Dusky Duke and the Gypsy Pirate Princess by Kya Lind Read Free Book Online Page A

expression on her face. Honesty paused. Was her sister that taken with the duke? Had she been mistaken in thinking that Pretty was afraid of him? Not that Honesty could understand anyone being afraid of Gr – the duke – the children loved him. Honesty swallowed; she could understand her sister being star struck by Grey - the handsome duke. She blinked her eyes to hold back the angry tears.
    “Did you see him?” Prudence asked dreamily.
    Honestly jerked her head in a yes.
    “I can’t believe it. Maybe there is still a chance.” Prudence’s eyes begged her sister to confirm that there was still hope.
    “Yeah, well, that’s why we were all invited.” Honesty failed to keep the bitterness out of her voice.
    Prudence smiled and jumped off the bed, “What shall we wear to dinner? Something impressive.”
    Honesty frowned and gritted her teeth. If this was what Pretty wanted . . . Well, maybe she had just misread the duke’s intentions. Maybe he had just been checking out the Williams bunch to see if they could be safely invited to the castle. .. He hadn’t exactly done anything improper except flirt a bit, but that was probably before he had met Pretty.” Honesty tried to make herself swallow the hurt and the anger, but she was failing. An image of Grey holding Blue in one hand and hers in the other flashed across her mind. He could have told her. It would have been so easy. He could have just said, “Hello. I’m a duke, and I am interested in your sister." But he hadn’t. He had lied to her. She stomped to the trunk again and pulled out the light-blue gown. It was the only one that actually fit her.
    “Do you think he will be at dinner?” Pretty asked.
    Honesty cut your eyes to her sister’s at her silly question. “Well, it is his house.”
    “No, No. Not the duke. Lord Byron.” She said his name in a breathy sigh.
    “Lord Byron?” Honesty was confused, “Lord Byron is here?” When had that happened?
    Pretty laughed dreamily again. “Of course,” she giggled, “who did you think we were talking about?”
    Honesty froze, before pulling the dress over her head. She tried to organize her scrambled thoughts. “You are excited because Lord Byron is here, and you are not interested in the duke at all.” She stated to clarify the issue with her sister.
    Pretty actually shuddered. “Oh, I had almost forgotten about him,” she stated in despair. “What are we going to do? Mama will expect me to be nice to that man, and truthfully, Honest, he scares me.”
    There it was from her sister’s own lips. “Why does he scare you?”
    “I am so afraid I’m going to mess up, and dump tea in his lap, or step on his foot, or something really embarrassing. But with Lord Byron. . . he doesn’t care if I mess up at all.”
    “Don’t worry, we will figure something out.”
    Pretty smiled in relief and hurried to get dressed so she could go find the red-haired lord.
    ♣♣♣
     
    Greyson leaned against the hall wall and waited. He knew she would check on the children before she came down to dinner. She had arrived just as he had predicted and now he waited for her to return to the entrance. He bent his head, he was nervous about the coming confrontation, but it couldn’t be put off.
    He straightened as Honesty stepped from the nursery rooms into the hall. As soon as she saw him, she frowned and then spun on her heels and stomped down the corridor away from him.
    His long legs made it easy for him to keep up with her. “Honesty,” he implored.
    “No,” she practically shouted at him, “Go away.”
    He continued to follow her, blocking her access to the stairs. She turned and stomped away from him with determination.
    “You lied to me,.” she railed, her voice held the pain she felt.
    “I didn’t lie exactly,” he blocked her entrance to a long corridor to the right. Honesty stomped down another hallway.
    “You didn’t exactly tell the truth either.” She turned to the left and followed a long