The Heart of a Duke (40 page)

“
Oh, for me too! I often wondered
where such ideas came from, and I would imagine there were things I
couldn’t see with my eye alone, and as I grew, I determined I was
right, and there are so many things we’ve discovered that can’t be
seen, and many more we have yet to discover, I’m sure.” Her words
came out in one rushing breath, as if simply uttering the words
might encourage some unseen observer to reprimand her.

“
I often imagined the things I
would invent, if I were in the land of the
Lilliputians.”

“
That would be a lovely
occupation. Our simplest inventions could be used to do complex
things in such a tiny society. Basic items could make a difference
too. Why, a reticule could hold years of food stores. Could you
imagine it? Your lamp would be bright as the sun.”

As she continued her ponderings, he studied
her excited face. For years he’d known she hid her intellect, but
now something had changed. She had opened herself to him instead of
hiding in the corner. When she’d called his rivalry into question,
his jaw had nearly dropped. He had always known she was the woman
who fit him, but he’d never seen this fire in her.

He only hoped he could make himself worthy of
her, before she reverted . . . or was snatched away by the bloody
duke.

He frowned. Perhaps a tube might be inserted
into the glass to introduce enough air to keep the flame alive
while . . . No. There would still be a chance of
explosion.

Damn
.

At this rate, even if Lady Alison didn’t
choose Langley, they might both be long into their doddering age
before Jonathan made himself worthy of her.

Alison’s cheeks tingled with hot prickles.
He’d quieted some time earlier, and it had only served to make her
speak more in her nervous desire to return to the easy and
enjoyable conversation before she’d run on about Lilliputians. How
did one stop rambling when one’s skin was surely bright as the
roses beyond the window without appearing even more foolish than
when one had begun speaking?

“
Might I excuse myself?” His eyes
searched the room. “I find myself in need of a quill.”

“
Sorry. I do go on sometimes. I
never seem to know when to stop.” She winced. Where had that
admission come from? What was she doing?

Then his gaze met hers, direct and
intense in a way his gaze had never been before. The look made her
insides turn to warm pudding. “Do not mistake me. I have enjoyed
this conversation immensely.
Immensely
. I would very much like to
continue it at a later time. It’s only, as I said earlier, I must
work on this invention with all haste. But I wish to continue our
conversation this evening. During the games your father has
arranged?”

He was enjoying the conversation? His intense
eyes and straightforward words did nothing to cool her blistering
cheeks, and she smiled so wide the muscles ached again. “I look
forward to it.”

Alison watched him leave, then
glanced toward the front of the room to see her father frowning in
her direction. The fairies and sunshine floating in her chest fled.
What was she doing? She’d promised to choose a husband, and Father
was forcing her to select a lord within days. Now here she was
spending her time with the one man who not only was not a lord but,
what’s more, had openly stated he wouldn’t marry until he met some
uncertain goal within his own mind. What constituted fame to one
man would not come close, in the mind of another. Would an
invention be enough? A discovery? Would he have to be
world-renowned to consider himself ready? Even then, would he
choose
her
over
all the other women he could have? His glowing compliments and the
easy conversation might mean nothing more than politeness. Even if
they did mean more, it would come to nothing if he weren’t ready to
marry for another ten years, especially since she only had until
her birthday to get a proposal.

The Duke of Langley walked along the wall as
if inspecting the paintings. A moment later, he came to stand
beside Alison.

“
Might I sit here?”

“
Please do.” Alison nodded, but
her spine stiffened. She had to relax with the duke as she had with
Jonathan. She’d never wanted to marry the stuffy and arrogant duke,
but her father would likely choose him for her, so she should get
used to the idea. Either that, or marry the baron who sat in a seat
far to her right, head lolled back and snoring rather loudly. At
least the baron seemed to have impeccable taste. His clothing never
left anything for reproach. Even deep asleep, he hadn’t the
slightest wrinkle.

Mama had certainly planned the gathering well.
Married couples, no eligible ladies except her daughters, and only
two eligible lords, one old enough to need an ear horn.

She pressed a hand to the pendant, then pulled
it away when the duke sat stiffly beside her. The last thing she
wanted was to win a duke. Despite the ridiculous notion that a
necklace could have power over her future, she suddenly wanted to
rip it off and toss it away.

Alison glanced toward Valera, who smiled up at
her husband. Alison’s heart gave a hard thump and she fought not to
look back toward the door Jonathan had just left through. Vallie,
as if sensing her gaze, glanced to where Alison sat. Her dear
friend smiled, but when her eyes moved to the duke, her brow
furrowed with something that seemed far too close to pity. Alison
gave her a soft smile and looked away.

“
Are you enjoying the music?” she
asked the duke.

“
This musicale is enjoyable, if
one has an ear for the stuff.”

Alison glanced toward the front of the room
where a lady she’d only met twice sang something Alison didn’t
recognize. “Yes, I suppose it is.”

He cleared his throat softly and tugged at his
cravat. “Do you sing?”

“
I do not have much musical
talent.”

“
What talents do you
possess?”

Unable to think of one appropriate talent,
Alison stared ahead. “Such a lovely voice, don’t you
think?”

“
Rather.”

