tradesmen’s daughters are worthy of a duke’s attentions.”
A point simply must be made on the subject. And if she had to kiss a duke to prove that point, well, that was a sacrifice she was willing to make.
Gabriella swallowed and glanced at Somerset, who stood just a short distance away. A wave of doubt suddenly struck her. Could she convince him to fancy her in just three days? It seemed like such an infinitesimal amount of time. The task seemed momentous, especially given his propensity to scowl at any given female who stepped into his line of vision.
For the first time, she questioned herself. Perhaps he wouldn’t find her desirable. Perhaps he would turn her away, just as Mary said he would.
Mary must have read the uncertainty on Gabriella’s face. Flipping her fan open, she sighed. “We must accept that women of our kind aren’t likely to attract men of his distinction.”
“Women of our kind ? My God, Mary, you speak as though we are another species entirely—like rabbits or kangaroos!” She released a heavy sigh. Mary’s grim outlook could not be borne. It simply couldn’t. Gabriella’s pride wouldn’t allow it. “Very well, I will take you up on your challenge. But when I win, I will not hear another disparaging word about our kind again, is that clear?”
“Quite,” Mary said.
“Excellent.” Gabriella let out a breath and glanced at the duke. He hadn’t moved, which was no great surprise. If she didn’t know better, she’d have thought his boots were nailed to the floorboards. “I shall get on with it then.”
Three days. Good heavens, what had she agreed to?
“Wait,” she said, whirling back on her friends. “We haven’t been introduced.”
“Oh,” Julia said. “Yes, you are quite right. Well, that is a predicament indeed.”
Working hard to conceal her relief, Gabriella shook her head bleakly. “And he would have been such a jolly conquest. What a pity.”
“Ask Mr. Leventhorpe to introduce you,” Mary said.
Both Gabriella and Julia gaped at her in horror.
“The lady introduced to the gentleman?” Julia laughed, as though it were all a great joke. “Really, Mary, the idea!”
“Well.” Mary shrugged. “If Gabriella can’t manage it, then I suppose she must admit defeat.”
“That is hardly fair.” Gabriella stopped just short of stomping her foot. “It isn’t my fault we haven’t been introduced.”
“If he hasn’t asked for an introduction, then we can only presume that you haven’t captured his notice, and you are therefore unsuitable.”
Gabriella glared. To lose before the challenge had even begun was not an option worth considering. Stubbornness was in her blood. Her father had not accumulated his vast fortune by admitting defeat easily. She would persevere.
With a tight smile, Gabriella said, “You are wrong, and it will give me great pleasure to prove it. Mark my words, his grace will be eating out of my palm by breakfast.”
Mary pursed her lips. “We shall see.”
Straightening her spine, Gabriella brushed past her friends and strode confidently toward James Leventhorpe, their host and a close friend. She tapped him on the shoulder, and when he turned around to face her, she flashed him a sunny smile. “I need a favor.”
“You need only ask,” he said with his usual lazy charm.
“Introduce me to His Grace.”
The moment the words left her mouth, his lips quirked. “That, my dear, is impossible. He isn’t moving from that spot, I can assure you. You might as well ask me to fetch you the moon.”
She frowned. “Well, if he will not come to me, then take me to him .”
“That would be highly improper.”
Gabriella scoffed. “And when have you ever done the proper thing? Just last month I heard you were scolded for dancing a waltz with a footman…and at Almack’s, no less!”
The prestigious club had revoked his membership forthwith for his déclassé behavior.
“That was not my fault,” he said defensively. “The
A point simply must be made on the subject. And if she had to kiss a duke to prove that point, well, that was a sacrifice she was willing to make.
Gabriella swallowed and glanced at Somerset, who stood just a short distance away. A wave of doubt suddenly struck her. Could she convince him to fancy her in just three days? It seemed like such an infinitesimal amount of time. The task seemed momentous, especially given his propensity to scowl at any given female who stepped into his line of vision.
For the first time, she questioned herself. Perhaps he wouldn’t find her desirable. Perhaps he would turn her away, just as Mary said he would.
Mary must have read the uncertainty on Gabriella’s face. Flipping her fan open, she sighed. “We must accept that women of our kind aren’t likely to attract men of his distinction.”
“Women of our kind ? My God, Mary, you speak as though we are another species entirely—like rabbits or kangaroos!” She released a heavy sigh. Mary’s grim outlook could not be borne. It simply couldn’t. Gabriella’s pride wouldn’t allow it. “Very well, I will take you up on your challenge. But when I win, I will not hear another disparaging word about our kind again, is that clear?”
“Quite,” Mary said.
“Excellent.” Gabriella let out a breath and glanced at the duke. He hadn’t moved, which was no great surprise. If she didn’t know better, she’d have thought his boots were nailed to the floorboards. “I shall get on with it then.”
Three days. Good heavens, what had she agreed to?
“Wait,” she said, whirling back on her friends. “We haven’t been introduced.”
“Oh,” Julia said. “Yes, you are quite right. Well, that is a predicament indeed.”
Working hard to conceal her relief, Gabriella shook her head bleakly. “And he would have been such a jolly conquest. What a pity.”
“Ask Mr. Leventhorpe to introduce you,” Mary said.
Both Gabriella and Julia gaped at her in horror.
“The lady introduced to the gentleman?” Julia laughed, as though it were all a great joke. “Really, Mary, the idea!”
“Well.” Mary shrugged. “If Gabriella can’t manage it, then I suppose she must admit defeat.”
“That is hardly fair.” Gabriella stopped just short of stomping her foot. “It isn’t my fault we haven’t been introduced.”
“If he hasn’t asked for an introduction, then we can only presume that you haven’t captured his notice, and you are therefore unsuitable.”
Gabriella glared. To lose before the challenge had even begun was not an option worth considering. Stubbornness was in her blood. Her father had not accumulated his vast fortune by admitting defeat easily. She would persevere.
With a tight smile, Gabriella said, “You are wrong, and it will give me great pleasure to prove it. Mark my words, his grace will be eating out of my palm by breakfast.”
Mary pursed her lips. “We shall see.”
Straightening her spine, Gabriella brushed past her friends and strode confidently toward James Leventhorpe, their host and a close friend. She tapped him on the shoulder, and when he turned around to face her, she flashed him a sunny smile. “I need a favor.”
“You need only ask,” he said with his usual lazy charm.
“Introduce me to His Grace.”
The moment the words left her mouth, his lips quirked. “That, my dear, is impossible. He isn’t moving from that spot, I can assure you. You might as well ask me to fetch you the moon.”
She frowned. “Well, if he will not come to me, then take me to him .”
“That would be highly improper.”
Gabriella scoffed. “And when have you ever done the proper thing? Just last month I heard you were scolded for dancing a waltz with a footman…and at Almack’s, no less!”
The prestigious club had revoked his membership forthwith for his déclassé behavior.
“That was not my fault,” he said defensively. “The
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