“Fair enough. Sit down so we can discuss your performance. You fell short in several areas, I’m afraid.”
Reluctantly Roslyn returned to the settee. “What was wrong with my performance?”
Clasping his fingers over his stomach, Arden surveyed her thoughtfully. “For one thing, you were too businesslike just now. You should make an effort to be more feminine with Haviland. Strive to be a little less dictatorial and managing.”
She frowned. “But Haviland seems to esteem my management skills.”
“Do you want him to see you as his majordomo or as his potential lover?”
“His lover, of course.”
“Then leave the generalship to his servant staff. For a moment or two there, you were so commanding you reminded me of my mother.”
“You have a mother?” Roslyn asked archly.
He grinned. “What did you expect? That I was hatched?”
“I would not be surprised.”
His grin took on a satirical slant. “My mother is a dragon, but I’m told I came into the world in quite the usual way.”
Roslyn heard the sharp note in his tone at the mention of his mother, but she was more interested in returning to the subject of her deficiencies with Haviland. “Where else did I go wrong?”
“You might want to temper your frankness a little. Some men may find your brand of forthrightness off- putting.”
“Do you?” she asked curiously.
“No, but we’re not concerned with my likes. Haviland will respond better to a sweeter tone. And whatever you do, don’t flay him with your sharp tongue.”
Disheartened, Roslyn sank back against the settee. “I am not likely to flay Haviland. More often I find myself at a loss for words with him.”
“Somehow that surprises me,” Arden said dryly.
“Well, it is true.”
“I suspect you are too eager to earn his good opinion, whereas with me, you have no compunction at telling me off to my face.”
“Because I have no desire to impress you.”
“So quit trying so hard with Haviland. Simply be yourself. You are charming and personable enough to let your natural self shine through.”
She stared at him. “Merciful heavens, I believe you just complimented me.”
“I suppose I did.”
His green eyes glimmered at her, making her pulse quicken. Shaking herself, though, Roslyn managed a smile. “Well, thank you for the lesson, your grace. I will try to do better next time.”
“If you like, I will call on you tomorrow morning before your meeting with Haviland and give you another lesson.”
“I would appreciate that. For now, however…” Bending, she gathered up her lists and stood. “If you will excuse me, I still have a great deal to do. But please make yourself at home for as long as you like. If you care for more tea-or something stronger like wine or brandy-just ring for Simpkin.”
Politely rising to his feet as she left, Drew found himself grinning ruefully at having been dismissed once more. But he could not have expected a warmer welcome from Roslyn when he’d intruded on her privacy so flagrantly.
He’d answered her question truthfully; escaping Lady Freemantle was the chief reason he’d come here when he was clearly unwanted. Boredom was also a part of it. And curiosity. He had wanted to see how Roslyn would behave with Haviland, to discover how far she would take her campaign.
But once he was here, some perverse part of him wanted to provoke her, to rouse that flash of passion in those blue eyes.
An even more idiotic part of him had wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss that lovely mouth, to make love to that alluring body…
Drew laughed softly as he remembered her response to his careless endearment when he’d called her “Beauty.” Roslyn was absurdly prickly on the subject of appearance-a unique oddity in his experience. He’d never before known a woman to complain about being
But Roslyn was also unique in other respects. He found her innocence rather endearing after the calculated arts his former mistresses employed. Her smile was fresh and honest, not sophisticated and cynical. He hated to see that freshness ruined by the scheming games played by the femmes fatales she was attempting to mimic.
Drew abruptly shook his head. He had fulfilled his promise to her for the time being. How she applied his advice was really not his concern.
He had no reason to remain at Danvers Hall any longer, either. In fact, there was nothing more he could do here in Chiswick at the moment, Drew decided. He might as well take himself off to London for the evening and spend a few pleasant hours at his club.
Or better yet, resume his search for a mistress. If he was able to lose himself in a lush female body, then perhaps he wouldn’t find the lovely Roslyn Loring quite so damned appealing.
Chapter Seven
– Roslyn to Fanny
For her lesson the next morning, Roslyn awaited the duke in the library, since she felt most at ease there and thus should be better able to hold her own with him there. Reading had always been her favorite pastime, the library her refuge and her haven whenever the tribulations of life became too difficult.
She was curled up on a cushioned window seat-her preferred spot because it offered both comfort and ample light-when Arden was shown into the room. He was dressed much less formally today, his buff riding breeches and burgundy coat more appropriate to the attire of a country gentleman, but the superb London tailoring only emphasized his devilish virility.
Setting aside her history tome, Roslyn rose to greet him, then watched as Arden glanced appreciatively around the library. Every wall was filled floor to ceiling with gleaming walnut shelves of leather-bound books.
“Impressive,” Arden murmured, inspecting the titles on the nearest wall.
“What is impressive?” she asked curiously.
“That you would have tackled a collection of this size. Eleanor said you had read most of the volumes here.”
“Except the ones in Greek, since I never learned. Regrettably I was never able to attend university because I wasn’t born male.”
Arden gave her an amused look. “You actually wanted to learn Greek?”
She felt her cheeks warm but lifted her chin. “It would have been helpful to know the original language of the classics. As it was, I had to rely on translations.”
Not replying, he moved on to the next section. “Judging from the titles here, I would say that significant thought went into compiling this collection.”
Roslyn smiled at his surprised tone. “It did. My step-uncle was a skinflint except when it came to his books. His scholarly bent was the chief thing I admired about him.”
“From what I hear, there was little else to admire about the late Lord Danvers,” the duke said dryly.
“Yes, well… It isn’t polite to speak ill of the dead, but he was very…disagreeable.”
Roslyn crossed the room to a chair and invited Arden to have a seat on the sofa opposite her. “I am happy to report that a letter from Fanny arrived this morning. She made out a list of suggestions for me to consider.”
