The Devil In Disguise by Stefanie Sloane Read Free Book Online

reputation by simply being seen with the notorious duke. Her need to appear disinterested in King Solomon’s Mine, however, was consuming all her attention. She would simply have to rely on her position in the ton to protect her, she decided. At the moment, it was far more important to deal with the duke’s unexpected and intriguing mention of King Solomon’s Mine into their conversation.
    Did he know about her and her aunts’ plans and the importance of the stallion to their success? How could he?
    He couldn’t, she told herself, because all four women had sworn a vow of secrecy.
    “Yes, he is a remarkable horse,” the duke agreed, his words interrupting her frantic thoughts. “And he could be yours.”
    “Am I to believe that you’re offering King Solomon’s Mine as inducement to allow you to court me?” she asked, with no attempt to disguise her disbelief. She stared at him, searching his eyes for a clue. Surely, this was a game he played, but to what end, she couldn’t discern.
    “A wager—a priceless horse for the honor of your company.” There was a gruffness to his voice that had not been present only a few moments before and his hazel eyes darkened with unnamed emotion. “If I can’t convince you to wed me after, say, three months of courtship, then King Solomon’s Mine is yours. And if you consent to be my wife …” He shrugged, a wry smile lifting the corner of his mouth. “Then King Solomon’s Mine is yours on the day we make our vows. Either way, you win.”
    “You’re mad,” she whispered in response. And perhaps she was as well, she thought, for she was sorely tempted.
    He rose, inclining his head in a brief, polite bow just short of curt. “You’re not the first to make such a claim, nor will you be the last,” he said. “But I require an answer, one way or the other.”
    Lucinda stood, her legs unsteady as she stepped just beyond the duke’s reach and turned to face him.
    She couldn’t possibly allow him to court her. Could she?
    She narrowed her eyes at him, forcing her thoughts to move beyond his handsome face and the prized stallion he dangled before her.
    The Duke of Clairemont’s family possessed all the right connections. And he was wealthy enough.
    He was neither as old as Methuselah nor as young as Lord Thorp’s boy, whom her maid firmly believed to be next on Amelia’s list. No, he measured up in nearly every single category, save for his reputation.
    Black.
    No, blacker than black, Lucinda thought, eyeing him as he tapped his boot. His conquests were legendary and too numerous to count. From women to fights, drinking to—well, Lucinda could only imagine—the gossips proclaimed Iron Will’s appetite for life was voracious, terrifyingly so.
    “Have you come to a—” the duke pressed, shifting impatiently.
    “A moment more, if you please,” Lucinda temporized, plucking a flower from the jasmine before returning to her thoughts.
    Of course, she supposed it only made sense that a man of the duke’s experience would seek out the one woman in all of England whose reputation could counteract the effect of his own questionable choices.
    Really, it made perfect sense, as anyone who bothered to think on it for more than four seconds would see.
    And the horse. Well, her aunts could not object to three months spent in the man’s company in exchange for King Solomon’s Mine.
    Surely she would prevail—and her success would change their lives forever.
    All Lucinda had to do was allow the man into her presence.
    To court her.
    It couldn’t be too difficult.
    Resisting him wouldn’t be too difficult
, she told herself firmly, absently brushing the velvety soft blossom across her lower lip.
    He watched her unblinkingly. In desperation, she looked at the heavens, concentrated, and accurately identified Orion, the Hunter. Ironic though it was, Lucinda congratulated herself for completing a task that required her wits. Given that Lord Clairemont’s presence appeared to