Leah swallowed hard at the ridiculous knot in her throat. What did this stranger’s opinion matter? This was a once in a lifetime adventure, and she’d be damned if a stuffy valet would stand in her way. Mrs. Knightsbridge said her true love was here, and she owed it to her grandfather to find the best husband she possibly could.
She gathered her courage and stared Avery straight in the eye. She hadn’t backed down from a challenge in her life, and she wasn’t about to start now.
“I am not a child, and I am not a fool. I know exactly what I’m doing, thank you very much.” With a confidence born of many years of acting classes, Leah smoothed her dress down her hips, willing them to twist slightly, enough to get his attention. “And if you don’t believe in love, that’s your problem.” Turning with a dramatic swish of her skirts, she strode to the other end of the massive chamber like a queen, making sure to twitch her ass. Tossing a look over her shoulder, she smiled when she saw the lustful fury brewing in his eyes.
Teasing him shouldn’t make her this happy, but damn it, the stuffy jerk deserved it.
“Well, Miss Ramsey, who am I to stand in the way of true love?” The last words were said in a mocking tone so bitter that they made Leah wince. “If you should like GeekGirlsDontDateDukes.indd 25
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to remain here, I will not stop you. You may look to Smythe for that honor.”
With a bow that was more mocking than respectful, the valet turned on his heel and left the room.
Leah sank down on the bed, rubbing her forehead.
Why didn’t she feel triumphant? Hurdle number one had been cleared. So what was with the nervous bubble in her gut?
Swallowing her anxiety, she stood and took a deep, calming breath. Time to get her game face on and go round two with Mr. Smythe. This isn’t going to be easy, but then again, Leah thought as she exited the massive bedchamber, nothing worth doing usually is.
The corridor was wide enough to put a couple of pool tables end-to- end and still have room to play them both. Gilt-framed portraits spanned the huge hall that was lined with expensive furnishings, showpieces, and closed doors. Picking up a small vase from a marquetry table, Leah examined it in the critical way her Pawpaw had drilled into her since she was tiny.
“Holy cow,” she whispered to herself, and quickly put the ancient porcelain down. That piece could easily buy and sell a pretty nice Lexus a couple times over. Rubbing her suddenly sweaty palms against her borrowed costume skirt, Leah backed up to the wall to get another look at her surroundings. She was really beginning to worry that she was out of her league. And for a girl like Leah, who’d never met a challenge she didn’t want to fling herself face-first into, that was really saying something.
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Four
“Thoughtless, foolish chit,” Avery snarled beneath his breath as he resumed his polishing. With all the fury he felt at the beautiful girl who’d waltzed into the room as if she belonged there, he rubbed at the scuff mark.
That such a complete stranger had roused this much ire, and if he was honest, interest, made his blood bubble into an angry froth.
It was several moments later when the red fog of frustration left his brain that he looked down at the Hessian.
Blinking in surprise, he realized he’d mangled it. The boot’s toe pointed toward the floor. A costly pair of His Grace’s boots had been ruined because Avery had not kept his wits about him. He’d allowed her to divert his focus, a lapse in vigilance that could have had unforgiv-able consequences.
Letting the boot drop to the floor, Avery looked up at the beamed ceiling. Drawing air deeply into his chest, he blew it out through pursed lips, concentrating on slowing the too-rapid thumping of his heart. The prayers that his pious father had beat into him at a young age ran through his head as Avery searched for a semblance of calm.
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“Mr. Russell?”
The sweet, feminine voice with its altogether odd accent ran roughshod over his attempt at peace. His pulse surged, and he fought to maintain his focus on the wooden beams above his head.
“Mr. Russell, I’m really sorry about before. I was wondering if you could help me.”
He didn’t respond. Breathe in, hold it in…
“Oh, are you praying? I didn’t mean to interrupt. I’ll wait until you’re done.” She sat on the narrow bench beside him, her soft thigh pressing innocently against his knee. From the corner of his eye, he watched her bow her head and lace her delicate fingers together in her lap.
Her long eyelashes fluttered closed.