3. Scandalous Actions

SCANDALOUS ACTIONS

“ W here is he?” Christine whispered.

She slowed herself a little and moved her head in small sweeping arcs instead of the sharp jerks back and forth—she did not want to draw attention to herself as she searched for the Duke.

She knew she did not have a lot of time before she would need to return to Irene, or her younger sister would return to the hall looking for her. She also had no idea what she would say to the Duke.

No, that was not strictly true. As she moved purposefully through the hall, her fists clenched and by her sides, she knew exactly what she wanted to say to him. What she didn’t know was how she was going to say it in a room full of people. She would stride right up to him and then be gagged by the presence of the other lords and ladies around.

Oh, fate, you delicious trickster!

Christine’s eyes followed first, and then she did. The Duke left the hall through the west exit and went out onto the verandah. Christine followed closely behind, leaving the hubbub of chatter and clinking of plates and glasses for the sanctuary of the outdoors.

The cool, fresh air hit her first and then an internal coolness, now that she had a chance to scold him face to face without anyone around. A lesser woman (or a less angry one) might have faltered at that point, but Christine was resolute. She had no intention of backing down or tempering her ire.

She stood in the doorway for a moment, taking in his inky silhouette against the trees and bushes below the black sky, created by the darkness of his tailcoat and trousers more than the lack of illumination. Lamps flickered around the verandah like stars in the sky, and light poured out of the great hall like a roaring river.

The Duke lit a cigarette, and a thin wisps of smoke wound up toward the night sky like grey snakes dancing for a piper.

“Will you stand there all night or approach me?” the Duke asked.

Christine opened her mouth and let out an inaudible gasp. She quickly closed her mouth when the Duke turned to face her. He spread his arms out and leaned back on the pale stone balustrade, shortening his stature and making himself more approachable.

He gestured with the hand holding the cigarette. “I spotted you the moment I walked in,” he told her. “It is undeniable what we have between us.”

Christine still didn’t understand what was happening. The anger in the pit of her stomach had somehow vanished as he addressed her. She rooted deep inside, trying to regain the completely justified anger.

“There is nothing between us,” Christine blurted. She had to say something, and it was the best she could manage.

“Yet, here we are.” The Duke took a draw of his cigarette before blowing out a puff of smoke. He smiled casually, pacing his arm back on the cool stone.

It was effortless. That was all Christine could think. The Duke didn’t have to do anything except be there and be himself; somehow, he was magnificent. He was leaning back a little on the stonework but still seemed tall. Even though the position might look awkward and casual for a man, he regained his formality, and his clothing remained unwrinkled.

He blew puffs of smoke into the air, and even the chaotic and random shapes appeared meaningful before they disappeared into the chilly night air.

“Will you stop!” Christine demanded. “I did not come out here to be with you in any way. Yes, we are out here but for nothing more than to talk.”

“To talk?” The Duke flashed her a smirk. “Then we have achieved what we set out to do. And all without a chaperone.” He raised his eyebrows and waved his hand through the air as if flicking away the smoke that had been there a moment ago. “How very scandalous.”

“It is not scandalous,” Christine stated, immediately realizing how scandalous it was. “You are scandalous, and I am a lady.”

“You seem to know everything about me.”

“I know enough,” Christine replied.

The Duke stubbed out his cigarette and then pushed himself up, standing much taller than Christine remembered when they were inside. He brushed his hands together and took a step forward. Christine knew it was another challenge, and she was equal to it. As the Duke approached her, she stood her ground.

She cursed the feeling that crept up on her from inside. He gazed upon her with eyes the color of the wet earth near the riverbank by her home: a deep ochre. And there was more contained in the earthy brilliance. They told her, I could have you.

Yes, you must have me.

Christine worried for a moment that she had said the words out loud. She did not know what had come over her—perhaps the combination of being alone with a man in the fresh air and under the moonlight. It was only a momentary lapse of concentration because he was so alluring in the moonlight.

A handsome boor who treated my sister poorly.

Christine continued to repeat that to herself. There was no amount of handsomeness that could make up for how he acted. Sure, he was handsome in the way that other men were not. Most dressed themselves up and added pomp, but his clothing was an extension of who he was. He did not show off his body or wealth through his clothing; it was the clothing that best matched him, and it was infuriating that he so effortlessly displayed his beauty.

And am I not a woman? It is not criminal to think such things. I can think whatever I want as long as I don’t act on it. And who cares if we are without a chaperone? I am a lady in control of myself, and he can use his usual tricks on me, but they will not work as they do on other women.

