A Duke Deceived Read Online Free PDF

a second longer than necessary, and she gloried in it. Feeling intoxicated, as she did every time she was with this enigmatic man, Bonny took her seat inside, sliding over to make room for him, happy that Martha had chosen to ride next to Emily.
    Before Radcliff got in, he accepted a letter from Bonny’s distracted uncle, who leaned into the carriage and said, “Please deliver this to my sister.”
    Bonny could not remember ever seeing the viscount look happy, but tonight must be one of the blackest nights of his unhappy life, she thought, knowing how close her uncle had been to her mother when they were young.
    “I beg you will not judge our family by Miss Allan’s simple home, your grace,” Lady Landis said to Radcliff. “My husband‘s—the viscount’s—sister, Barbara’s mother, could have married better, but there you are.” Lady Landis had no message for her sister-in-law, no farewell for Bonny, but once again ran on about how very obliged she was to his grace.
    “I am happy to be of some service,” Radcliff said stiffly. Then he climbed into the carriage. As the coachman closed the door, Radcliff sat next to Bonny, rendering her a simpering, blathering idiot again. She never felt quite herself when she was in his presence. She could think of nothing clever to say and felt totally inadequate.
    Though Bonny had not yet been presented, she had for the past few years been the object of men’s adoration. There had been the assemblies at Milford, followed by the routs in London. She had met many a noted Corinthian of exalted peerage, but no one had ever affected her as Radcliff did. With the others, she could act perfectly natural, even flirty. But with the duke, she only acted shy.
    While it would have been perfectly natural for him to speak to Emily, who sat directly across from him, the duke spoke instead to Bonny. “Since your home is so blasted far away, my plan is to travel as far as we possibly can each day. I propose to travel all night tonight, switch horses, then keep going until the sun goes down tomorrow night. I regret that riding for that many hours will be quite uncomfortable.”
    “I daresay I am used to the long ride, having made it only just recently, but I fear my cousin may not hold up as well as I do,” Bonny said, thankful that words had sprung to her suddenly insipid mind.
    Emily’s voice came to life. “Nonsense. You’ve been listening too much to my mother. As long as we can stretch our legs once in a while, I’ll do remarkably well.” She stifled a yawn.
    This was followed by a long yawn from Bonny.
    The duke pulled out his watch and held it toward the window, where light from passing street lamps allowed him to read. “It’s past two.”
    Bonny thought back to see how many hours it was since she had risen the previous morning. They had not gone to bed until four, then got up at nine-thirty to sneak off to Kepple Street. No wonder she was so tired.
    Radcliff turned to Bonny. “When I called today, your aunt said you and your cousin had left quite early.”
    “Yes, your grace,” Bonny said, “and I fear we won’t be good company for we are so very tired.”
    “We have the next few weeks for good company. For now, we must try to sleep.” He patted his shoulder. “May I offer you a shoulder for your pretty head, Miss Allan?”
    How she wished she could see his face, to read his expression, but the carriage was much too dark. She was in a dilemma to know how to respond. Should she shrug off his invitation? Or would that offend him? She decided to say nothing and gently laid her head on his shoulder.
    But going to sleep was quite another thing. Her mind kept reeling with thoughts of this quiet man beside her. His shoulder—indeed his whole body—seemed so much larger now in this small carriage. She very much liked the solid feel of his man’s body and the masculine smell of his Hungary water. She knew she had been correct about him earlier in the evening when she had