Too Hot For A Rake Read Online Free PDF Page B

appear soon. Now, young man, you must allow me to take care of everything. I shall see to the announcement of the wedding day in the papers. And I beg one more favor of you. Please do not deny me the privilege of arranging all the details of your wedding breakfast to our dear daughter.”
    Darlington fixed her with a grim stare. “Do not trouble yourself, your grace. Your daughter has cried off. She no longer wishes to marry me.”
    The duchess stared at him in disbelief. “Cried off? But how can that be? Helena has wanted to marry you since she was in the schoolroom. Why on earth would she cry off now?”
    “Perhaps it is you who wishes to cry off, Darlington,” said the duke, his shrewd eyes fixed on his unwelcome guest. Time froze except for the ticking of the clock on the mantel.
    Darlington was the first to break the silence. “Lady Helena informed me of this last evening. She leaves me no choice but to accept her decision. If you’ll excuse me, I’m obliged to take my leave. Good day.” He bowed first to the duchess and then to the duke.
    Her grace cast a worried glance at her husband. “Please, Christopher. Don’t go without seeing our daughter. Helena sometimes takes a morning stroll before breakfast. I’ll just have a look in the garden.” She crossed to the French doors and threw them open.
    “No!” cried the duke when he spied their pup, but it was too late. The Great Dane leapt into the room, skidded across the floor and caught the end of the table linen, causing several dishes to tumble to the floor.
    “Prince!” the duchess screeched.
    Dunston lunged for Prince but the dog bounded toward Darlington, rose on his hind legs, planted his muddy paws on Darlington’s immaculate coat and licked his face.
    “Get this beast off me,” Darlington muttered through clenched teeth.
    “He’s just a pup, lad. You needn’t be afraid,” said the duke, stifling the urge to grin. He glanced at the hall door, where several staff members had gathered, drawn by the unaccustomed noise.
    “Don’t just stand there gawking, you lot. Somebody do something with the mutt, for heaven’s sake!”
    At their master’s command, two under maids rushed into the room and began to clean up the mess of broken dishes on the floor while several footmen moved cautiously toward the Great Dane. One of them managed to pull Prince away from Darlington, but not before the pup tore the sleeve of his coat from its mooring.
    “How dreadful. Let Dunston take your coat, Christopher. He’ll have it repaired in no time,” said the duchess, offering her apology. “We’ve only had Prince a few months. For the children, you see. I assure you, the dog meant no harm. He’s just a puppy.”
    Darlington fought Dunston for possession of his coat with one hand while he mopped his face dry with the other. “Leave off,” he growled, thrusting the butler’s hands away from his lapels. “My man will see to it.”
    With unaccustomed restraint, the duke managed to suppress his urge to laugh. “Just the pup’s way of being friendly, you know.”
    At this, Darlington lost control of his temper. He said acidly, “Apparently, your grace, you appear to have difficulty teaching proper manners to your dog as well as to your daughter!”
    Before the duke could put Darlington in his place for daring to hurl such an insult, the entrance of three more of the duke’s children enlivened the breakfast room. Georgiana, a debutante of seventeen years, was the acknowledged beauty of the family. Fifteen-year-old Mary was the shyest, spending as much time as she could playing the pianoforte.
    Jane, at ten the youngest Fairchild, loved to eat and to pry. These habits irritated everyone in the household from the lowliest servant to her autocratic father. “Don’t you dare hurt my Prince,” she said to the two footmen struggling to control the frisky pup. She grabbed two biscuits from the table. “Here, Prince,” she crooned in a singsong voice. “Look what