The Duke's Undoing (Three Rogues and Their Ladies) by G.G. Vandagriff Page B

had declined a draught of laudanum for both his leg and his nightmares. While sparing him an addiction to the opiate, his refusal of the drug had doomed him to a dark life of bad memories, chronic pain, and exhaustion, which, of course, had the effect of making him surly. Even George thought him the devil incarnate.
    Before he could read another snippet of the novel in his hands, he heard female voices in the hall. Opening the door, he was just in time to hear the woman he recognized as Violet Archer exclaim, “Engaged to Ruisdell? Elise, you must be mad!”
    Opening the door, he came up behind her and said cheerfully, “Touched in her upper works, without a doubt, Miss Archer, but I assure you, she’s quite reformed me. The announcement’s just gone out!”
    Startled, Violet turned to face him, at an obvious loss for words. “I’ve heard of your reputation! You’re a vicious heartbreaker of the worst kind! Elise is worth a hundred of you!” He merely smiled and nodded, causing her to turn back to her friend. “I can’t believe it! Elise, is this the real reason you broke your engagement to dear Gregory?”
    “No, Violet. I did it because I knew he was really in love with you.” Elise invited them all into the navy blue saloon, carrying her vase of yellow roses. Situating them on the mantle, she asked, “Your Grace, I assume you’ll stay for luncheon? Violet?”
    After her friend’s candid admission, Violet was unable to respond but stood gaping.
    The duke took his cue from his “fiancée.” “Yes, my dear, I should be delighted.” He sat next to her on the sofa, and playing his part to the hilt, possessed himself of her hand. She threw him a fulminating glance.
    Violet said, “I came prepared to offer you my deepest apologies, Elise. Though I am in love with Gregory, I couldn’t be happy until I knew if you were pining for him. You haven’t been out until last night, and you refused to receive me.”
    Elise rang for the butler. “You know I never stir when I get to the heart of my writing, Violet. I haven’t been pining but creating a village of eccentric characters. It required all my attention, believe me.” As Bates entered, she instructed him to inform Cook that Miss Archer and his grace would stay to luncheon.
    The duke remembered again the still, veiled figure in Green Park. She was lying to Violet, he was certain of it. She had been suffering that day. And Chessingden, judging from his appearance last night and this morning, was playing some type of double game. The duke’s certainty of this had compelled him to offer himself as her protection. For Beynon’s sake, of course. His adjutant would surely not approve of Chessingden or Waterford. Or of himself, for that matter.
    A memory teased him. Something Somerset had said. Ah! The fateful charade. She had acted merely on the basis of that slim impression? Well, he could not blame her for being skittish after all that she had been through.
    One fiancé down. One to go. Then I can bow out and go back to sitting at White’s nursing my leg and besting George at piquet .
    He had lost the thread of the conversation entirely. Elise gave a merry laugh, and squeezing his fingers, she removed her hand from his grasp and placed it on his sleeve, saying, “Darling duke, I believe we’ve surprised everyone!” His arm tingled delightfully all the way up to his shoulder and across to his heart. He forgot his leg. He forgot George. He even tolerated her playful “darling Duke,” which under other circumstances would have nauseated him.
    Lady Clarice entered the room at the tail end of her niece’s declaration. “You have been very naughty, Puss. I didn’t even know a thing about your partiality for this rogue until today when he asked for my permission. I didn’t hesitate to give it, of course, knowing that your mother and therefore your father would be delighted.” Turning to Ruisdell, she said, “You haven’t forgotten our invitation to dinner