Taming an Unrepentant Earl: Taming the Duke’s Heart Read online

  She also noted the way he massaged his hip like it pained him. Had he also suffered an injury? “There is no rush on our part. Have a cake.” She gave him her best smile as she pointed toward the tray.

  He frowned down at the confections as though they might bite him. Sophie glanced at them wondering what might be wrong. They looked perfectly delightful to her. Mrs. Patterson was a good cook, but her baked goods were positively delicious. A girl had to take care not to plump out her waist line.

  “Thank you,” he finally answered and reached for one of the cakes decked with pink frosting. Then he took a generous bite, filling his mouth with the confection.

  He slowly chewed as his eyes rolled back. “That is incredible,” he said after he’d swallowed.

  “Mrs. Patterson does an excellent job.” She leaned forward, truly curious about his choice of cake. “Now let me ask you. You chose the pink-frosted, I noticed. Do you like the color pink?”

  Dani gave a mild groan, but Sophie ignored her.

  Captain Maddox looked at Danielle for a moment before he glanced back at Sophie. There was something in his gaze that made her feel as though he were drinking in the sight of her. Since he’d arrived, he studied her for long periods.

  He swallowed again and then asked, “I beg your pardon?”

  “Please, let me explain.” She folded her hands in her lap as she leaned even further out. “See, I chose the color pink for those curtains. I think they frame the ocean beautifully and when the evening sky gets hues of pink, it will look even more divine. Do you agree or not?”

  Captain Maddox took another bite of his cake as he stared over the top of the confection. She couldn’t read his gaze.

  “Don’t mind her.” Danielle also scooted forward. “She hasn’t dressed herself in anything colorful so she’s dressing the house instead and convinced she will find a suitor based on the merits of her decorating.”

  Captain Maddox finished his second bite and shook his head. “I’m afraid that won’t do at all.”

  “The pink?” Sophie stood, disappointment making her restless. She crossed over to the drapes, fingering the silk as she frowned at the delicate fabric. “You don’t like it?”

  “The drapes are lovely.” He cleared his throat. “But we’ve more important matters to discuss.”

  The alarm bells which had started ringing in her head grew louder as she became more certain she’d hate what she was about to hear. Not when there was little warmth in his voice. “I can assure you, Captain, that this is important. While Danielle thinks that we should content ourselves to be spinsters and remain locked in this house forever, I think we can find husbands. To me that process begins by proving that I can create a well-appointed home for my future groom.”

  Harry stood, studying her back, she could feel his eyes and then the heat of him as he came closer. He was far closer than she was comfortable with and she applied herself to remaining still when she had the distinct urge to step back. His presence made her insides flop in the strangest way.

  His shoulders straightened as he looked down his nose at her. “You’re both wrong. You will neither stay here, nor will you marry. I’ve secured a spot for you, Sophie, in a home for destitute women. I will have to write to my sister to secure a spot for Miss Frazier. Alfred specifically requested I see to your future and I mean to do as he’s asked.”

  Oh no. Handsome or not, Alfred’s friend or not, that wouldn’t do at all. She squared her shoulders as she answered. “I decline, Captain. Thank you so much for your offer but it’s unnecessary.” Her spine straightened with every word. “If your only business was relaying that little grenade than you are free to go. Good day.” She started for him despite the butterflies beating about her stomach and hooked her hand into his arm. “I would be happy to show you to the door.”

  Chapter Three

  What the bloody hell was happening? He must have missed something important as he’d stared at the perfect hourglass of her figure or her thick silky strands of hair. He nearly groaned aloud but held the sound in, honestly unsure if it was attraction or irritation bubbling inside.

  She tugged on his arm, but he didn’t move. “I don’t need an escort to the door.”

  She looked back at him, her face set in determined lines as her eyes glittered with fire. Made a man ache, the expression on her face. It spoke of passion and determination. Her hand slipped from his elbow as she raised it toward the opening to the entry. “Very well then. It was a pleasure to meet you.”

  The little minx thought she could just get rid of him? “I’m not going anywhere.” He crossed his arms over his chest, making himself look larger in a show of intimidation. It didn’t seem to work as she huffed a breath.

  Her gaze narrowed as she stepped closer. “Are you or are you not in a hurry to return home?”

  Damn. She had him there. “I’ll not leave at the expense of your future. I made a promise to your brother and—”

  “Surely you did not promise my brother to drop me off at the door of some glorified work house.” She put one hand on her hip and raised the other to poke him directly in the chest. “Because Alfred would never have agreed to such a plan and neither will I.”

  He grabbed her finger, her soft skin sliding against his. He ignored the frisson of desire that coursed through him. “Alfred asked that I see to your future, which is what I am doing.” And honestly, he was seeing to his own as well. He needed to find a place to heal and then return to the front.

  She let out a disgusted noise somewhere between a snort and a grunt. “Bah. You are attempting to dispose of me in the easiest manner possible while still assuring yourself you did your duty.”

  Damn. She was perceptive. He didn’t have time to find her a husband. That could take years. Belatedly, he realized he’d begun lightly stroking the back of her hand. “That is an insult to my honor and your brother’s memory.”

