Читать книгу The Duchess Hunt - Elizabeth Beacon - Страница 2

‘You?’ she observed as she finally opened heavy eyelids, her gaze still half dazed with dreams of him.

‘Me,’ Jack replied, as if even he was surprised.

‘You should be with your guests, not hobnobbing with a nonentity like me,’ she said with a drowsy smile.

A frown twitched his dark brows together and instead of going away, as she told herself she wanted him to, he sat himself beside her so she couldn’t get up without an undignified struggle.

‘I won’t have you categorise yourself a nonentity, since we never entertain any of those at Ashburton, my dear Miss Pendle.’

‘Don’t mock me,’ she ordered him crossly.

‘Not you, but I do deplore your quest to constantly belittle yourself, Jess.’

Forcing her mind to sharpen, when it wanted so badly to soften, she met his eyes steadily. ‘And I shall never join the chase and allow others to belittle me instead, Your Grace.’

‘What chase would that be?’ he asked silkily, and moved so close to her that her breath came short. ‘It’s the closed season for most country sports, Miss Pendle.’

‘Other than spinster-baiting and duke-hunting, Your Grace?’