His rigid posture screamed that he was as
uncomfortable as she. The man couldn’t even relax around a
potential bride. The thought caught in her gut like a heavy stone
and began to fester. The gnawing discomfort increased with every
heavy moment between them, and all she could do was long for
Jonathan.

Chapter Four

Alison sneaked down the corridor, clutching
her magnifying spectacles, her only invention thus far. The guests
wouldn’t remain abed much longer, so she had to hurry if she wanted
to avoid seeing them. The old baron had tried to speak with her,
his eyebrows twitching and his lips wet, before the evening meal on
the previous night. She’d breathed a sigh of relief to discover
he’d fallen asleep in a high-backed chair in the corner of the
library while several other guests played whist. Jonathan and the
duke both had excused themselves early, which had allowed her a
reprieve from the tensions of husband hunting.

Though her choice was almost certainly
selfish, she couldn’t go back into that tense world just yet.
Instead, she would steal out onto the grounds and search for
interesting specimens of plants or insects before the festivities
began. In those days before her friends had all married, she could
have slipped into Vallie’s room—or perhaps into the rooms of her
friends, Ellie and Aldora—and asked them to accompany her. But now
it was just her, tiptoeing along the front hall and out the door,
alone.

She breathed a sigh of relief that the already
bustling servants hadn’t seen her. Glancing around, she pulled out
the cloth she’d used to wrap a few pastries secreted from the
supper table, settled the glasses on her nose, and began inspecting
the surrounding trees.

Two peculiar beetles, each nearly as wide as
her thumb, faced each other on a long branch. She pulled the
spectacles down her nose, then flipped the quizzing glasses down,
magnifying the insects. The beetles’ horns locked and they grappled
about, lifting each other in turn.

A loud
oof
startled her from her
inspection. She jumped back, the world a blur. A groan came from
beyond the trees.

“
If you continue with such vigor,
I might have to refuse to accompany you on your morning exercise in
future.” A man’s voice carried through the trees, still thick with
the groan. “If not for my own health, than for yours. You’re
getting closer and closer to murdering an old man with every swing.
That’s a hanging offense, so it is my duty to protect you from such
an end.”

She adjusted the spectacles and blinked as the
larger world came into view again. With a single sidestep, she
peeked around the tree to see Jonathan and a man only a few years
older standing together holding thin swords with what looked like
balled cloth on the tips.

“You’re no old man, Franklin, and
you love our morning exertions, now
en
garde
.” Jonathan lifted his
weapon.

“
Not since you’ve decided to take
your rivalry out on my poor flesh. You should see me when I ready
for bed, I’m a solid bruise beneath my clothes.”

Alison laughed and the sound carried through
the clearing so noticeably that she clapped a hand over her
lips.

Jonathan lowered his sword and spun around to
face her. “Lady Alison, forgive my valet for his inappropriate
tongue.” He scowled at Franklin. “He can’t seem to control
it.”

Franklin stepped forward, bowing his head.
“Terribly sorry.”

“
Not at all. It was rather rude of
me not to announce my presence.” Alison bit her thumbnail and
Jonathan’s gaze went to her mouth instantly. She winced and pulled
the inappropriate digit from her mouth. “I’ll be going
now.”

“
No, please don’t.” His eyes
lingered on her lips, and she held her breath. She’d thought too
much of a similar look once before. She couldn’t allow herself to
be fooled into thinking it meant more than it did, even though she
wanted desperately to believe it. Then his gaze rose to her nose.
“Instead, tell me of those. What are they?”

She reached up to touch her face and her
fingers pressed against the forgotten spectacles. Pulling them from
her ears, she shrugged. “Oh, just a silly girlish plaything.
Nothing important.”

“
No. Those are very interesting.
Did you invent them yourself?”

Her insides bubbled and threatened to burst
with nervous laughter. Dear heavens, would he like them? She tried
to say yes, but the words were a whisper of breath, so she
nodded.

“
Can I see them?”

She held them out and he came forward. His
fingers brushed hers as he took them from her. An entire regimen of
tingles ran up her arm, setting up camp at her breast, which became
rather inflamed in response to the siege. She glanced away,
terrified and a little thrilled that he might have seen the
reaction he’d had on her. What would he think if he knew? Would his
reaction be a scientific study, or an invisible firefly? Or
somewhere in between?

“
These are brilliant.” He turned
them with careful fingertips, inspecting the frames, then held them
up to his eyes, scrutinizing his rolled shirt-sleeve while she
studied the muscular forearm that his relaxed dress exposed. “They
are so much better than traditional quizzing glasses. That’s what
those are, aren’t they?”

She could feel the heat spreading over her
skin and converging on her heart. “Yes. I cannot believe I’m
showing these to you. Mama would turn white as a sheet.”

“
I can’t understand why. She
should be proud. These are a fantastic invention. Regular
glasses—”

“
My grandmothers, yes, but I
removed her lenses. I can’t tell you how many cuts I received that
day.”

He nodded sagely. “A hazard of the position.
Attaching the quizzing glasses with this wire was ingenious. That
way the wearer can lift or lower one side or the other to magnify
or see normally, depending on their particular desire.”

“
Exactly.” She bounced, clapping
her hands. Mama would have scolded her, if she’d seen, but Alison
couldn’t help herself.