The Duke's Dilemma by Nadine Miller Read Free Book Online Page A

Hargrave’s party.
    “I am going to faint, Mama,” Lucinda protested in a strangled whisper.
    “Do so and you will answer to me, miss,” the earl hissed, as Emily made a grab for, one of Lucinda’s arms, Lady Hargrave the other. Lucinda’ s eyes glazed over and her head rolled forward to her chest but between the two of them, they managed to keep her upright.
    “May I present the Earl and Countess of Hargrave, your grace,” Lady Cloris cooed, “and their dear little daughter, Lady Lucinda.” In concert, Emily and Lady Hargrave dipped Lucinda into a semblance of a curtsy.
    “Charmed,” the duke said in an apathetic monotone, and never blinking an eye, raised Lucinda’s limp hand to his lips. “And…” His gaze swept Emily.
    “My niece, Miss Emily Haliburton,” Lady Hargrave supplied, wagging her eyebrows at Emily to signal her to curtsy. Emily curtsied, or at least came as close to it as her hold on Lucinda would permit.
    “Charmed,” the duke repeated, raising her left hand to his lips since her right was busy supporting Lucinda. Emily studied him closely, but not a sign of recognition did she see in his cold, silver eyes.
    Surreptitiously, she glanced at his left hand. A massive signet ring adorned the third finger, but it was nothing like the plain gold ring the stranger had worn. This one was far more ornate and heavily encrusted with gemstones—exactly the sort of ostentatious ornament she would expect a foppish duke to wear.
    She released the breath she hadn’t known she was holding. Praise God. There were two of them! They might look as alike as two fleas on a dog, but there the resemblance ended. She could no more imagine this icy-eyed duke teasing a simple country girl or hooting with laughter than she could imagine that wicked-tongued country fellow disporting himself in polite society. She was so relieved, she favored the duke with a brilliant smile, which caused him to raise his quizzing glass and give her a disapproving stare before he moved on to inspect the pretty but vapid daughter of the Earl of Pembroke.
     
    Her first dinner at Brynhaven was an unqualified success as far as Emily was concerned. Never mind that she was pointedly snubbed by the young ladies and treated as if she didn’t exist by their mamas—or that she was generally ignored by the dashing Corinthians.
    True to his word, Mr. Rankin had arranged to have her seated next to him and they had such a marvelous conversation about Greek myths and Mesopotamian legends, she almost forgot to devote part of her time to the Earl of Sudsley, who sat on her other side. But it scarcely mattered, since he had imbibed so freely of the duke’ s excellent Madeira at the reception, he was already well and truly foxed by the time the soup course was removed.
    She didn’t even have to worry about Lucinda, who had recovered nicely from her swoon. She was seated next to the Earl of Chillingham, who looked so pleased with himself Emily was certain he, too, had effected some last minute changes in the seating arrangements.
    Except for one dreadful moment when the lamb was served and she found herself thinking it could well be the poor little nipper she had rescued early that morning, she thoroughly enjoyed every bite of the most delicious meal she had ever consumed and every sip of the wines which accompanied each of the seven courses.
    The balance of the evening was just as successful, albeit a bit more nerve-racking. Each of the young ladies, in turn, performed for the duke and his guests. Two of the young blond ladies sang quite prettily, one of them played a simple piece on the pianoforte and Lady Sudsley’s daughter, staring directly into the duke’s eyes all the while, recited a long and soulful rendition of Sir Walter Scott’s popular poem, The Lady of the Lake .
    “Lud, I hope she don’t swoon,” Lady Hargrave whispered when it came Lucinda’s turn to perform. For one moment it looked as if that was exactly what she was going to