  She waved her free hand in the air as though dismissing his words. “Your offer is an insult to me.” Then she poked again so both her hand and his thumped against his chest. “I own this home. I have a dowry that was previously provided, I’ve inherited my father’s estate and my brother’s savings. I don’t need a home for destitute women, and I have absolutely no intention of learning an occupation.”

  He stared down at her, his mouth ajar. If she was financially sound, why had Alfred sent him here? “But he sent me a letter via the general in the event of his death. Said that I needed—”

  She poked again. “What I need is a guardian to aid me in making a beneficial match.” Her eyes raked up and down him. “Which you clearly are not.”

  A muffled sound came from the settee. Harry glanced over to see Danielle attempting to cover a fit of giggles. She failed. He looked back at the little minx before him. Her cheeks were now a bright pink, her eyes sparkling in the afternoon sun. Her breath came in short gasps and his hand still stroked the back of her ridiculously soft skin. God as his witness, he wanted to tup this woman. Kiss her with all the fire that she could return until neither of them could draw air.

  If he didn’t get his thoughts under control, they’d be evident to the entire room. With every thought, his manhood swelled. “I’m not?”

  “No.” She jerked her hand from his grasp and he grimaced, missing the feel of her already. “So, that leaves us with only one option. And that is for you to be on your way.” She once again swept her hand toward the door.

  Instead of leaving, he turned to Danielle. “And you? Do you have a dowry?”

  Her giggling ceased. After dropping her hands to her lap, she clasped them together. “I do not.”

  “You do too,” Sophie said, drawing his eyes back to her, her chin raised in defiance.

  Danielle stood, her brows drawing together. “I won’t let you give me that money, Sophie. You do enough for me as it is.”

  Harry’s mouth drew tight, understanding making him wince. Sophie was supporting her cousin and attempting to provide them both with a future
.

  Technically, he had been attempting to do the same. But, in all honesty, marriage and family were a far superior future to working. Occupations available to women neither paid well nor provided much leisure time.

  Sophie was wrong on one account. He was capable of helping her. His hip throbbed and he placed his hand over it. Perhaps he could couple his healing with his duty to Alfred’s family. The ladies would have to find husbands in a few months. They couldn’t afford to be picky. But, he could help these women to his fullest ability, recover, and then return to the army with his duty to Alfred fully met.

  Clearing his throat, he looked at Sophie. “Well, I see we have much to discuss.”

  * * *

  Sophie curled her fists into her skirts. “I’ve already outlined why we have very little to discuss.”

  He sat back in the chair, his movements slow and ginger. “My apologies. I made several assumptions after reading Alfred’s letter, none of which were correct.” He gestured for her to sit again, and her spine snapped straight.

  This was her home. He needn’t tell her when to sit in her own house. “I’ll stand, thank you.”

  He held in a long breath. She was going to be difficult. “I had wondered why Alfred didn’t just make me your guardian. How old are you?”

  She let out a long slow breath, attempting to keep from huffing. “Twenty.”

  “I suppose he wanted you to maintain control of your assets instead of having them revert to me until your twenty-fifth birthday.” Harry rubbed the bridge of his nose.

  Sophie, however, winced. She imagined a legal guardian would solve her current problem, but it would create a whole host of others. “Alfred was an excellent friend and brother. Matters of a legal or financial manner were not his strong suit.” She closed her eyes for a moment, then slipped back into her seat. Somehow a great deal of her fire had disappeared.

  Surprise widened his eyes for a moment. “Why, you’re right. I’d never thought of it that way.”

  “I am?” she asked, knowing that she was. What she didn’t understand was why he drummed his fingers on the table in front of him.

  “Exactly so.” He nodded to himself, then pushed himself back out of the chair. They were engaged in some game where they sat and stood and sat and stood again.

  She rose. “What are you thinking?”

  Scratching at the stubble on his chin, Sophie followed the movement of his hand along his strong jaw. She’d like to touch that same skin. How would it feel? A shiver of excitement rolled down her spine. She’d wager it was rough and masculine and enticing to the point of distraction.

  “I’ll be back before the evening meal,” he muttered and then headed for the door.

  “Wait.” Though she’d asked him to leave moments before, this was decidedly not what she’d had in mind. “What do you mean, you’ll be back? You’re headed home, are you not? I don’t need your help.”

  He moved toward the door and though his steps were swift enough, she detected a limp or a slight dragging of his left foot.

  “No,” he said. “You were right before. Alfred went about this all wrong.”

  “Right?” Goose bumps raised on her skin, fear standing her hair at the back of her neck up. What had she said, or more importantly, what was he planning? “Whatever you’re thinking, stop.” Belatedly she realized she should follow him in order to find out exactly what he meant, but as she got her feet moving, she heard the distinct sound of the door click closed.

  Chapter Four

  “What do you think he’s going to do?” Danielle asked for the twentieth time as if she’d only asked once.

  Sophie kept her hands in her lap though she would have liked to press them to her temples. Danielle was a nervous talker and she was chattering away now. “I don’t know, Dani.”

