Geek Girls Don't Date Dukes

Chesterfield called for her only half an hour later. Muriel helped her dress, and Leah descended the stairs feeling a little more at peace with the world.

Only one more apology to go through, then she’d start focusing on the future. Rounding the bottom of the staircase, she laughed to herself. How would Avery take to life in the twenty-first century? The thought of him on a motorcycle was definitely appealing. As was the thought of him in full armor as he jousted at the Renaissance Faire. For that matter, she couldn’t think of a situation that he wouldn’t be sexier than Magic Mike to her.

“Good morning,” she greeted Lady Chesterfield with a smile. The lady was seated at the head of the dining room table, a plate of breakfast in front of her. She nodded to Leah, her smile unusually subdued. For that matter, she was only wearing a few feathers in her hair today. A frown wrinkled Leah’s brow as she helped herself to the breakfast spread on the sideboard and took her seat at Lady Chesterfield’s side. Something was clearly bothering her patroness, and Leah had more than a sneaking suspicion that it was probably her own fault.

“Are you feeling okay, Lady Chesterfield?”

The older woman cleared her throat. “I am well enough, my dear. But when I woke this morning, Graves informed me that a missive came for you.” She picked up a folded paper that Leah hadn’t noticed before. “It is from the dowager Duchess of Granville. Naturally, as your guardian and chaperone, I read it.”

“Naturally,” Leah agreed drily. Privacy was a luxury she hadn’t realized she’d miss so much.

“Her Grace has decided that you are entirely unsuitable for marriage to her son.” A little tear formed in the corner of Lady Chesterfield’s eye. “Oh dear Leah, whatever can you have said to give rise to this opinion? I only hope you have not lost your chances with him.”

Leah’s fork clattered to the table. “I’m so sorry, Lady Chesterfield. But listen. The duke isn’t really interested in me at all, he wants—”

“Never mind that, my dear. We may yet have a chance to set things right. I shall ask dearest Granville to accompany us to Ranelagh Garden in two days.” Lady Chesterfield’s eyes glowed. “You shall apologize for whatever it is you have done to anger the dowager. I am certain that in such a romantic setting, dear Granville must come up to scratch, no matter what the dowager feels.” With that, Lady Chesterfield patted her feathers. A self-satisfied smile spread across her face.

“No, I don’t think you understand. I don’t love the duke.”

Lady Chesterfield stared at her, brows climbing in question. “But of course you do not, my dear. Love is what occurs between a husband and wife after many years of marriage. You will come to love him.”

Her chair scraped back and she stood to go. She gave a little pat to Leah’s cheek. “Your world of the future must be quite different from this. But you must trust me, dear. I know how you are to go about things in this society. I’ll not lead you astray.” She turned to leave, but before she reached the door, she looked over her shoulder at Leah.

“My dear, I shall never forgive myself if you do not marry advantageously. You are too precious to squander yourself on anything less than a peer of the realm.” She disappeared through the door, leaving Leah’s jaw hanging open. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t quite convince it to shut.

So much for her apology. So much for laying things out on the line, thanking Lady Chesterfield for her kindness but firmly stating her feelings for Avery. So much for planning her exit ASAP.

She munched on a piece of bacon dejectedly. It appeared that she had another couple of days to figure out exactly how to get Lady Chesterfield to realize that she was perfect for Granville, not Leah.

Why hadn’t she stayed home and started collecting cats or something?

Twenty-Six

He’d never been a dreamer. Though his realities were not always pleasant, they were better than being caught unawares. His beliefs had not changed, but his dreams were much stronger than they’d ever been in the two days since he’d seen her last.

Several times, he’d shaken himself to regain control of his mind from the memories that replayed through it over and over. Leah smiling up at him, straw in her hair and laughter in her eyes. Leah’s kisses, passionate and fervent. Leah sinking to her knees…

He dropped the brush he’d been using on His Grace’s coat. The clatter of the heavy object on the polished floors brought some clarity to his foggy mind. Scowling, he picked up the brush and resumed his brushing on the sleeve of the duke’s fine, blue coat. He must hurry and finish his duties so that he could watch out for her.

That night in the stable had not changed his station, nor had it magically gifted him with the means to support a wife. He’d revealed his feelings to her, but he should not have. She had come to land a husband, not ensnare herself with a boxing valet, his bedridden aunt, and a puppet master named Prachett.

Avery’s strings would be jerked again on the morrow. He was to face Emersen in the Jackford. Their match was sure to be the biggest draw in years. The underdog, Russell the bruiser, against the as-yet-undefeated Emersen? With Prachett’s careful planning, the odds were stacked against Avery. If he were to win, Prachett and his cronies stood to make thousands of pounds.

“Bloody fool,” he hissed under his breath. He was an idiot for forgetting reality for that night in the stables —and for nearly every minute since then.

The door opened behind him.

“Your Grace.” He turned and bowed without looking up. “You have returned early. Is everything well?”

Instead of his employer’s gray-haired form, Prachett stood in front of him. A self-satisfied smile crossed his face, an expression so unpleasant that it tensed Avery’s spine.

“What are you doing here?” Avery nearly spat the words, clenching his fists at his sides. “How did you get in?”

* * *

Ranelagh Garden wasn’t at all what Leah had expected. She and Lady Chesterfield arrived and were shown to His Grace’s private table in the Rotunda. An orchestra played somewhere nearby, their soft refrains a sharp counterpoint to the boisterous crowd around them. Lords and ladies of the ton filled the Rotunda, but more normal people were scattered along the various paths through the garden.

“Are we early?” Leah wasn’t sure why she was bothering to talk to Lady Chesterfield. The woman hadn’t bothered to listen to a word Leah said for the last two days. She’d tried to reason with her. She’d yelled; she’d even mustered up a tear or two. But nothing she said could convince her patroness that she wasn’t, and never would be, in love with the Duke of Granville.

“Oh pish-posh,” Lady Chesterfield said. “You look ravishing.”

Yup. She didn’t hear a word.

Leah lowered into her chair carefully. She didn’t want to crush the silver gown that Muriel had taken such care stuffing her into like a Thanksgiving turkey. Lady Chesterfield started babbling about the fireworks that would happen later, but Leah didn’t really pay attention. She kept scanning the crowd for a familiar handsome face, one that didn’t belong to a duke.

Of course, why should she expect Avery to show up tonight? This place was huge. It wasn’t like he could hang out by a window and keep an eye on her. She tried to get mad about the high-handed way he’d been watching her, but she couldn’t. He made her feel safe and loved.

And honestly, what more could she want out of life?

“Miss Ram, here he is. Good evening, dear Granville.” Lady Chesterfield’s excited curtsy nearly pitched her forward into the duke’s thighs. Fortunately, she righted herself without toppling, the green feathers of her bodice trembling as she fluttered her fan coyly.

“Thank you for coming. Our Miss Ram has been beside herself with joy since you agreed to meet us here.”

Though Leah’s Bullshit! went unsaid, she hoped it was clear in the intense height of her eyebrows. If anybody was thrilled, it was clearly Lady Chesterfield.

“It was my pleasure, indeed.” The duke smiled and offered his arm to Lady Chesterfield. “Should you care to take a turn about the gardens?”