Thawing A Duke's Heart (Faces of Love Series #1) Read Online Free Page A

at least better than so many others of those frivolities.”
    “Please, do give me an example, Your Grace, so that I may steer clear of any pursuit that endangers my productivity.”
    Of course, Gaffton could hear the bite in my words, and he slit his green eyes at me, but was unwilling to back down. “Well, for one thing, just the other day I heard two women who went on and on about the latest fashions of hats. It was a tedious ten minutes on the proper length of feathers.”
    “And what would you presume that ladies should do instead?” I argued back, though I did secretly agree with him on the waste of such talk. “Sit in gaming rooms like men, smoking and drinking and discussing the proper knot of a cravat?”
    “I say, that is quite a point she has, Gaffton, men can be just as vain,” Dunlop interjected, hoping to deflect the darts the Duke and I were passing to each other.
    “This is true,” Gaffton agreed. “But you will find all ladies almost constantly in a state of uselessly using their God-given time here on earth, while gentlemen, on the other hand, have business matters, etc to attend to that results in the betterment of society.”
    “So, in your mind, a proper lady should be engaged in some form of employment?”
    “Of course not, that would be entirely inappropriate.”
    “So then, by your own words, a Lady has no choice but to be frivolous with her time, as you put it. There is no help for it. It is a lucky thing that any man could bear to stand to have one around,” I added with a sharp bite.
    “Exactly my point,” Gaffton shot back.
    Dunlop gave out a long slow deflated breath. Apparently, this wasn’t the first time he had heard such utter nonsense from his companion. Then the band struck up, and Dunlop lit up with an escape.
    “Why, Miss Elisabeth, I believe I am next on your dance card, am I not?”
    Elisabeth also sighed with relief at the end of such a heated discussion. She took his arm, bidding the Duke farewell, and the two made their way to the dance floor.
    Gaffton cleared his throat in attempt to say something more, but I stopped him before he could start. I was never one to hold my tongue when provoked and who knew what words would fly out of my mouth with the guile this man inspired within me. I quickly curtsied and made my excuse to leave. It may have been wrong to leave a Duke standing there with his mouth open, but I didn’t care.

CHAPTER 4

Friends Or Competition

    * * *
    T he next day was very slow and weary as the house recovered from the evening’s festivities. I had settled myself into the library with a copy of Lady L.E.L.’s Secrets when Mother came in and sat on the chair next to me. I did my best to ignore her stares in my direction. I had already guessed by her disappointed silence at our late breakfast earlier that she was not happy with my lack of wooing the Marquess into marrying me on the spot.
    Finally, with a huff Mother rang the bell and called for tea. I continued to flip through the pages, though at this point I was no longer reading, just waiting for the storm to come.
    When the tea was poured, Mother started in on me. “Well, I don’t consider the evening a complete loss, but there are marked improvements you could make for your next meeting with Lord Dunlop.”
    I decided to stop her before she began her list. “Mother, I think Dunlop is a very nice gentleman, but last night, his interest was clearly elsewhere.” I hoped that if I turned the blame on him, Mother would leave me in peace.
    “Oh, Elisabeth,” Mother waved off my words impatiently. “Yes, she is very pretty to look at. Of course she would catch his eye at first. One might even say she planted herself beside you at the time of his entry just for that notice. However, you must not be discouraged. There is still hope for you yet.”
    “Mother, I’m not discouraged. If anything, I would be overjoyed if something did come of their night. Dunlop is a seemingly wonderful man, and I