The woman was determined to surprise him. “Is that all you have to say?”
“Yes.”
This lady was unusual and perhaps a woman of few words. Usually, ladies tripped over their words in their haste to speak with him.But she does not know I am a duke. There would be no flattering of his vanity, nor jabber of inconsequential gibberish, only genuine conversation if the lady so desired. Unexpectedly, a tenseness he had not realized sat heavy on his shoulders vanished and he relaxed even more against the bench. “Are you not at all frightened?”
A curious pause. “Are you a villain?”
“I suppose not.”
“A debaucher, a rake bent on ravishment?”
It felt to him that she was rolling her eyes, her tone certainly had a touch of asperity. Knowing he was in the devil of a mood, he replied, “I could be for you.”
The sound of material rustled on the stone bench, yet the lady did not run away. Robert gathered she faced the sound of his voice.
“You are a rake?” she gasped. “Well of course you are, youareat this masquerade ball. Though there is a flaw in that reasoning for Mr. Newcombe is also here and he is not a libertine in the traditional sense. Or perhaps heis, dear me, what an unnerving idea.”
Robert suspected she was once again thinking aloud, not really answering. He was unexpectedly charmed by the oddity. “In my younger days, the moniker applied,” he murmured. “Some scandal sheets claimed I was rakishly dangerous.”
The lightest of laughs filled the space between them.
“Are you very old now?”
“Some would say decrepit,” he said drolly.
“You sound youngbutexperienced, not at all like a gentleman in his dotage.”
How astonished the lady sounded…even pleased. “Does that delight you?”
“That you might be a man of varied experience?”
“Yes.”
Silence fell, and he could feel her thinking. He was vaguely startled to feel the prickling of heat rushing through his veins, since there had been a distinct lack of interest on his part for any female companionship of late. He wasn’t thinking of reentering the marriage mart with any sort of anticipation. In truth, he felt bored and uninspired. “Are you going shy on me?” he finally asked.
A soft sigh that rasped against his senses came from her. “That is one thing I promised myself I would not be tonight, shy. Such a deplorable condition. It is like an illness you know, or so my mother used to say.”
“Ah, so you are not usually this unflappable?”
“Perhaps, but more quietly brave.” This time he heard the humor in her tone. He liked a lady who could laugh at her own idiosyncrasies. His fascinated curiosity increased. “I had thought you'd be scared to know you're sitting in the dark with a rake or a villain.”
“I was more fascinated and perhaps thought myself fortunate.”
“Fortunate? I am intrigued. Why fortunate?”
“Well, if you are indeed a libertine, then my hopes of being wickedly ravished tonight might still bear some fruit,” she said pertly.
Robert choked on the air. “Wickedly ravished?”
After the slightest hesitation, she whispered, “Yes…wickedly and most thoroughly ravished.”
Robert searched himself, wondering at the odd feeling surging inside when he had felt empty and deadened for so long. A curious hunger stirred inside at the softly amused tone that she used.
Chapter 3
“Is that truly why you attended this ball?” he asked.
“I attended in the hopes of an adventure. For something different. For pleasure. To assuage loneliness. If it comes in the form of dancing closer than normal or kissing, then I would be thrilled.”