Loved by a Duke (The Heart of a Duke #4)(41)

What manner of madness had possessed him to kiss her? For God’s sake, he had no right desiring her as he did. She was the sister of a man he’d gotten killed and a girl he’d never before seen as anything more than a vexing, spirited child, and then an equally vexing, spirited young lady.

Only now he knew she tasted like warmed chocolate and honey with the hint of lavender water on her person and, God forgive him, he’d wanted to search out the spot she’d dabbed that intoxicating fragrance. “I’m going to hell,” he mumbled into the leather volume. He opened his eyes and stared at the ivory pages. “It was just a kiss,” he bit out and with determination sat back in his seat. Just a kiss. Taking a deep, calming breath, he smoothed his hands over the wrinkled page trying to put some order to his turbulent thoughts. Of course he would react as he had to Daisy. As Wessex had so unhelpfully pointed out, she was no longer a small child who dogged his footsteps and winked once when things were splendid or twice when she required rescuing. No, instead she was the troublesome vixen who wandered through the streets of London unchaperoned and winked once when things were splendid and twice in need of rescuing. With one more slow, deliberate breath, he evaluated the handful of words he’d penned just moments before he’d been consumed by the memory of how right it had felt to hold Daisy in his arms.

He flipped through the pages of his book, pausing on yesterday evening’s entry.

Dear Lionel,

It is my intention to find a devoted, caring gentleman for your sister…

He drummed his fingertips over the now dried ink. He’d long known Daisy possessed a romantic heart. Now he knew she sought a husband who would be devoted, as she certainly deserved nothing less. Auric firmed his lips into a hard, furious line and continued turning pages to the most recently completed entry.

Dear Lionel,

I’ve compiled a list of the following gentlemen who might make Daisy a respectable match…

By the king and all his men, he’d ruin the man who failed to give her his fidelity. Though, with the amount of rogues, cads, and bastards in London who took their pleasures where they would and carried on with whores and mistresses and widows, which gentleman had proven he’d be worthy of her? Auric searched his mind of all the gentlemen he’d known through the years.

There was the Marquess of Fenworth. With two younger sisters already out in London, the young marquess had proven himself a devoted brother, standing at their side for any number of soirees and balls. Auric dipped his pen in ink and added the man’s name to Daisy’s list.

“You’ll become a duchess someday when all those other, unkind girls find themselves with mere future marquesses such as myself…” Lionel’s words to his sister all those years ago at the Marchioness of Roxbury’s summer party echoed so clear in his mind. A chill stole down Auric’s spine.

He drew a dark, hard mark through that name. No marquess. A marquess would forever remind her of the role Lionel had been intended to fill and she did not deserve that sadness. With a small, contemplative frown, Auric drummed the tip of his pen back and forth.

The Earl of Coventry. He marked the man’s name down. The dark-haired, tall gentleman, quite impressive with Gentleman Jackson was diligent in his daily routine. His prowess in the ring and his commitment spoke to his devotion. Except, it also served to conjure an image of the muscular gentleman paired with Daisy, kissing her lips in the way Auric longed to. With a growl he dragged the tip of his pen across Coventry’s name. The man was too handsome, and handsome gentlemen were invariably rogues who inevitably led to broken hearts. He’d not allow Daisy to wed a rogue.

Bloody hell. Who was there? Of course! The Baron Winterhaven. Ah, yes. Winterhaven would make her a perfect match. The bookish gentleman from his days at Oxford had been so very dedicated to his studies he’d been reputed to not miss a single class in any of his days at university. An educated, bookish man would be faithful. Such a man also lacked Daisy’s fire and passion which perfectly suited Auric—He gave his head a clearing shake. Daisy. A passionless, safe match would suit Daisy, because—well, it just would. He eyed the list coming along with a pleased nod.

A knock sounded at the door. He didn’t pick his attention up from the leather volume. “Enter,” he called out, contemplating which other devoted gentleman might make Daisy an acceptable match. It would need to be a man whose happiness would be intertwined with the lady’s, who’d see her— “The Viscount Wessex,” his butler announced.

Abandoning his efforts, he looked up as Wessex entered the room. The other man strode over, appearing entirely too bored and disinterested for one who’d identified their obligation to Daisy. With a yawn, he sank into one of two leather chairs opposite Auric’s desk. “Well?”

“Well?” he asked impatiently. Did the man believe him a mind reader?

“Knowing you and your fixation on that journal,” he jerked his chin toward the opened book. “you’ve already lined up at least three possible suitors for the lady on those pages. Well, then, who are they?” Without allowing Auric an opportunity to respond, he leaned over and swiped the book off his desk. Wessex skimmed his gaze over the page. “Hmm.”

Cross at the other man’s audacity, Auric glowered. Then, Wessex would have to one, look up to note his displeasure and two, care. Their friendship went back far enough that he’d never intimidated easily. Auric’s curiosity got the better of him. “What is it?”