Daisy and the Duke

Daisy and the Duke - Part 5

Duke Ian Furchess is not a man who likes to be told what to do, but the mantle of responsibility has always lain on his shoulders. For the first time, however, a gorgeous American tourist with her own royal agenda might just tempt him to go too far...

Chapter Five

At ten o'clock, Ian escorted his grandmother out onto the floor for her birthday dance. She was frail in his arms and smelled of liniment. He felt a rush of affection for her, despite her contrary ways.

As they moved circumspectly in time to the music, he caught her gazing at Guilliana with calculating eyes. "Forget it, Nana," he said. The less formal address was one he usually used only when they were alone together. "I won't be bludgeoned into marriage, not even for you."

She glared at him with snapping dark eyes, keeping her mouth curved in a smile to avoid gossip. "That countess would solve all our problems, and she's a beauty, too. Any man would be glad to have her in his bed."

The tops of his ears warmed. No one, not even a duke, wanted to discuss sex with his grandmother. "I don't love Guilliana. I'm not even attracted to her. I know I'm disappointing you, but I'd rather deed this pile of stone over to the National Trust and hide out in a single wing while tourists tramp through the halls than tie myself for life to a woman who doesn't make me happy."

"And this Daisy person? Does she make you happy?"

Ian had fudged a bit on the details of his relationship with Daisy to his grandmother. He might possibly have insinuated that they had met before. A tiny white lie, but one he regretted already.

Instead of answering her question, he countered with another. "Do you believe in love at first sight?" He had her there. He'd been told on countless occasions of how his grandmother had met her suitor reluctantly, but upon seeing him for the first time had given her heart without hesitation.

Her chin lifted. "You're an impertinent boy. Of course I do. But I married someone of equal wealth and station. Your little librarian is a nobody. Without two shillings to rub together. I can't believe the Wolffhamptons have come to this."

Feeling the weight of his grandmother's disappointment-along with the disapproval of the many ancestors whose painted eyes stared at him from gilt-framed portraits hung along the walls-Ian bowed his head for a brief moment.

Perhaps he was making a selfish mistake, choosing to be a man first, and a duke second. But for the first time since his parents and brother had died in the accident, he was doing what was right for him instead of what was expected of a duke. He'd made a phone call today, determined to master this impossible set of circumstances that had been set before him.

Over his grandmother's shoulder, he caught a glimpse of Daisy across the room. She was laughing, surrounded by a bevy of single men on the prowl, lured in by her infectious Southern accent and her unself-conscious charm.

"You asked me a question, Nana, and I didn't answer." He hugged her tightly as the dance came to an end and the room erupted in a chorus of "Happy Birthday." Stepping back to give her a formal bow, he eyed her solemnly. "Yes, Grandmother, she makes me happy."