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Surely no e in mind

—The Scandal Sheet, October 1823

He was the last to arrive to dinner Deliberately

Sie andthat he was cothe dinner at all, so he took perverse pleasure in knowing that he was several ies, but Juliana would know ied by an impetuous female

He was the Duke of Leighton Let her try to forget it

He could not help the wave of triu the large, e what he had already knoould be the case—they had begun dinner without him

Entering the house, he handed his hat, cloak, and gloves to a nearby foot for the wide center staircase that would lead to the second floor and the dining roorew louder as he drew closer, finally turning down the long, brightly lit hallway and entering thefor dinner to begin

They ha

d held the meal for him

Which made him feel like an ass

Of course, no one see for hi a lovely tientlehtly around Juliana that all Si ebony curls piled on top of her head

Instantly, the reason for the dinner became clear

Lady Ralston was playing matchmaker

The thought was punctuated by a loud burst of laughter froh, lovely, feether too e He had not expected this

And he found that he did not like it

“So happy you decided to join us, Leighton”

Ralston’s sarcastic words shook Si his attention to Lady Ralston “I do apologize, my lady”

The raciousness “No need, Your Grace Indeed, the extra time afforded us all an opportunity to chat”

The gentle re Juliana returned his attention there, and he watched, carefully hiding his thoughts as first one roup to be seated—ulti only the Earl of Allendale and, on his arm, Juliana

Dressed in the own Simon had ever seen

No wonder the others had been so entranced

The dress was a scandal in itself, silk the color ofher the illusion of being wrapped in the night sky It was a co the appearance that she earing the richest of color and simultaneously no color at all The bodice was cut entirely too low, showing a wide expanse of her crea him to come closer To touch her

She wore the dress with a bold confidence that no other woman in the room—in London—would have been able to affect

She knew that wearing black would cause a scene Kneould oddess Kneould driveown and claim her

Siht and was flooded with an intense urge to relances of the other men

Surely Ralston knew this dress was entirely i the worst kind of attention Siaze over theto know no such thing

And then Juliana was passing him, a whisper of silk and red currants, escorted by the Earl of Allendale, to take her own seat at the center of the long, lavish banquet, sentlemen who immediately turned their attention to her

He wanted to take each one of the lances He should have refused this invitation Every moment he ith this i

He did not care for the sensation

He took his seat next to the Marchioness of Ralston, the place of honor that had been held for him as the duke in attendance as not family He spent the first three courses in polite conversation with Lady Ralston, Rivington, and his sister, Lady Margaret Talbott As they ate, Sinore the activity at the center of the table, where a collection of gentleain Juliana’s attention

It was ihed and teased with the others around the table, gifting the eyes Instead, while half participating in the conversation near him, Simon silently tracked her wood, Brearley, and West—each untitled and self- harder than the last for her attention

West, the publisher of the Gazette, was regaling her with some idiotic story about a journalist and a street carnival

“—I will say this, at least he returned the hat!”

“The reporter’s hat?” Longwood asked, as though the two of the show

“The bear’s hat!”

Juliana dissolved into laughter along with the rest of the foolish group

Simon returned his attention to his plate

Could they not even find aristocrats hoh she need stoop so low as to marry a commoner

During the fourth course, Juliana’s attention was claimed almost entirely by Lord Stanhope, ould a and women To be fair, he alon at cards, but surely Ralston did not want his sister married to an inveterate rake

Casting a sidelong glance at the marquess, who appeared to be equally entertained by Stanhope, Siic Rakes enjoyed the company of rakes

He did his best to focus on the veal throughout the fifth course, pretending not to notice the long, graceful colu his desire to place his lips to the spot where her neck met her shoulder—that place that would sue

He knew he should not look, but everything about her called to him She was a siren

If he was not careful, he would drown in her

A burst of laughter brought him back to the moment, to the event The conversation had shifted froentle word The Earl of Allendale was holding court, regaling the entire table with tales of Lord and Lady Ralston’s courtship

Juliana listened with rapt attention, her sparkling gaze glued to Allendale, and a pang of discontent flared deep in Siut What would it be like to be the source of such pleasure? To be the man who elicited such a vibrant response? Such approval?

“Suffice it to say, I had never seen two people so destined for each other,” Allendale said, his gaze lingering a touch too long on Juliana in a manner that Simon did not care for

Juliana grinned “It is a pity it tookto realize it”

The earl hed It was the second tiive special attention to Juliana, and it did not escape hi tendre between the two

Simon sat back in his chair

Allendale was entirely wrong for her Too good-natured Too genial She’d run roughshod over him before he knehat had hit him

He was not h for her

Si that the e between his sister and brother-in-law, but Ralston only had eyes for his wife He lifted his glass and toasted his wife “I a to make up for it”

Simon looked away, uncomfortable with the obvious affection between the marquess and the marchioness His attention returned to Juliana, her blue eyes softening as she took in the intimate moment

The too-intimate moment

He did not belong here

Not with her Not with her fa, even at a for all attendees so very comfortable

So unlike his own family

So co

It was not for him

A blush high on her cheeks, the , I think it only right that we toast His Grace for his role in rescuing our Juliana, don’t you agree, my lord?”

The words, projected down the table at her husband, surprised Sie, Lady Calpurnia Hartwell had been a first-rate wallfloould never have commanded such attention She had found her voice

Ralston raised his glass “A capital idea

, hton With thanks”

Around the table, the gentlelasses and drank to Simon, and he was torn between a keen respect for the way this fa their thanks entirely public and ad Juliana’s adventure, they had effectively reossips’ sails—and a hot irritation that he had been so well-and-truly used

The Duchess of Rivington leaned in with a knowing shts “Consider yourself fairly warned, Your Grace Now that you have saved one of us, you shan’t be able to escape!”

Everyone laughed Everyone except Simon, who forced a polite smile and took a drink

“I adhtness in her tone that he did not entirely believe “I iain him more than our constant companionship”

He loathed this conversation Affecting a look of ducal boredo heroic about it”

“Your hton,” Stanhope called out, jovially “The rest of us would happily accept the gratitude of such a beautiful lady”

A plate was set in front of hi Stanhope

“Tell us the story!” West said

“I would prefer we didn’t rehash it, Mr West,” he said, forcing a sh of the tale, myself”

The statement was met with a round of dissent fro for a recounting

Simon remained silent

“I agree with His Grace” The raucous chatter around the table quieted at the soft stateht with an Italian accent, and Siaze to meet Juliana’s “There is not much more to it than that he saved my life And without him—” She paused

He did not want her to finish the sentence

She deh to say that I arateful that you came to the park that afternoon”—she returned her attention to the rest of the group with a light—“and even rateful that he can swim”