Sins of a Duke by Suzanne Enoch

again.
    It took all of his control to keep from rubbing his fingertips. They felt burned. What the devil was she doing there? The Costa Habichuela contingent had journeyed to Scotland in search of further loans—or so he’d thought.
    As he turned, he slid a glance down the line. Josefina stepped forward around the man opposite her and moved back to the line again. The Duke of Harek.
    For the next ten minutes he kept the easy, mildly amused expression on his face. Inside, however, he didn’t feel nearly as calm. It was one thing to see her when he hadn’t expected to, when he’d thought he would have another fortnight to resolve his…confusion before he saw her again. It was something else entirely to stumble across her in the company of another man.
    They shifted, circling one another again. “I thought you too busy to attend a party,” she said.
    “It was the escorting duties that took too much of my time,” he returned. “Not the soirees.”
    “Ah. I thought perhaps it was fear of me.”
    Before he could answer that, the dance swept her away again. Damnation. How could her mere presence set hisworld spinning? He practically governed England, and he couldn’t speak to her without…without wanting more of her. Wanting her. Badly.
    The music ended. He shook himself and joined in the applause, then escorted Caroline back to Zachary.
    “Seb?” Zachary muttered, handing over a glass of port.
    “I’m fine,” he grumbled, taking a deep swallow.
    “I meant that she’s—”
    “May I take one of your precious moments?” her melodious voice came from behind him.
    Steeling himself, he turned around. “Of course, Your Highness,” he said crisply. “Harek.”
    “Melbourne,” Harek replied. “I wanted to come over and thank you. When you resigned from your liaison post, Prinny summoned me to take it over. I have never been more pleased to serve my country.” He smiled at Josefina.
    “Yes,” she took up. “His Grace is a delightful gentleman. He’s escorting me to the theater tomorrow night. I’ve always longed to see a London theatrical.”
    “Perhaps we can convince players to visit Costa Habichuela,” Harek commented.
    “‘We’?” Sebastian repeated. “Are you emigrating, then, Harek?”
    The duke’s smile deepened. “One never knows.”
    Sebastian wanted to hit the duke, wanted to wipe the confident, arrogant grin from his pleasant face. He curled his fingers into a fist.
    Abruptly Zachary moved between them. “A word with you, Melbourne?” he said, gesturing toward the doorway and then glancing at Harek and the princess. “Excuse us for a moment. It’s a family matter.”
    “Of course,” Josefina said, her gaze still on Sebastian.
    When Zachary nudged his shoulder he started, then turned and left the room. He kept walking, hearing Zach and Caroline on his heels, until he reached the Allendales’library. Once the three of them were inside, his brother closed the door.
    “Apologies,” Zachary said slowly, “but I wanted to avoid a scene.”
    Sebastian rounded on him. “‘A scene’? You didn’t want me to cause a scene? How dare you take it on yourself to—”
    “ I nearly caused a scene,” his brother said forcefully. “That ape. As if Harek is anything more than a poor replacement for you, because you were being noble.”
    He wasn’t so sure there was anything noble about it. “Oh.”
    “Shall we leave? I’ll have the coach brought around.”
    “Don’t be ridiculous. I won’t be chased away from a soiree because of a nitwit and a chit, royal or not.”
    “But I thought you were trying to distance yourself from her. That’s why you resigned the position.”
    “I don’t need you to protect me, Zachary. I am quite aware of who I am and what I am and what is at stake every time I open my mouth or put pen to paper. That is my responsibility and my duty and my position. Not yours.”
    “Fine. That’s my fault, I suppose, for thinking you might have grown a new heart.