How to Dazzle a Duke by Claudia Dain Read Free Book Online Page A

excluded,
    naturally. It is very nearly common knowledge that brothers are
    very nearly imbeciles when it comes to understanding their sis
    ters, even if they understand all other women very well indeed.
    You have a sister, do you not, your grace?”
    “As it happens, I do,” Edenham answered pleasantly. Miss
    Prestwick did not look at all pleased by his admission, which was
    quite amusing.
    “And do you fi nd her fragile?”
    “Not in the slightest,” Edenham said, taking a slow swallow
    of his tea to seal the statement.
    “Not highly emotional, perhaps a bit irrational?” Sophia con
    tinued.
    “Well,” Edenham hedged, shifting his weight upon the sofa,
    “perhaps occasionally, but certainly not as a matter of habit.”
    “And there you are,” Sophia said, looking pointedly at Miss
    Prestwick, who was a quite attractive girl. “As I am cordially
    acquainted with Lady Richard, Edenham’s sister, I can assure
    you that she is not irrational in the least particular. You, darling
    Edenham, are just the slightest bit deluded about your darling
    sister, which is perfectly normal. Don’t bother about it in the
    least. You are quite astute in all other matters, I’m quite certain.
    Wouldn’t you agree, Miss Prestwick?”
    A most odd turn to the conversation, to be sure, but Edenham, quite relaxed, sat back against the cushions and waited to
    see what would happen next. It would have quite a bit to do with
    Miss Prestwick, of that he was certain. Sophia seemed to attract
    these young things like bees to honey.
    How to Daz zle a Duke
    39
    Miss Prestwick, to her immense credit, did not blush, though
    perhaps her generally dark coloring was more to be credited
    than her composure. Her skin was quite a lovely shade of dark
    cream, from her throat to her forehead, with just a suggestion of
    rose pink in her cheeks. Quite a lovely looking girl, now that he
    took his time about studying her.
    “I am sorry to admit that I don’t know his grace well enough
    to have formed an opinion,” Miss Prestwick said serenely. “I am
    more than happy to take your estimation of his general character
    as genuine and without fault, Lady Dalby. I hope that does not
    distress you, your grace?” she said, turning her gaze fully to his.
    “As it has been decided that brothers are imbeciles where
    their sisters are concerned,” Edenham said, “it does not. In fact,
    I think it highly logical and very nearly a compliment for a man
    to see his sister in an entirely different light than he sees all other
    women. Wouldn’t you agree, Mr. Prestwick?”
    George Prestwick, very nearly a mirror image of his sister
    with his dark hair and eyes and general arrangement of features,
    smiled and answered, “As this exercise in logic has resulted in a
    compliment to me, then I most heartily agree, your grace. Thank
    you, Lady Dalby. I had heard that you were most charming and
    now I can see why. I have never been called an imbecile with
    quite so much grace in my entire life. I can go quite contentedly
    on now, a happy imbecile, which is quite the way it should be,
    shouldn’t it?”
    It was at that rather oddly pleasant remark that Fredericks
    entered the white salon with slightly more force than was expected
    of a butler and informed Lady Dalby in the most amused fashion
    imaginable that she had two more callers and was she in?
    She was most assuredly in.
    Whereupon Fredericks allowed the Marquis of Iveston
    and the Earl of Cranleigh into the white salon. Miss Prestwick
    looked quite nearly shocked.
    40 CLAUDIA DAIN
    How perfectly amusing. Edenham hadn’t been so entertained
    in a six month. He couldn’t think why he’d been hiding away at
    Sutton Hall, his primary estate, when there was so much amuse
    ment to be had in Town. From the look which Sophia cast in his
    direction, it was more than obvious that she was of the same
    thought in the same instant. And was not above taking great
    pleasure in displaying that his seclusion, and his reasons