“What do you dream of?” the Duke asked.

Christine emerged from her stupor and realized the Duke was tantalizingly close. She quickly took a step back—there was a difference between rising to the challenge and showing a man your intentions. Her intentions with the Duke were to do nothing more than to talk with him.

“I don’t dream of anything,” Christine replied.

“You sound so firm in your answer,” the Duke replied. “I feel there is a lot to explore there, but how about we stay in the moment? You can’t deny the way you were looking at me, and I must admit that I am flattered.”

“Flattered?” Christine scoffed. “Why should you be flattered by someone like me? I am not anyone of importance or great beauty.”

“Come now, Lady Christine. Do not downplay your beauty. You are the daughter of an earl, but that does not matter when you have the lithe curves of an antelope running through the forest and lips the color of fresh raspberries in the spring. Your skin is poured cream, and the way you move reminds me of a young sapling swaying gently in the breeze. I would have very much liked to dance with you instead of your sister.”

The warmth almost encompassed her, but the reminder of why she was really there struck her like an icicle falling from above. She took a moment to regain her composure and remind herself of his tricks, even if she had enjoyed the compliments.

Christine raised a finger and pointed it threateningly at the Duke. “You left her all alone on the dance floor. That is why I came out here to talk to you.”

The Duke stepped forward and wrapped his hand around the finger, wagging in the air. He gently pushed Christine’s hand back down.

“Is that really necessary?” he asked.

Christine whipped her finger from his fist, aghast that he had taken her hand and simultaneously trembling at the rush of emotion that swept through her at his touch.

“Don’t you dare touch me! I am not just one of your women you can force into bed, so stop touching me and stop trying to flummox me,” Christine demanded.

“My dear, when I flummox you, you will know all about it.”

Christine brought her balled fists to her hips. “I am not your dear !”

“No, and I am Your Grace !” the Duke replied. “I have been nothing but nice to you since you came out here, but you have gone out of your way to accost me, and if you continue to do so, then I demand that you do so with some respect.”

“I have not accosted you,” Christine claimed. “You will know when I accost you… Your Grace!”

“Then I would very much like to hear it!” the Duke snarled. “What have I done to deserve such venom? I danced with your sister and left her on the dance floor, and…?”

“And…what do you mean, and?” Christine asked.

“And what else? What have I done that warrants you coming out here to shout at me?”

“Well… that! Yes, you danced with her, and you held her far too close?—”

“I could see you were jealous,” the Duke interjected.

“—and when you were done with her, you cast her off like a wet cloak. You did not escort her back to me. You did not thank her properly for the dance. You barely said goodbye to her. I expected more decorum from you, Your Grace.”

The Duke took a step forward, and Christine did not step back this time. It was his turn to raise and wag a finger.

“Do not speak to me as if I am a petty criminal or a drunkard,” the Duke warned. “What I do is my business, and what you think has no bearing on how I live my life. I do not owe your sister or any woman anything. You come out here to accuse me, but you should be thanking me.”

All of the air was sucked from Christine’s chest, and her mouth became an oval. She was turned to stone for a moment before the breath and ability to speak came rushing back. She did not take a step forward, but she did lean in toward him.

“ I should be thanking you !”

“I will take your thanks when you have calmed down.”

Christine scoffed again, and her mouth hung open. She looked around, searching for a solution on how to close her mouth again. She finally found the ability to close her mouth, and she elongated her lips into a sardonic smile. The stars twinkled above as if laughing silently with her.

“Please tell me what you have done to be deserving of my thanks?” Christine held her arms open wide.

“Did you not see how giddy your sister was to dance with someone like me?” the Duke asked. “She could barely contain herself. I don’t believe I have danced with any other woman before who was rendered unable to speak because of the man she danced with.”

“You are such a braggart!” Christine stated.

The Duke smiled and held out his arms. “I am only relaying the facts. She was obviously smitten with me, and I did the best thing possible in the situation.”

“You ditched her!”

“Exactly,” the Duke replied.

“I fail to see where my thanks should be aimed,” Christine replied sarcastically.

“Do you wish for your younger sister to be taken by a man like me? Do you want her to develop feelings for me? I know many have. Do you wish your sister to pursue a man such as myself?”

“Well… no,” Christine admitted.

“Then, there you go. She was smitten one moment and dejected the next,” the Duke pointed out. “Now, she shall not fall in love with me and will be more cautious around similar rogues. She will eventually choose a good man, and they will be married and have a wonderful family. I am not asking for an invitation to the wedding for the part I played. A simple thank you will suffice.”

