Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 94964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
* * *
Emily quirked an eyebrow at her but said no more. They completed the rest of the journey in silence. Janice wanted to apologize but she knew that if she did, Emily would take that as an opening to discuss why she was so snappy over the duke. She had no desire to talk about it.
* * *
They arrived home and Emily alighted first, hurrying to the house without a backward glance. Janice was afraid that she’d really hurt her sister’s feelings.
* * *
“Oh dear…”
* * *
Anne came to stand beside her. “Don’t worry. Emily is a know it all, but she’ll be fine.” She patted Janice’s hand gently before following Emily into the house. Janice was torn between going with them and waiting for Arthur to alight his horse. The decision was taken from her hands when he came to a stop beside her and slid off his mare with a smile. He handed the horse over to a groom and offered her his hand.
* * *
“Shall we?” he asked.
* * *
“We shall.”
* * *
They marched into the house behind Lord Benjamin and Rhys. Janice tried as much as possible not to be so aware of the duke, but his scent, so reminiscent of when they had kissed, swept over her and she felt her skin tingle in remembered response to his touch. As they went up the steps, she came to a halt, squeezing his arm to let him stop, as her father and Rhys continued down the hall. Lord Benjamin turned, raising an eyebrow at her but she shook her head, letting him know there was no problem.
* * *
“Lady Janice?” The duke peered at her with a furrowed brow, seeming concerned, “Is something the matter?”
* * *
“Why did you pull away from me?” she whisper-hissed at him.
* * *
He did not pretend to misunderstand. “My feelings overwhelmed me. I needed to take a step back.”
* * *
“That seems to be your only excuse.”
* * *
“It is not an excuse. It is the truth,” he said irritably.
* * *
She pursed her lips. “Well…it was very rude and disconcerting for me.”
* * *
He immediately looked contrite and sighed. “Forgive me. I keep forgetting that you’re still a gently bred young lady who is not fly to the time of day. I assumed you would know what was happening to me simply from…” he shook his head, “Never mind.”
* * *
She peered at him intently. “From what? Tell me please?”
* * *
He took a deep breath, looking away from her. “From the way my body reacted to you.”
* * *
“Your body reacted…?” She tried to think back. She remembered his hard chest against hers, how hard he’d been breathing. His hands, so tight on her arms that she had marks the next morning. Is that what he meant? She had a feeling it was more than that.
* * *
“You mean…?” she bit her lip, hesitating.
* * *
“I mean I wanted to rip your bodice off, pick you up, and…” he shook his head. “I’m sorry, I should not have said that.”
* * *
She smiled ruefully. “I suppose not. It doesn’t sound very gentlemanly.” For some reason, her breath was coming short. “It does sound honest, however.”
* * *
“Yes…I’m sure it does,” he said drily.
* * *
“Well,” she turned, her cheeks heating, “we should join the rest.”
* * *
“I agree.”
In spite of its inauspicious beginning, his evening with the Ravens was quite relaxed and enjoyable. He enjoyed the rum and honey drink that Lord Benjamin made for him and was able to hold his own in a game of whist with Lady Emily, Mr. Llewellyn or Rhys as he preferred to be called, and Lady Leticia.
* * *
“I am afraid I must take leave of you all as I leave for London in the morning,” he announced soon after he was done with the game.
* * *
“Oh, that’s such a coincidence. Our Janice will also be in Town next week, for a ball. Perhaps you shall meet there,” Lady Anne said.
* * *
“Perhaps we shall.” Arthur found himself suppressing the urge to be bashful. Still, he avoided Janice’s eye. They hadn’t spoken much after his embarrassing revelations at the front door. He got to his feet, ready to take his leave, and was surprised when Janice came forward to escort him to the door.
* * *
“It was a lovely evening, thank you,” he said as he took his hat and gloves from the butler.
* * *
“No, thank you for joining us. You certainly enlivened the evening.” She blushed crimson even as she looked into his eyes. He was hard put not to shut his eyes in embarrassment.
* * *
“I’m sure I did. I apologize if I was too forward earlier.”
* * *
“Not at all. I did ask you, after all.”