The Devil In Disguise by Stefanie Sloane

with disapproval.
    “I beg your pardon, but my friend possesses quite an imagination and took me by surprise,” Lucinda said in apology. The older woman sniffed, but she and her companions nodded and returned to perusing the selection.
    “Amelia, what on earth would lead you to believe that any of those outrageous claims would be true?”
    The look of concern disappeared from Amelia’s face, replaced by a glint of mischief. “How else would one explain your sudden lapse in judgment? ‘How could it
not
be?’ ” she repeated in a gently mocking tone. “How
could
the duke’s courtship be advantageous to you, a woman who has always declared that marriage holds no interest for you whatso—”
    “Of all people, Amelia, you’re the one I would expect to be happy for me,” Lucinda interrupted. “Wasn’t it you who told me: ‘Your one true love is out there, just waiting for the day you’ll find him.’ ”
    Amelia rolled her eyes in response. “Of course, but I wasn’t speaking of His Grace, Lucinda.”
    “But why? He’s wealthy, handsome—”
    “And a hedonist,” Amelia continued in an urgent whisper. “Rumored to have coaxed a woman out of her clothes with merely one word. Is this your one true love?”
    “Impossible,” Lucinda balked, and then couldn’t resist adding, “Who was the woman?”
    “Lady Swindon,” Amelia answered dramatically. “And she’s only one of many.”
    Lucinda’s mind raced back to the park bench, when the duke’s lips had been on hers. He’d completely undone her in less than five minutes. Lady Swindon was clearly either weaker or wiser than she.
    “I am no Lady Swindon, as you are well aware,” Lucinda said, desperately trying to harness her thoughts before they betrayed her.
    The lanky clerk appeared through the curtained doorway and came toward them, her arms laden with ribbons in every shade of red.
    “Are you absolutely certain this is all you have?” Lucinda asked, desperate to secure their privacy once more.
    “I’ll look again, my lady,” the clerk answered before disappearing back into the storeroom.
    “Exactly my point,” Amelia shot back in a hushed tone. “You are a woman of discriminating sensibility with no inclination to take a husband. So why are you engaged in this ill-conceived association with Clairemont?”
    To disappoint Amelia was unthinkable; to lie to her, impossible. Lucinda took her friend’s hand in hers and squeezed. “If I confide in you, you must promise to tell no one, not even your husband,” she said earnestly, all amusement gone.
    “Is that quite necessary? I share my deepest, most private thoughts with John—”
    “Not even John,” Lucinda insisted.
    Amelia narrowed her eyes consideringly. “Very well. I promise. But only because I am sure you wouldn’t ask this of me were it not absolutely necessary.”
    Lucinda leaned closer until there wasn’t a hairsbreadth between their skirts on the settee. “I’ve come to an agreement with the duke regarding King Solomon’s Mine,” she whispered.
    A look of confusion clouded Amelia’s face. “What on earth does a horse have to do with you finding your one true love?”
    “Nothing, actually. I’ve not changed my opinion in regards to marriage, Amelia. I am and will always be deliriously happy for you and your John, but it simply isn’t something I want.” Lucinda paused, glancing about to ensure no one was listening. “Clairemont has acquiesced to his mother’s wishes for an heir—which requires him to find a bride.”
    Amelia sat back and absorbed this piece of the puzzle, clearly still befuddled. “Well, I’m delighted he has agreed to marry, but I fail to see how this has anything to do with the horse.”
    “We’ve come to an understanding. I allow him to court me. If, at the end of the allotted time, I’ve fallen for his innumerable charms, we marry. If not, I win King Solomon’s Mine and secure the stallion for our breeding program.”
    Amelia’s mouth