  “Sorry.” Danielle’s hands fluttered in the air as though she didn’t quite know what to do with them. “It’s just that I thought you had the upper hand, so to speak, until…” She settled her hands back into her lap.

  “Until I didn’t.” Sophie studied the pink curtains adorning the window as the sun began to set. Her stomach twisted in knots. It was of little consolation that the shade of pink on the curtains matched the hue of the sky to perfection.

  She let out a loud, rather unladylike sigh just as the bell on the front door rang.

  “If it’s Captain Maddox, see him in,” she called, standing.

  Before she’d even completed the motion, he was striding into the room, though his limp was more pronounced than it had been earlier. Rather than say a word he crossed to the chair he’d vacated earlier and gestured for her to sit.

  Her lips pulled into a thin line. Once again, he was directing her in her own house. “Where have you been and why have you returned, Captain?” she said as she sat back down.

  He joined her, looking haggard as he ran his hand through his hair. “You were right about the pink.” He waved his hand toward the curtains. “Lovely.”

  She blinked, a small smile touching her lips. If he’d meant to soften her, his compliment worked. “Thank you.”

  He gave a curt nod. “I’ve been with Alfred’s barrister.”

  Any goodwill she’d been feeling whooshed out of her lungs. She leaned closer. “For what purpose?”

  “It turns out, he had also written to the man requesting that I take guardianship of you until the age of five and twenty to manage your funds, see to the house, and assure your introduction into society.”

  She stared at him unable to feel a thing. Her fingers tingled as she tried to draw in a deep breath. “You took my house?”

  He frowned, creasing the lines on his forehead. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re getting exactly what you want. I’ll see to your care, ensure you make an advantageous match. I’ve done it once for my sister already.”

  Sophie choked on the words that clogged her throat. “What I wanted?” She gripped the arm of the settee. “You don’t know me at all. You’ve ruined everything.” She did not want an overbearing captain taking her life over, telling her what to do at every turn. She’d been managing just fine on her own.

  Danielle reached for her hand, and Sophie gave it a quick squeeze before releasing it again. She appreciated the comfort her cousin wanted to provide but she didn’t want sympathy now. She wanted to rage in anger at the man who she’d welcomed into her home hours before, even felt an attraction for him. That’s what the emotion had been, she was sure of it.

  He gave her a level stare. “You’re being dramatic. Alfred mentioned you were prone to such—”

  She sprang from her seat intent upon telling him just where he could place his words, his offer of help, and his arrogant attitude. She’d like to toss all three out the window.

  Belatedly, however, she realized that she hadn’t eaten anything since he’d left several hours ago, and her head pitched at the sudden movement. She tried to draw in a deep breath but her blasted corset was too tight, and stars began to dance before her eyes. “Drat,” she muttered as her hands came to her face to clear her vision. “I was going to give you a good set down.”

  He sprung from his seat, bounding toward her. She could have sworn that he winced as he moved but her vision wasn’t all that clear and soon it wasn’t there at all. Everything grew fuzzy and her knees turned to jelly. “Drat,” she said again and then the world went dark.

  * * *

  Harry had to confess that he usually hated when a woman fainted. The act irritated him. He wanted to set the fainter down and tell her in no uncertain terms to stop lacing her corset so tight. Life was more important than the line of her dress. He didn’t find it endearingly feminine, he just found the behavior tiresome.

  Not today. First, he could see Sophie fighting with all her will to remain coherent. Not only that, she expressed her own irritation at her mishap. What was more, this woman was no wilting flower. She was intelligence and spirit. Christ, she’d nearly outwitted him in their first conversation in a way not man
y men were capable of, let alone women.

  Not that women weren’t as smart as men. In fact, often they could be more so. They were more measured in their actions, less impulsive. Or maybe that was just their tight clothing.

  Either way, as he watched Sophie’s legs begin to wobble, he stood making a dash for her, fear overriding the pain in his hip. Though he’d only known her for an afternoon, somehow, he already understood that she didn’t do this often and that she disliked the weakness of it.

  His hip screaming in pain, he came to her side and just managed to catch her as she fell but his leg seized as he did.

  Danielle had jumped up with her hands covering her mouth as both he and Sophie fell to the side, landing in a heap on the settee. Their limbs tangled together as her torso pressed completely against his, her head fitting into the crook of his neck.

  “Oh my,” Danielle squeaked. “I’ll get help.” She turned away and then spun back again. “I told her to eat. She’s so stubborn.”

  The tiniest smile turned Harry’s lips up at one corner. Now that sounded about right. Too stubborn for her own good. That made complete sense. “Have a tray of food brought in immediately.”

  Danielle nodded even as her shoulders slumped. “Of course. Good idea.”

  Sophie’s hand twitched and that was when Harry realized the limb had landed between their bodies and was currently pressed to his groin. Dear lord in heaven he was being punished. Her fingers twitched again, giving his member a light squeeze.

  Every muscle tightened in pleasure. Harry was no stranger to intimate relations. Though he engaged far less often once he joined the military and not at all since his injury, he’d never laid a hand on an innocent woman of marriageable age. The fact that this one groped him while unconscious was both appalling and… He stopped his thoughts. Now was not the time for attraction.