Geek Girls Don't Date Dukes by Gina Lamm

relief and foreboding. The next
    tourney was set. He must fight once more.
    The dressing room carpet was turned up at the
    corners, and Leah was nowhere to be seen. Filling his
    chest with air, he tipped his head back and stared at the
    beamed ceiling. He should not be disappointed at her
    absence. He should not think of her at all. But he was,
    GeekGirlsDontDateDukes.indd 83
    4/11/13 11:26 AM
    84
    Gina Lamm
    Geek Girls Don’t Date Dukes
    and he did, and he could not resist searching the nearby
    corridor for her.
    The doorknob squeaked softly as he twisted it.
    “Miss Ramsey?” His whisper echoed down the long
    hall.
    There was no answer.
    You shame yourself, his mind seemed to chastise him.
    Mind your duties. The chit is about her tasks, as well she should be.
    With his rationality restored, Avery turned and
    marched down the main stairs toward the butler’s pantry.
    Mrs. Harper and Smythe must be informed of His
    Grace’s journey and of the dowager’s rout. The Duke of
    Granville’s ancient mother did not entertain often, but
    when she chose to do so, it was a highlight of the ton.
    Most people lived in fear of the dowager, and rightly so.
    But they also desperately sought her good opinion. If she
    was entertaining, there would be such a crush that the
    servants of two households would be a necessity, not a
    luxury.
    The timing, however, was less than ideal. If Miss
    Ramsey were to commit an error in service at the
    dowager’s home, more than her own position would be
    at stake.
    Avery’s blood chilled as he rounded the corridor and
    knocked on the door to the butler’s pantry. The dowager
    had been known to have unsatisfactory servants tossed
    into prison for the merest offense. There was not much
    time for Miss Ramsey to learn to serve properly.
    “Enter,” Smythe called.
    Avery made a vow as he entered the small room. He
    must do his best to prepare her for the morrow. Whether
    GeekGirlsDontDateDukes.indd 84
    4/11/13 11:26 AM
    Geek Girls Don’t Date Dukes
    85
    he thought her mad or merely a dreamer, she could not
    last in Newgate.
    She’d not go on his watch.
    i
    The bucket of ashes was freaking heavy. Leah thunked it
    down on the top step, breathing heavily as she eyed the
    long back stairway to the servant’s hall downstairs.
    Take the bucket to the kitchens to dump it out. Grab a broom and go back upstairs. Sweep the dressing room, then dust it, then put the carpet back. Set the fire, however the hell you do that.
    The list of chores swirled in her head, weighing her
    down, and she gripped the banister to stop herself from
    tipping forward.
    The last thing she needed was a tumble downstairs.
    How did anyone remember this ridiculous list of stuff
    to do? No wonder all these servants were so pissy. Their
    brains were overworked as well as their bodies.
    Leaning sideways to ease the crink in her back, Leah
    let her eyes flutter closed. If only she’d had a couple
    hours more sleep, then maybe she’d be sharp enough to
    handle the enormity of this job.
    A heavy metallic clang ripped her eyes open, and
    she watched dumbfounded as the formerly full bucket
    bounced down the stairs, scattering ash and dust in all
    directions.
    Whirling, she caught a glimpse of a too- large mobcap
    and dark skirts disappearing into a nearby bedroom.
    That little snot.
    With Henrietta’s name poised in an angry roar on her
    lips, Leah charged toward the door after her.
    GeekGirlsDontDateDukes.indd 85
    4/11/13 11:26 AM
    86
    Gina Lamm
    Geek Girls Don’t Date Dukes
    “Ramsey! Whatever have you done, you clumsy
    girl?” Mrs. Harper’s voice stopped Leah short. Wincing,
    she turned and rubbed suddenly sweaty palms down her
    skirt. The housekeeper glared up at her from the bottom
    of the stairs.
    “Mrs. Harper, I’m so sorry about that. I’d set it down
    for a second, and someone ran by and tipped it over,”
    Leah explained lamely. “I didn’t— ”
    “Blaming your faults on others will not be tolerated
    in this