Say Yes to the Duke Read Online Free Page A

bring a companion.
     My mother believed Her Grace was to chaperone.”
    “An understandable mistake. Your maid will serve as a chaperone just as well.”
    What he was proposing wasn’t exactly proper. Surely he must know. But he was striving
     to accommodate her, wasn’t he? She didn’t want to be churlish and overly demanding.
     She was an uninvited guest, really. Her invitation hadn’t counted, not if the dowager
     wasn’t in her right mind when she wrote it.
    Which was why Janice said, “Yes, my maid will do,” although Isobel most certainly
     wouldn’t. She and Janice were the same age—down to the same birthday—and Izzy was
     the opposite of strict and mature, not to mention she had the colorful manners of
     a girl who’d grown up in a traveling circus and regularly ridden on elephants as a
     child.
    But Janice would agree to anything at the moment. She looked longingly at the front
     door.
    “Your maid will do until I procure you a genuine chaperone, of course,” the duke clarified.
     “We can’t have your mother concerned.”
    There was that enigmatic half smile again, the one that made her heart beat faster
     with the slightest twinge of worry. “That’s good of you, Your Grace,” she said. “Thank
     you.”
    “I have just the person,” he said with alacrity. “A widow who recently moved to the
     estate. A former schoolteacher. Her name is Mrs. Friday. I’ll send someone for her
     immediately.”
    “Thank you, Your Grace.” A shaft of icy air angled down from the roof and flung snowflakes
     beneath Janice’s bonnet. “Are you sure she won’t mind having her routine disrupted?”
    “She’ll welcome a change; I’m sure of it.” He raised a hand and snapped his fingers.
     A footman came running over, and Halsey gave him directions. “Send someone to fetch
     Mrs. Friday straightaway. Tell her I’ll compromise her well”—there was a cough from
     one of his friends, and Janice felt her eyes go wide—“ compensate her well,” he went on smoothly, “especially as we’re giving her such short notice.”
    He turned back to Janice, completely unfazed by his outrageous faux pas. Dukes didn’t
     need to feel embarrassed about such things.
    “Thank you, Your Grace.” Janice tried to smile. “I look forward to meeting your grandmother.
     I may not be a nurse, but I can…”—She paused, her entire body heating up when she
     saw Luke Callahan walk with quiet resolve behind Halsey toward the carriage, where
     he put his hand on the horse’s harness and made direct eye contact with her—“keep
     her company,” she finished lamely.
    Even through the snowfall, the groom’s gaze was bold. Unyielding. The message was
     clear: Don’t forget what I said about him.
    The duke, of course.
    But who was he to talk, this Mr. Callahan? Hadn’t he agreed with her that he was no
     saint himself?
    Janice looked away from him as fast as she could. Warring with her annoyance with
     the man was the ridiculous exhilaration that rushed through her at the sight of him.
    He’d kissed her.
    Really kissed her.
    And she’d never forget.
    Never, ever.
    Although she wished she could. He was a blackguard, a ne’er-do-well. And he’d laughed
     at her when she’d slapped him.
    The hounds began to whine and wag their massive tails at him, which caused the duke
     and his friends to look in his direction.
    “You! Groom!” His Grace shouted. “Get over here and pick this up.” He pointed to the
     still-smoking cheroot in the snow.
    Inwardly, Janice winced. Despite her disapproval of Mr. Callahan on general principles,
     she couldn’t help feeling very strongly that he didn’t deserve to be addressed with
     so little dignity. He was intelligent. Shrewd. All virile man. This she knew from
     experience. Very close experience.
    She sensed a split second’s hesitation before he left the horse, but then he walked
     toward Janice and the duke with a fearless gait and she found herself bracing. For heaven’s