“Oh, you are insufferable,” Christine blurted. “There are ways to do things, and that was not the right way. You could have easily brought her back to me and informed her you were taken or you were off to dance with someone else. My sister was not smitten with you. She was only happy to dance with a duke. You think you can go around doing whatever you want because you are handsome and charming.”

The Duke looked up to the stars and whistled. He spun around on the spot, and when he brought his gaze back down to Christine, he had a large grin.

“You finally admit the truth,” he observed. “You find me charming and handsome.”

“I do not,” Christine stammered.

Christine’s jawbone tightened, and she could have crushed a walnut shell in her teeth if given the chance. He was dastardly to say such a thing. There was no way she could be attracted to someone so rude. Her reactions might say otherwise, but it was only because of his rudeness and nothing else. She told herself over and over that she was not attracted to him in the slightest.

“You just admitted it,” the Duke said. “I don’t take you for a liar, Lady Christine. Don’t worry; your secret is safe with me.”

“There is no secret!” Christine claimed.

“No, I suppose many saw you staring at me as I walked through the hall. The fact that you find me utterly handsome and completely charming is no secret.”

Christine rolled her eyes. She had found him handsome and charming at times, but she could see through all of it. He was the type of man who did whatever he pleased whenever he wanted, no matter who got hurt along the way.

“Will you stop this nonsense,” Christine begged. “I came out here hoping you would apologize to my sister, but it is clear that is not going to happen. It must be such a comfort to you, Your Grace, to care so little for the feelings of others. I, however, would find it unbearable.”

The Duke took another step toward Christine, and all charm was lost this time.

“I am losing patience,” the Duke told her. “I assumed we were having a little fun, but I can clearly see you only come out here to be rude to me.”

Christine could not believe she was the one accused of being rude. She opened her mouth to speak, but the Duke cut her off.

“Why do you beguile me so?”

“I… what?” Christine asked.

The Duke took her cheeks in her hand, and it felt like ice had touched her. The shock was so great, but the ice quickly thawed, and heat radiated from his hands. Christine gulped, knowing it was very wrong, but she could not move.

“You are an infuriating woman,” the Duke said. “My goodness, you are beautiful, and I can think of nothing more than what might be under that dress. However, you are entirely too emotional and caught up in what you think is right, and that is a volatile combination. Is that why you are here with your sister? Have you scared off all the men of the Ton with your outbursts and self-righteousness?”

“I-I…” Christine could only look at the Duke’s lips as he talked, and a strange feeling pulsed in her chest in time with her short breaths.

“I am no saint, nor do I claim to be. You have surely heard my reputation, and it must horrify you to imagine the things I have done. Yet, you look at me the same way I look at you. I saw it from the moment I walked in. We might have some fun together if I did not know you better.”

There was a tingle in Christine’s fingertips as if the stars had shone upon her and she was a conduit for their light. She licked her lips involuntarily, her eyes moving to his and then back to his lips.

“We mustn’t…” she managed.

“We mustn’t what?” the Duke asked. “We mustn’t have fun? Why should we deny ourselves of that?”

“You have no right to say such things about me.” Christine was breathless as she spoke. “I might adhere to propriety, and that might scare some men away, but I will not apologize for it.”

The Duke inched forward until she could feel his warm breath on her lips, and she licked them again in anticipation.

What am I doing? Why do I ache for this so much? Only I will know of this, and that ? —

There was a loud gasp. Christine struggled against the Duke’s grip, and he quickly let her go. Christine spun around, smoothing down the front of her dress even though it was not wrinkled.

Lady Hammersmith and her mother stood on the verandah. Lady Hammersmith had the back of her hand pressed to her forehead as if she had stumbled upon a murder in progress and might faint. She looked positively horrified, yet the twinkle in her eye was brighter than any star in the sky.

Her mother, the Marchioness of Aberfeldy, stood by Lady Hammersmith’s side. She looked more suitably shocked toward the situation.

“Alice, go inside at once,” the Marchioness snapped. “You do not need to see this!”

Lady Hammersmith shook her head as if fraught with disbelief and rushed inside, lifting her dress to run. The Marchioness, a prim woman full of criticism, sniffed and then turned with a flick of her cloak to follow her daughter.

“What have I done!” Christine muttered. “Oh, what have I done?”

She felt a touch on her shoulder and quickly shrugged it off. Christine did not look back as she ran into the hall, hoping to escape the ball before everyone was gossiping about her.

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Married to the Duke of Ruin

Thank you very much!