Dukes to the Left of Me, Princes to the Right

CHAPTER 6

Nicholas’s first thought when Lady Poppy stumbled into him was that he was a very lucky man. His future wife was gorgeous and ready for battle, her eyes snapping emerald fire and her breasts rising and falling above that low bodice with its winking diamond pendant.

Nothing like a worthy opponent with an abundance of sensual allure to make a man’s blood run hot.

She was flanked by two striking friends with the same confident look about them. He saw he’d have to force his agenda upon Lady Poppy quickly if he was to get anywhere at all.

Without preamble, he raised her hand to his lips and left a lingering kiss upon it. And why not? They were supposed to know each other very well. In fact, almost a dozen men at the ball thought they were on the verge of an engagement.

Her eyes flew open, and she appeared to be grappling for words, but nothing came out of her mouth. And no wonder. She was caught between a rock and a hard place, just as he was.

She was supposed to be in love with him.

He saw how much it cost her, that she couldn’t tell him to leave her alone.

Without preamble, he got down on one knee and pulled out his mother’s ring. The position felt as awkward as he’d imagined it.

“Wait.” The object of his quest laid a shaky hand over her heart. “What are you doing?”

“Yes, what is he doing?” Prince Sergei strode up with Lord Derby at his elbow. “Call him off, Derby. Your daughter looks none too pleased.”

“Not necessary, Your Highness,” Lord Derby said equably. “The Duke of Drummond has held the key to my daughter’s heart for three years now, and I’m most pleased he’s coming up to scratch.”

Sergei stared at Lady Poppy. “Is this true?”

She bit her lip. “Actually…” She gave a delicate snort. “It’s amusing, really. And quite a long story. Shall I … shall I tell it?”

“Go ahead,” Sergei urged her.

“Don’t torture yourself, Your Highness,” called someone in the crowd gathered behind Nicholas to watch the spectacle. He recognized the voice of Lord Eversly. “She told me the story herself just last week. Sadly for me, she’s in love with the fellow.”

“Not anymore,” Sergei said with a confident air. “Surely.”

And he looked at Poppy for confirmation that he was the culmination of any woman’s dreams.

Nicholas was tempted to roll his eyes.

Lady Poppy, meanwhile, stared at the prince, her strawberry lips parted. “Um, well, the duke and I,” she choked out. “We…”

She trailed off and looked back at Nicholas.

“We’re madly in love,” he said, taking her hand in his own. Then he gazed into her eyes and put on his best besotted grin. “Why, she’s my sunrise. And my sunset. She’s my everything.” He let out a long sigh. “And what am I to you, dearest darling?”

“I can think of no words,” she gritted out. “None at all.”

“That’s quite all right,” he said, with an understanding smile. “Love has made you speechless.” He grabbed Lady Poppy’s hand and winked.

“Just nod at the appropriate moment,” he whispered to her, then cleared his throat and said the words he had hoped he wouldn’t have to say for years to come. “Lady Poppy Smith-Barnes, will you be my wife?”

Poppy took in the large crowd gathered around her, Princess Natasha and Aunt Charlotte among them. She could hear everything, too—a tiny gasp from Beatrice, the random screech of a violin bow accidentally rubbed against a violin string, the cough of a gentleman behind her—and especially the pounding of her own heart in her ears.

The Duke of Drummond was proposing to her—after mouthing all sorts of sweet nothings to her?

Sweet nothings that had made her want to gag, incidentally, and box his ears—because they’d been entirely false. Somehow—

He’d found out.

She wished she were dreaming. She wished she could go back to her waltz with Sergei, where everything had seemed perfect. Surreptitiously, she pinched her thigh through her gown to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.

Her heart sank. Nothing changed. Drummond was still there on bended knee, staring at her with that smarmy look that made her want to slap him across that freshly shaven cheek of his.

Papa (how had he found out?), Sergei, her best friends, Aunt Charlotte, even Natasha … all of them were waiting.

This was really happening. But Poppy had no idea how. Or why. Cook had made those stories up. Hadn’t she? And even if the duke were real—why would he be proposing? She had no time to think on the matter. He needed an answer, obviously.

Right now.

“I—” She knew she should say yes. All her suitors would not only not scoff at her—they would commend her for staying faithful to her supposedly one true love, who happened to be extremely eligible. She’d be a duchess and married to a man so handsome that just looking at him sideways took her breath away. She couldn’t even describe what happened to her when she looked at him head-on, when her eyes locked on to his unfathomable gray ones.

But she was a Spinster. She would marry only for love.

She straightened her spine, prepared to say no as graciously as possible—no matter the consequences. Eleanor, Beatrice, and Aunt Charlotte would support her.

“Yes!” shouted someone from the stairs.

Poppy looked up.

It was Prinny—he’d arrived late, and was carrying his usual open bottle of wine. “Is that Drummond on bended knee?” he cried.

“Yes, Your Highness,” the wily duke called up to him. “I’m proposing to a young lady.”

Prinny laughed. “She says yes, yes, yes! She’ll have you, Drummond, and it shall be the wedding of the Season! Shan’t it, everyone?”

“Yes!” replied the crowd. And broke into wild applause. “Yes, yes!”

Poppy blinked.

Drummond stood and tugged her close.

And then he kissed her. Thoroughly. A possessive, sensual kiss that sent shocking tingles to her toes. She had no time to think when she finally managed to pull her head back. She could only feel. And what she felt was rage.

Hot, burning rage.

Her hand itched to slap him. But she couldn’t. She was supposed to be in love with him.

Damn the man.

“You never said yes,” he said into her ear. “But don’t get any ideas. I’ll be one step ahead of you.”

That was exactly the kind of rude statement the wicked, unscrupulous Duke of Drummond would make to an unsuspecting girl.

And then he had the temerity to raise her fingers to his lips for another kiss. The crowd went wild; everyone, that is, except Sergei, Natasha, and of course, Eleanor, Beatrice, and Aunt Charlotte. She swung around to see them, to gain strength from their indignation.

Sure enough, her dear friends and aunt stood frozen like statues and staring at her and Drummond together—

With silly grins on their faces.

What were they thinking?

The Spinsters were in crisis. One of them had been entrapped!

Poppy had never felt so alone in her life. She pretended to smile graciously at the duke. “I don’t know what you’re about,” she murmured for his ears only. “But hell will freeze over before I marry you.”

“I shall explain the situation further tomorrow”—his voice was unperturbed—“when I arrive at your house for dinner at seven o’clock.”

“But I’ll be out tomorrow night. I’ve a musicale to attend—”

“You won’t be attending any musicale,” he said. “You’ll be waiting in your drawing room for me, if you know what’s best for you,” he added silkily, and held her hand up high, to the crowd’s delight.

She almost gasped. How dare he tell her what to do? And hold her hand aloft as if she were a trophy?

He left her side to accept congratulations from Prinny and all her former suitors, and she simpered for the company, accepting her own felicitations—but inside, she was livid. Absolutely livid.

This man was not going to get the best of her.

She was saving that for Sergei.