What a Devilish Duke Desires by Vicky Dreiling

slower pace. Then he stole a heated look at Lucy. He was mischievous and a charmer, but Lucy could not deny he was amiable and chivalrous, too. He likely had his faults, but he’d impressed her today.
    Bandit kept straining on the leash. “He thinks he can escape,” Mr. Granfield said.
    “Puppies have a great deal of energy,” Grandmama said.
    “Bandit plays hard and then flops over to sleep immediately. Last night I made the mistake of letting him lie at the foot of the bed. He woke me this morning by licking my cheek. I’m afraid my yelp frightened him. It took a while to calm him.”
    Lucy smiled at him. “How did you calm him?”
    “I held the little fellow and then petted him. Bandit likes to sit near my desk and chew his bone.”
    Bandit barked.
    “He heard his name,” Lucy said. “He’s very smart.”
    “What are you trying to tell us, Bandit?” Mr. Granfield said. He gazed at Lucy. “Bandit is probably hoping to find a pretty lady dog in the park—that or a red squirrel to chase.”
    Lucy laughed. “Which does he prefer?”
    “Both if he can manage it,” he said.
    “You are very amusing, sir,” Grandmama said.
    “Ah, we’re nearing the water,” he said.
    “I hear it,” Grandmama said with wonder in her voice.
    Lucy swore she would bring her grandmother again as soon as possible.
    “Do you know the history of the Queen’s Walk?” he asked her grandmother.
    “No,” Grandmama said.
    “It is an interesting one. Charles the Second wanted to walk all the way from Hyde Park to St. James without leaving his royal property. He commissioned a brick wall to be built around the area and called it upper St. James Park. He also built an ice house, and his illustrious guests were served cold drinks.”
    “Oh, how lavish,” Grandmama said. “What do you suppose they drank?”
    “I’ve no idea,” he said. “Perhaps lemonade.”
    Lucy glanced at him sideways. “Or something stronger,” she said.
    “Perhaps he served champagne. Have you ever drunk champagne, Miss Longmore?”
    “No, I have not,” she said. When her mother still lived, they would drink homemade elderberry wine at Christmas dinner.
    “Ah, here we are,” he said. “Now, your granddaughter has no doubt observed there are no flowers.”
    Lucy looked around. “Oh my goodness. I didn’t notice.” Probably because he’d managed to charm her, but today she didn’t mind. He’d been amiable and considerate of her grandmother. She could find no fault with him today. In truth, she felt ebullient and lighthearted in his presence.
    “No flowers at all?” Grandmama said.
    “That’s correct,” he said. When he winked at Lucy, she blushed again.
    “According to legend,” he said, “Charles’s queen learned that he had picked flowers for another lady. The queen must have been livid, because she ordered all the flowers removed, and no flowers have been planted since then.”
    “I approve of the queen’s decision,” Grandmama said with a sniff.
    He laughed. “I can’t be one hundred percent certain the story is true, but I’ve never seen flowers here.”
    “What about the basin?” Grandmama said. “Is there a story about it?”
    “Yes, there is,” he said. “In the previous century, Queen Caroline had the reservoir built to provide water to St. James’s Palace.”
    “A very practical decision,” Grandmama said. “It was truly gallant of you to take us on this tour.”
    “I enjoyed your company,” he said, smiling at Lucy as Bandit sniffed the grass.
    “Thank you,” Lucy said. Whatever doubts she’d held about him had vanished today.
    He was witty, attentive, and his manners were pleasing. She’d misjudged him the first time they had met. Now she secretly hoped that something might blossom between them. Could it be possible that he might be the one? Oh, she knew it was entirely too early to even think of a future with him, but she hoped very much that he would wish to see her again.
    “Mrs. Longmore, will