What a Duke Dares

Chapter Thirty-Two

When Harry heard the carriage stop outside Aunt Isabel’s house in a narrow street off Russell Square, his heart threatened to explode with excitement. He drew a deep breath of the dust-laden air and strained to hear Sophie’s steps approaching the door.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

The triple knock signaled her arrival. She sounded impatient. Almost as impatient as he.

He flung open the door to see the dark, unmarked carriage and Pen’s anxious face peering out the window. He waved to reassure her, before his attention focused on the veiled woman on the step.

Without speaking, he caught Sophie’s wrist just above her short glove and dragged her into the hall. Under his fingers, her pulse pounded madly.

The slam of the door echoed through the unoccupied house like a gunshot. He tipped back her bonnet and flung away the veils concealing her beautiful face. Then he was kissing her and she was kissing him. The long, lonely weeks suddenly didn’t matter.

His darling was here. He was alive again.

Three afternoons he’d waited since Pen had delivered his note. Three afternoons alone in this neglected house left empty for years while Aunt Isabel toured the Continent. In this middle-class neighborhood, nobody was likely to discover him with Sophie.

He kissed Sophie’s lips, chin, cheeks, nose, brow. Hundreds of words tumbled out, boiling down to three essentials.

I love you.

I missed you.

Don’t leave me.

He took far too long to realize that Sophie was crying. He caught her face between his hands. “Sweetheart, what is it?”

She sniffed and regarded him with swimming blue eyes. “I’m just so happy to see you. I thought James might leave me in that frozen wilderness until he drove up with Desborough and forced me into the chapel for the wedding.”

“You said your brother wouldn’t bully you.”

“He’s so set on this match. Desborough is coming to propose tomorrow.”

Dread oozed down Harry’s spine. “Hell.”

She nodded. “If I say no, I’m afraid that James will send me away again.”

“But your aunt has left Northumberland.”

“There’s always Alloway Chase.”

He strove to lighten the atmosphere. “At least it’s not in Northumberland.”

Sophie didn’t smile. “It may as well be. It’s in the middle of the Yorkshire moors and my mother will watch me like a hawk.” She stared at Harry as if he had every answer. If only he did.

“Can you put Desborough off?”

She shrugged unhappily. “Given that his suit is an open secret, any delay will make James suspicious.”

Harry hated to see Sophie so defeated. He kissed her until she clung. By the time he’d returned to earth, she looked less distraught.

“Play for time.” He seized her hand and stripped off the glove. He pressed a fervent kiss to her palm before leading her into the heavily curtained drawing room.

Sophie’s spurt of hope faded. “It’s only delaying the inevitable.”

“Say you’re considering the proposal favorably. It might make Leath less vigilant.”

“If I marry Desborough, all is lost.”

On a stage, the statement might sound melodramatic, but she spoke nothing less than the truth. His Sophie wasn’t made to be his mistress. She deserved better than to become an adulterous wife.

“We’ve only got an hour,” she said bleakly, slumping onto the chaise longue.

“I’d hoped for longer.” Harry catalogued each fair feature. An hour? It seemed too cruel. Although only a lifetime would suffice. Even then, he’d feel cheated.

“It was difficult enough getting away from Lady Frencham’s tea party. The duchess said she wanted to take me to her modiste.” Sophie removed her second glove. “Although anyone with half a brain must realize that Her Grace hasn’t been in London long enough to recommend a dressmaker.”

From what he’d seen of Pen’s drab ensembles, no girl of style would take up her offer. That gray monstrosity she’d worn at the Oldhavens’ would frighten the horses.

The mention of clothing focused his attention on Sophie’s costume. “Good God, is that a tent?”

Despite her turmoil, a broken giggle escaped. She untied the toggles fastening the cloak. “Your sister lent it to me, as well as the bonnet and veil. But she’s so much taller than I am.”

“You look like you’re drowning.” If they only had an hour, he didn’t want to spend it stewing over their tribulations. “I doubt your own mother would recognize you under all that material.”

Gracefully Sophie slipped the cloak from her slender shoulders. In this cheerless room, her pink muslin gown was as fresh as cherry blossom. Harry could no longer bear to keep his distance. In two paces, he was on his knees beside the chaise, her hands in his. “Now you look like my girl.”

“Your sister is wonderful.” Her sweet, brief kiss made his heart caper. “She looks like you.”

“Poor thing.”

Sophie giggled again. He was pleased to see the back of her tragic air.

“Stop fishing for compliments.” The amusement drained from her expression. “She’s very good to help us. I can’t imagine her husband approves. Last night at the opera, James and Sedgemoor glared at each other like a pair of snarling lions.”

Harry sighed. “My sister couldn’t have married anyone less likely to raise me in your brother’s favor.”

Sophie’s hands tightened. “It’s so unfair that Uncle Neville’s wickedness has blackened anyone called Fairbrother. Especially as I never liked him and James positively despised him.”

“You know how society works, Sophie. People still talk about Sedgemoor’s parents, and he’s always been a model of propriety.”

“Harry?” Sophie asked uncertainly. “What are we going to do?”

He suspected she wanted him to come up with a long-term solution. Unfortunately, he hadn’t found one yet. “Pen’s given me a key for this house. Night or day, I can meet you here.”

Sophie looked no happier. “James watches me.”

“He’ll grant you more freedom if you agree to marry Desborough.”

Sophie wrenched her hands from his and lurched to her feet. “I can’t marry Desborough. Not when I love you. How can you ask it?”

Harry stood and swept her into his arms, feeling how she trembled. “I’m not asking it.”

“Then you want me to lie?”

He growled low in his throat. “Once we’re married, there will be no more hiding, no more secrets.”

“I hate it too,” she whispered, nestling into him in a way that made his heart expand with pride. How had this glorious creature come to love him? He wasn’t worthy, although nothing in heaven or hell could stop him loving her.

“We can’t go on like this. It’s tearing us both to pieces.”

Tears filled her eyes. “And our hour must be nearly over. I’m so lonely without you.”

“Me too,” he said glumly, tightening his embrace and kissing her.

Sophie’s lips were so soft and her sighs so sweet that minutes went by before Harry recalled that he had something important to say. And not much time to say it. He smiled into her flushed face. She looked like she floated in a blissful dream.

He heard a church clock in the distance strike the hour. “Sophie, we must make plans. If Desborough proposes, say you don’t want to rush things with him.”

She gripped his waist as if resisting their parting. He prayed this separation would be brief. “I don’t want to rush things with him.”

“Well, that’s good,” Harry said with a short laugh. He kissed her quickly, but withdrew before heat engulfed him.

She looked displeased. “Kiss me again.”

“I dare not. This is an empty house and that chaise longue fills my head with naughty thoughts.”

“I don’t mind.” Her voice wobbled. “Harry, I don’t want to go.”

“I don’t want you to go. But you must.” Very gently, he wrapped her in the voluminous cloak and replaced her bonnet, arranging the veils. “Pen’s outside.” He’d heard the rattle of the carriage a few minutes ago.

“I know,” Sophie said miserably.

“Be brave, my love.” He kissed her hands tenderly then passed her the gloves. “I swear we’ll find a solution.”

“I hope so.” He couldn’t see her expression, but he heard how emotion thickened her voice. “Because, Harry Thorne, you’ve been reckless with my heart.”

“Never,” he said in shock.

Her tone hinted that she smiled through tears. “You’ve made me fall so deeply in love that I can’t live without you.”

“Oh, Sophie…” His voice wasn’t much steadier than hers.

She whirled away and rushed down the hall. He didn’t follow. Instead he stood in the empty room and listened to the door click shut.