, security, and a good
lover.”

“
You forgot ‘a little notoriety.’
What woman would choose a peasant over a king?”

“
You’re far from a
peasant.”

Jonathan stepped in, knocking
Franklin’s blade aside, then circled around to stab his thigh. “Be
that as it may, I aimed to give her
all
those things, even if it kills
me.”

“
You are the best swordsman in all
of England, I’d wager. Show her your skill.” Franklin
lunged.

“
It may have awed my father,”
Jonathan said, swiping away the man’s weapon, “but such a masculine
and earthy display would never impress her.”

Jonathan attacked, his weapon striking
Franklin in the stomach.

The man grabbed his gut. “Come, let’s return
to your rooms before you kill me. Besides, if I don’t ready you
now, you will be late for the meal. We can think of a plan
later.”

“
No need to think on it later.”
Jonathan handed away his sword and touched the folded sheet of
foolscap. “I plan to start with my name in all the scientific
journals, then I will claim my bride.”

Alison pressed her lips together, all too
aware of the pendant in her pocket. She’d been battling the
illogical desire to wear the thing. As a believer in science, she
shouldn’t want to wear it. How could she listen to Mr. Foster speak
of his studies if she were wearing the superstitious icon of an age
gone by? Still, she wanted nothing more than to please her family,
and with the interest Mr. Foster showed her, she might well wait
for him forever.

She removed the pendant and stared at it for a
moment. Perhaps she should just make up her mind to wear the thing
and find a husband. Then, if her birthday came and even the pendant
couldn’t make Mr. Foster offer for her, she would accept whatever
man offered. Maybe she could find a way to be happy, even if she
had to forget her dreams of science and a certain very scientific
man. Her heart sank but she successfully fought her
sigh.

Alison started down the empty corridor vaguely
aware of the sound of low voices. She slipped the chain around her
neck, but held the pendant between her fingertips. She couldn’t
bring herself to release it into place against her skin. There had
been handsome men, at the balls and events in London, and she’d
even found her heart beating a bit faster once or twice, when she’d
believed one might ask her to dance—none had, of course. This was
different though. When she released this pendant, it meant possibly
having to give up on what she truly wanted. She would focus on
finding a husband, no matter who he might be.

“
Alison!” Vallie’s voice startled
her from her thoughts.

Her fingers released the pendant without her
permission and for a second she stared at it. Vallie, who stood
together with Papa and Charlotte, started toward her, her grin as
full of sunshine as her hair. Behind her, the others hurried off
toward the dining room with an oddly swift stride that Alison
couldn’t consider with the pendant’s odd foreignness against her
skin.

“
Oh, you’re wearing the pendant?”
Happiness wrote itself over Vallie’s glowing cheeks. “Does that
mean some duke or other has caught your eye?” Then her expression
fell. “Not Langley?”

“
Not precisely,” Alison said, her
gaze returning to where the pendant rested against her skin. “But I
do need to find a husband.”