A Brazen Lady And The Shunned Duke (Faces of Love Series #3) by Jessie Bennett Read Free Book Online Page A

hoped I was doing the right thing helping her. I still didn’t quite understand why Kent was so against the union.
    Was it because they were rivals growing up, as Ettie had said? I couldn’t image that he would jeopardize his sister’s happiness all for his pride. However, I had learned last night that I didn’t know him as well as I had first thought. Who knew what kind of a man he was, or what his true motives were ?
    I was shaken from my thoughts by the drawing room doors bursting open. It was still early, before either the duke or duchess would be down for breakfast. I looked up to see Kent standing there at the door.
    His hair wasn’t pulled back as it usually was, but a wild halo of dark red curls. His clothes were disheveled, like he had just thrown them on. He was looking at me wildly.
    “Where is she?” he demanded. “Is she here?”
    “No, Your Grace,” I said, doing my best to calm my startled nerves. “She did stop by, but left a few hours ago.”
    He cursed under his breath. He paced the room back and forth.
    “How, may I ask, did Your Grace know that she would come here first?” I asked as coolly as I could possibly muster.
    I had to keep reminding myself that I didn’t want to be in the same room as him. I was disgusted by what I had heard last night. They were his words, after all, so they should have trumped the feelings in my heart.
    He stopped and looked me in the eyes. “Why are you calling me that?”
    “Calling you what, Your Grace?” I said, sitting back down.
    I realized I was still in my nightgown. I stood up to leave. “I should go make myself more appropriate for receiving company,” I said.
    I walked past him without making eye contact. He wrapped one hand around my waist, stopping me in my tracks.
    “What’s wrong? Why did you leave last night without a word?”
    “I don’t know what your mean, Your Grace, but…” I started trying my best to side step his grip.
    “That! That right there.”
    He pulled his arm so that I was closer to him. He was looking down at me with worried eyes. “What happened last night?” He brushed his thumb along my cheek. I couldn’t help but lean into his touch.
    “What happened is that Ettie and I went to eavesdrop in on your meeting with Byron and your uncle. We heard everything you said.”
    “You don’t understand,” he said, glaring at me coldly.
    “Don’t understand what? Why you are denying your sister’s happiness, or the fact that you have been leading me along for my money?” I tried to pull away from him, but he only wrapped his other arm around me.
    “You obviously didn’t listen long enough,” he said.
    “What?”
    “You are right about one thing. I did tell Byron that he couldn’t marry my sister. I have a very good reason. He knows just as much as I do. I can explain it all to you on the way; just tell me where they are going.”
    “Why should I trust you?” I asked, narrowing my eyes. I was doing my best to hold onto my anger. It was hard to do with his arms wrapped around my thin cotton nightgown, his head dipping low to meet mine.
    “Because I love you, Scarlett. If you had stayed last night, you would have heard me tell my uncle the same. I don’t want to marry you for your money. If loving you from afar for the rest of my life was the only way to prove that to you, I would do it. I never thought I would feel this emotion for someone else. But with you, I would do whatever you wanted in order to earn your love.”
    He hesitated a minute before bringing his lips down on mine. He kissed me softly, just the brushing of our lips against each other. I rose up on my toes and wrapped my arms around him, taking the kiss deeper. I had desired the taste of his lips for so long that everything else just melted away.
    He pulled back from me. Rubbing his hand against my cheek, he looked deep into my eyes. I knew in that moment that I did love him. I did trust him too.
    “Go and get dressed,” he finally said. “We