The Duchess by Bertrice Small Page A

coach and drive outside the city. There is time,” he said. “Perhaps Ocky and Sirena would like to come with us.”
    “If you can manage to live with their constant billing and cooing,” Allegra told him, “I suppose I can, too.”
    He laughed. “Is that your subtle way of saying you want to be alone with me, Allegra?”
    “We are to be married in a few months' time, Quinton. I want to know you better,” she said. “If you would really like my cousin and her affianced to come, however, I will send a servant for them.”
    “No,” he said softly, and drew her into the circle of his arms. “I want to get to know you better, too, Allegra.” He looked down into her small face, a half smile upon his lips.
    Her heart hammered suddenly. Damn, he was a handsome man! Those silvery gray eyes were mesmerizing. “Your eyelashes are surely longer than mine,” she said breathily
    He smiled openly now. “Are they?”
    “Yes!” she said. Then her eyes fastened upon the mouth that had earlier given her her first kiss. It was a big mouth, and yet it had an air of delicacy about it.
    “I think, Allegra,” the duke said, “that you need to be kissed once more before we go off to see the sunrise.”Then he kissed her again, this time his arms wrapping themselves tightly about her, his mouth pressing harder against her lips.
    A shiver raced down her spine. For the briefest moment she felt weak and helpless, then the feeling passed as quickly as it had come. When he drew away she smiled up at him, but this time she uttered not a word. She had learned after their first kiss that gentlemen didn't like to be questioned about their technique. As far as she was concerned his skills pleased her, and wasn't that enough? It was going to have to be, she reasoned to herself.
    The duke called for his carriage while Allegra sought out her father to tell him where they were going.
    “It was a wonderful ball, Papa,” she said, finding him in his library with her aunt. “Thank you so very much.” She kissed his cheek.
    “And to think you are to be a duchess!” her aunt enthused excitedly. “What a naughty pair you two were keeping such news from me these past few weeks.” She wagged a finger at them playfully.
    “I wanted Sirena to have her due,” Allegra replied. “You know quite well, Aunt Olympia, that had my betrothal been announced when Sirena's was, no one would have paid the least attention to my cousin at all. Part of having a successful season is having the people who thought little, or not at all of you, be astounded by your wonderful success in the husband hunt!” She laughed. “I doubt many thought that the modestly dowered baby sister of the Marquis of Rowley could bag an earl's heir, but Sirena did with her sweetness and her charm. I wanted her to enjoy her triumph, not have to bask in the shadow of mine.”
    Olympia Abbott's hand flew to her mouth to stifle her cry. Then the hand fell away and she said, “That youlove my daughter so dearly, even as if she were your own sister, makes me so happy.” Several tears slid down her cheeks with her pleasure.
    “Now, now, my dear,” Lord Morgan said, and leaning over he wiped the lady's tears from her cheek tenderly. “Of course Allegra loves Sirena like a sister, and have you not been a mother to my dearest child? The mother her own was not?”
    “Ohh, Septimius,” the good woman murmured, somewhat overcome.
    “The duke and I are going to ride out and see the sunrise,” Allegra said, wondering as she did if they even heard her. Then she departed the library, leaving her father and her aunt seemingly lost in each other. With a little encouragement he would marry her, Allegra thought, and it was, of course, the right thing to do.
    The duke's black coach was wonderfully well sprung and quite comfortable inside. It was drawn by four bay horses with blond manes and tails. The coach took an easterly road leaving the city. Above them the sky was fading from black to a