her protection than a duke of the realm? And, of course, a woman well-versed in protecting herself from opportunistic men." Sophia laid a white hand against her equally white bosom; Calbourne followed the movement of her hand to her breast and found his gaze ensnared. Sophia smiled over a sigh. "Would that be a correct interpretation, your grace?"
He was being managed. He could feel it.
He didn't like it one bit.
"Completely accurate, Lady Dalby," Calbourne said softly. One did not get to be a duke by being manhandled by anyone, even a very seductive and entirely too clever woman of extremely uncertain, but entirely intriguing, reputation. "I thought you would be able to . . ." He paused.
In point of fact, he wasn't entirely certain what he had thought. He hadn't thought much beyond the desire to tell Sophia the current state of affairs regarding the Melverley pearls. She did have something of a sliding interest in them as they had been almost directly responsible for Caroline's quick marriage. Yes, pearls had been the weapon in that particular courtship. It was not too far afield to think they might again play a part in the London Season of 1802.
"You flatter me," Sophia said, rescuing him from any attempt he would have been forced to make to finish a thought that was unspeakable. He appreciated her effort. Dukes did not go about mismanaging simple things like pearl necklaces and private wagers. "An activity I find especially appealing." Sophia smiled slowly and touched the dangling pearl earring in her left ear with the tip of her finger. It was the most devilishly erotic gesture he had seen in a week and he could not possibly have explained why.
Calbourne recrossed his legs. Firmly.
Sophia smiled more fully, lowered her gaze, and relinquished the pearl.
"Certainly, your chivalry is to be admired," she said. "One hardly expects less of a duke, yet expectations so rarely bear the desired fruit. How thrilling it is to find that the fourth Duke of Calbourne exceeds both desire and expectation."
For a man with a most comfortable chair, he was becoming damned uncomfortable.
He was entirely certain that Sophia was responsible; as a duke, he was not in the habit of being uncomfortable.
"But I must confess to you," Sophia said, tilting her head in thought, "I simply cannot allow things to stand as they are."
"I beg your pardon?"
" 'Tis simple enough, your grace. I simply cannot allow this wager to continue for, what was it? Three days?"
"That it is what they eventually agreed upon, and not without some disturbance, I assure you. I suggested a fortnight, Dutton proposed a week, and Blakesley insisted upon three days."
"Yes, he would," Sophia said with a half smile, her gaze lowered momentarily to her lap. "And I do agree with him in theory. In practice, I must do all I can to deliver Lady Louisa from such coils as you rash men have set upon her."
"I have done no such thing," Calbourne said.
"Of course you have not, not actually , yet you are deeply involved as a sort of referee, are you not?"
"It is a simple wager, Lady Dalby. You have made more than a few of your own, have you not?"
"Caught out, I see," she said, grinning fully at him. "I have been guilty of such, and I daresay will be again, but dear Louisa must be saved, must she not? Only think of my reputation if I do nothing to save her."
"Save her, Lady Dalby? There is no force at work here. The lady will do what she will do. She either will pursue her pearls or she will not. What's to be done?"
"What indeed?" Sophia said on a soft and feminine sigh of docile acquiescence. "You put it most clearly and most brilliantly. Of course, everything you say is true. The lady will, most reliably, do what she will do. Indeed, I have no doubt at all that Louisa Kirkland will do what any woman would do in similar circumstances."
Strangely, it sounded slightly sinister when coming from her mouth, but then that was true of much of what Sophia Dalby said. She had an odd
He was being managed. He could feel it.
He didn't like it one bit.
"Completely accurate, Lady Dalby," Calbourne said softly. One did not get to be a duke by being manhandled by anyone, even a very seductive and entirely too clever woman of extremely uncertain, but entirely intriguing, reputation. "I thought you would be able to . . ." He paused.
In point of fact, he wasn't entirely certain what he had thought. He hadn't thought much beyond the desire to tell Sophia the current state of affairs regarding the Melverley pearls. She did have something of a sliding interest in them as they had been almost directly responsible for Caroline's quick marriage. Yes, pearls had been the weapon in that particular courtship. It was not too far afield to think they might again play a part in the London Season of 1802.
"You flatter me," Sophia said, rescuing him from any attempt he would have been forced to make to finish a thought that was unspeakable. He appreciated her effort. Dukes did not go about mismanaging simple things like pearl necklaces and private wagers. "An activity I find especially appealing." Sophia smiled slowly and touched the dangling pearl earring in her left ear with the tip of her finger. It was the most devilishly erotic gesture he had seen in a week and he could not possibly have explained why.
Calbourne recrossed his legs. Firmly.
Sophia smiled more fully, lowered her gaze, and relinquished the pearl.
"Certainly, your chivalry is to be admired," she said. "One hardly expects less of a duke, yet expectations so rarely bear the desired fruit. How thrilling it is to find that the fourth Duke of Calbourne exceeds both desire and expectation."
For a man with a most comfortable chair, he was becoming damned uncomfortable.
He was entirely certain that Sophia was responsible; as a duke, he was not in the habit of being uncomfortable.
"But I must confess to you," Sophia said, tilting her head in thought, "I simply cannot allow things to stand as they are."
"I beg your pardon?"
" 'Tis simple enough, your grace. I simply cannot allow this wager to continue for, what was it? Three days?"
"That it is what they eventually agreed upon, and not without some disturbance, I assure you. I suggested a fortnight, Dutton proposed a week, and Blakesley insisted upon three days."
"Yes, he would," Sophia said with a half smile, her gaze lowered momentarily to her lap. "And I do agree with him in theory. In practice, I must do all I can to deliver Lady Louisa from such coils as you rash men have set upon her."
"I have done no such thing," Calbourne said.
"Of course you have not, not actually , yet you are deeply involved as a sort of referee, are you not?"
"It is a simple wager, Lady Dalby. You have made more than a few of your own, have you not?"
"Caught out, I see," she said, grinning fully at him. "I have been guilty of such, and I daresay will be again, but dear Louisa must be saved, must she not? Only think of my reputation if I do nothing to save her."
"Save her, Lady Dalby? There is no force at work here. The lady will do what she will do. She either will pursue her pearls or she will not. What's to be done?"
"What indeed?" Sophia said on a soft and feminine sigh of docile acquiescence. "You put it most clearly and most brilliantly. Of course, everything you say is true. The lady will, most reliably, do what she will do. Indeed, I have no doubt at all that Louisa Kirkland will do what any woman would do in similar circumstances."
Strangely, it sounded slightly sinister when coming from her mouth, but then that was true of much of what Sophia Dalby said. She had an odd
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