The Devilish Duke Read Free Page B

tension. Such a strange sensation to sit next to him this way. She could almost feel sheltered by his body.
    “Rosalind’s too young to make such important decisions,” her father said.
    “I’m over twenty,” she said.
    “A mere child.” Lord Tewksbury’s voice had that oily quality he used with her. As if she might read his attentions as concern. “You can’t mean to stay here with Lord Fallon. You know his reputation.”
    Her husband straightened, preparing to stand, but she put her hand on his arm. “I know the man. I don’t care about his reputation.”
    Tewksbury hooted. “They call him the devil duke.”
    “His Grace has been kind to me,” she answered. “He’s been a perfect gentleman the entire time I’ve been here.”
    Fallon’s brow went up, as a gleam of mischief showed in his eye. He’d touched her quietly indecently, and they both knew it. Her lie seemed to amuse him, though, and he gave her the tiniest private smile.
    “There you have it, gentlemen,” he said. “The lady’s quite content here.”
    “I’m not convinced.” Her father drank the last of his brandy in one gulp, set the glass on the table and rose. “I’ve sheltered her all her life. She doesn’t know what she’s doing.”
    Fallon poised again to strike, but she pressed her fingers into the fabric of his sleeve. Everything her father did was calculated to get the effect he wanted. If her husband should menace her father, he’d prove his reputation as the devil duke. Fallon seemed to get the message because he rested back against the settee, seemingly relaxed.
    “It’s a father’s duty to take care of his daughter,” her father continued. “I can’t leave her here with the likes of you.”
    “You welcomed my advances when I first approached you about Rosalind,” Fallon said with deadly calm.
    That shouldn’t continue to amaze her. She’d known from the start that he’d made an offer for her. Otherwise, her father would never have thought to rise as high as a duke in searching for a wealthy husband for her. Still, the image of him dismounting from his chestnut gelding, knocking on their door and asking to take him as her husband was even more foreign than the fact that she sat beside him as a duchess. What had he wanted? What had he seen in her besides the width of her hips?
    “I’ve changed my mind,” her father said.
    “Well, I haven’t.” Fallon rose, guiding her upward next to him. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, my wife and I have business to attend to.”
    “Now, see here,” his father shouted.
    Lord Tewksbury shot out of his chair. “You can’t mean to…not right now…”
    “Surely, you’re not that big a fool,” her husband answered quietly. “Of course, we mean to....”
    “Rosalind?” her father shouted.
    “We are just married.” Her skin grew hot. She’d be blushing, but she held her chin high. “Isn’t this the custom?”
    “You can’t do this, Fallon,” her father said. “We had an agreement. We’re not finished.”
    Her husband reached into a pocket in his jacket and produced an envelope full of what looked like bank notes. He tossed it in the direction of her father, and it landed at his feet. “Here’s the money I promised you. We’re done.”
    * * *
     
    “Do you always carry that much money around in your pocket?” Rosalind studied her husband’s image in the mirror on her dressing table. He sat behind her on the bed, removing his shoes and socks.
    “I expected your father would show up looking for his money,” he said. “But, it’s more complicated than that, isn’t it?”
    “I promised you an explanation. Do you want it now?”
    “Will it take long?”
    She clutched her brush. “Not very.”
    “Let’s have it, then. I can make my body wait for a minute or two.”
    That flush covered her skin again. She could try to tell herself it was embarrassment, but to be truthful, she’d have to admit it was excitement. She’d felt the effect of his hand on