“I . . . Your Grace,” she said hastily, and dipped a curtsey, although her knees felt weak. “I’m sorry. I did not expect you here this evening. No one said.” She didn’t need to add the unspoken, I would not have come if I had known.
Typically Sinclair took her words as a slight upon his character.
“It is part of my responsibility as the largest landholder in the county to be on good terms with my neighbors,” he said haughtily. “I hope I’m not too proud to sit down with farmers and shopkeepers.”
“I did not mean—”
“Your opinion of me has never been high, has it, Miss Belmont?”
“You’re wrong. It is your opinion of me that is low. It would not matter if I had the patronage of the queen herself, you would still curl your lip at me.”
He frowned. Perhaps she had been too blunt?
“But I am interrupting,” she said, edging around him toward the door. “I will leave you to your reading.”
He looked around him, as if surprised to see he was in a library. “I was late arriving. Just as I was apologizing to the major I looked across the room and saw you creeping in here.”
“I wasn’t ‘creeping,’ ” she retorted, blushing. “I enjoy reading.”
“Melodramas, no doubt.”
Eugenie ignored his snide remark. “Why did you follow me? I would have thought I was the last person you wished to see here tonight.”
He gave her his arrogant stare. “I am not so mean-spirited as you think, Miss Belmont. Jack mentioned that the twins had been unwell and I merely wished to ask you if they were recovered.”
Her eyebrows rose at the unlikeliness of his concern. “They are fully recovered, thank you, Your Grace.”
“I am glad to hear it.”
It was a very odd conversation. So polite and yet Eugenie could not help but recall the last time they spoke together, and the anger and bitterness in his voice. Perhaps it was a good thing that they were meeting here like this among others. Eugenie could put the past behind her and move on. But despite her determination to forget, her memories were still unpleasantly fresh. Should she apologize again? Would that give her the peace of mind she craved?
She took a deep breath. “Your Grace—”
“Miss Belmont—”
Their eyes met in shock and then slid away, but in that moment of surprising contact Eugenie was certain she saw lingering in his gaze his previous hot passion. It occurred to her that it would not be very difficult to stir the coals to their former intensity, if she should wish to try.
What should have been a terrifying thought was actually extremely tempting.
“I must go back to the supper room,” she said, sounding breathless.
“Don’t go, Eugenie.” His voice was gruff, unwilling, as if he was speaking words he’d rather not speak.
“I think I had better.” She forced a shaky laugh. “You know me. I am liable to do something scandalous.”
His dark gaze was piercing. “You are a thoughtless little minx, I’ll give you that.”
“And you are an arrogant . . .”
He bent his head as if to kiss her. She was certain that was what he meant to do.
Would she kiss him back? Had she learned so little that she would fling herself once more into the chaos of his arms?
Luckily they were interrupted.
Someone cleared their throat.
Sinclair spun around, his face white, and found Major Banks standing in the doorway with a servant goggling behind him. Eugenie put a hand to her face, wondering if Scarlet Woman was written there in flaming letters. She began to slip around the duke, hoping to make her escape without anyone noticing, but the major’s next words brought her to a stop.