Dark Deceptions: A Regency and Medieval Collection of Dark Romances(60)

Georgina forced herself to accept the copy, marveling that her fingers weren’t shaking. Their hands brushed and she jerked the book close to her chest. “Thank you for the recommendation.” She lowered her head and proceeded to study the title, willing him to leave.

Of course being a duke, the man was clearly accustomed to doing just as he pleased. “You are Adam Markham’s new bride.”

It wasn’t a question.

The bothersome noble tapped his chin. “I wonder that your husband has not joined you.”

A jolt of sick humiliation coursed through her.

Salvation came from an unexpected source. “He didn’t join her because his younger brother insisted on quality time with the lovely young woman.”

Georgina spun around, her eyes alighting on Tony. Like a conquering hero, he may as well have climbed off Pegasus with sword and shield in hand. He stood at the end of the row, arms folded in a mock nonchalance, though the tension in his tight smile hinted at the anger just below the surface. Of course, the disconcertingly perceptive Duke of Aubrey was too polite to point out that said “brother” had been suspiciously absent until now.

Tony sauntered down the aisle and stopped next to Georgina, bowing low at the waist. “Your Grace.”

The duke bowed in return. “You are Markham’s younger brother, I presume?”

Tony gave him a young, cocksure smile. “I am. Anthony Markham.” He looked pointedly down at Georgina’s scattered pile of books. “Were you able to find the book you sought?”

She blinked at Tony’s clear dismissal of the duke. “Uh…yes. I found it. I found a lot of them,” she finished lamely.

Tony bent down and filled his arms with the assorted array of art books. “Very well, then we should be on our way.”

The Duke of Aubrey claimed her hand in his.

She gasped at the unexpectedness of his touch, shriveling against Tony’s side. Logic told her the Duke of Aubrey wouldn’t harm her; at least not in a public bookshop. Yet twenty years of living with her father had ingrained certain truths into her—one of them being, men had the ability to inflict pain. Something told her this man was not to be trusted.

At her silent reaction, Tony’s body seemed to turn to granite. Even the usually smiling lines at the corner of his eyes had gone hard.

The duke continued to hold Georgina’s hand far longer than was appropriate. He raised it to his lips, seemingly unaware of the internal battle she waged to stay calm in his presence.

“Again, Mrs. Markham, I must insist you read my selection.”

Georgina allowed Tony to lead her to the counter and make her purchases. “What was that about?” he whispered in her ear.

She shook her head. She could feel the duke’s intense sapphire-black eyes boring a hole into her back. This wasn’t the place.

With the exception of a single leather volume that she insisted on holding onto, she allowed the shopkeeper to bundle her large purchase. Tony steered her from the shop and into their waiting carriage.

“Now, tell me, what was that about?” The carriage lurched forward.

Georgina played with the fabric of the curtain covering the window, clenching and unclenching her hands. She lifted a single shoulder. “I don’t know.” And she didn’t. The Duke of Aubrey was a perfectly lofty stranger who’d seemed in possession of many details about her marriage along with suspicious statements and questions. “I dropped my books and he happened to be present to help me.”

Tony snorted. “The Duke of Aubrey doesn’t help anyone.”

Another frisson of unease raked her spine. A silent voice whispered that maybe Tony was right and there was more to the duke’s interest. Her exchange with Jamie flitted through her mind and she tried to determine how much the powerful nobleman had overheard.

She took the curl Jamie had ripped at only a short while ago, rubbing it between her fingers. “I don’t know, Tony. He was there. My books fell and he helped. That’s all there is to it.” She desperately hoped that was the case anyway.

“Adam won’t be pleased when he finds out,” Tony murmured.

She dropped the strand of hair and whipped her head around to look at him, letting the red velvet curtain flutter back into place. “Who is he?”

Tony’s brow furrowed. “Who is…oh, you mean the Duke of Aubrey.” It was his turn to shrug. “Most eligible bachelor in London. Quite the rogue. The ladies adore him. Not that I can understand what they find so appealing,” he said sullenly.

Georgina managed a weak smile. “Do he and Adam not get along?”

He scratched the top of his head. “Why would you think that?”

She pointed her eyes to the top of the carriage ceiling. “You said that Adam wouldn’t be pleased…”

“Because he’d be jealous.”

Georgina felt like she was being twirled in dizzying circles. “Why is he jealous of the Duke of Aubrey?” The carriage lurched to a halt, nearly sending the forgotten book on her lap tumbling to the floor. She caught it before it fell.

Tony leaned over and gave her errant curl a tug. “He’ll be jealous that Aubrey was flirting with you.”

A warm flutter fanned out in her belly but logic quickly doused the embers of happiness his words elicited. In order to be jealous, Adam would have to feel something more than casual regard for her.