Rhys didn’t often find himself at a loss of words—unless Georgie Cleveland was in the vicinity. In that case, he was rendered speechless quite often.

Like now, for example.

You are the one gentleman I would definitely not be marrying.

It was the truth, of course, but hearing it aloud still shocked him. Her words were so very unexpected, that was all. How on earth was a gentleman supposed to respond to that? Chivalrously, he supposed. He gave a short bow. “And what a loss for me, I might add.”

Her smile grew and her eyes lit with laughter. “Isn’t it though?”

His own lips twitched up in response as though they were in on some private joke. Yes, it truly is. Bloody hell, he was falling under her spell again.

He looked up to the sky—the safe, blue sky. “Beautiful day, is it not?”

Her friend stammered some sort of response, but it was only Georgie’s voice that he heard. Hers stuck out as it was filled with laughter.

“Yes, a beautiful day.” Her tone teased him. It all but said, Be brave, man, tell me what you’re really doing here.

Fine. Small talk about the weather wouldn’t make this any easier. He hadn’t been able to take the silence in his study one moment longer. Ever since their last encounter, that silence was filled with recriminations, and he was filled with guilt.

He owed her an apology. A proper one. And today he’d sought her out to do just that.

He dragged his gaze away from Georgie—Good Lord, no woman should look so fetching out in public. Turning his focus to her friend whose name he’d forgotten though Georgie had introduced them before, he pretended to notice the way she blushed and trembled at his undivided attention. “Would you be so kind as to give us a moment?”

Her eyes widened with shock as though he’d just suggested he was going to ravish her. “N-no, that is…” She looked to Georgie, as if seeking her permission. Georgie was all but laughing outright at her friend’s panic. “It is all right, Mary. His Grace and I were hoping to discuss the upcoming soiree, isn’t that right, Your Grace?”

He thinned his lips in displeasure. He shouldn’t have to explain why he might want a word with his guest. Mary seemed to sense his displeasure and dropped her gaze to her feet. “Of course, Your Grace. I’ll just follow behind you.”

That was her way of telling him she would be their chaperone, he supposed. Good. That was only proper.

Too little too late.

He pushed the thought to the side. One kiss had hardly ruined the girl. Soon enough he and Georgie were strolling side by side, with Mary trailing far enough behind that they could speak candidly.

Georgie was the first to break the silence, not surprisingly. “Aren’t you worried that us walking together like this will only fuel those ridiculous rumors?”

He shrugged. “I never worry about ridiculous rumors.” That much was true. After surviving true scandal, some idle gossip did not overly concern him. “Besides, you and my mother seem to think these rumors will only improve my chances of winning one of the—”

Damn. He caught himself just in time. But he couldn’t stop Georgie from taking on that ridiculously melodramatic tone as she finished for him. “One of the illustrious ladies of the list.”

He let out a sound that was part huff of amusement and part scoff of derision. Honestly, he never quite knew how to respond to her antics. They were too innocent to be mean, and yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that he and his serious ways were always at the heart of the joke.

“Are you quite done?” he said slowly, making her laugh.

“Yes, I’m done. But might I take a moment to gloat?” she asked. Turning her face to look up at him, she gave him a mischievous grin. “After all, I told you so.”

“Yes, yes. You were right, I suppose. Perhaps I was giving women—my prospective bride, in particular—too much credit. I was hoping they had more sense than silly girls like you.”

She let out a gasp of outrage but it was followed by a tinkling laugh that spoke of warm sunny days and a happy home filled with laughing children and music and dancing and—

Bloody hell, who was the silly girl now?

Not only were his thoughts fanciful and ridiculous, but he was being selfish. She’d asked about his concerns and he hadn’t thought to give her the same consideration. Perhaps these idiotic rumors about the two of them were distressing to her.

He cleared his throat. It had been a while since he’d had to be charming or selfless, but as a man on a path to woo young ladies, he ought to practice. His voice came out harsh, he couldn’t quite find the proper tone for solicitousness. “And you?” he said. “Are you concerned about the rumors. If so…”

If so, what? Would he walk away and leave her to her friend? Would he keep his distance, leaving her easy prey for an unworthy man like Lord Malcolm?

His father had taught him one important lesson when it came to managing the estate and its finances—never make an offer you are not prepared to see through. And even if she hated this walk, he wouldn’t turn away, not now that he finally had this moment alone with her.

He glanced around at the members of the ton who passed them, nodding and staring with unchecked curiosity.

Well, relatively alone. Safely alone. This was a far safer place to have a private word than at home, of that he was certain. If his mother had not walked into his study when she had the other day, he wasn’t certain what would have happened.

No, that was not true. He knew exactly what would have happened. He would have kissed her. It was no use trying to tell himself otherwise.

With a start he realized she was still looking up at him, her expression one he could not read. Part amusement, obviously, but also curiosity…or something more. Her gaze was sharp. “If not, what?” she asked.

Before he could answer, she gave her head a little shake. “It doesn’t matter. The rumors are already out there. Like you, I can see how there may be some benefits.”

“Is there a gentleman in particular you hope to make jealous?” His gruff tone made it sound like an inquisition and not a question of idle curiosity, but more importantly—where the bloody hell had that come from?

Luckily she brushed his question aside with a short laugh. “Unfortunately it would seem I am back to where I was last season. No prospects for marriage and no hopes for one.”

She sounded so forlorn that his own inexplicable surge of satisfaction seemed cruel. He tried to think of an appropriate response to such an extraordinary statement. No young lady had ever spoken to him of her prospects or lack thereof before and he found himself stymied.

Was he supposed to comfort her? Pat her shoulder or something? “Er—that is—I’m certain that’s not—”

She mercifully cut off his blustering attempt at comfort. “But I am certain you didn’t come to the park to speak of my marriage prospects, now did you?”

“No, not as such.”

She gave him a smile in response to his honesty. “Then why have you come? Were you merely out for a stroll or were you looking for me, in particular?”

“I was hoping to speak with you,” he said. “Or rather, I was looking for an opportunity to apologize.”

She arched her brows. “Apologize? For what, exactly?”

Oh bloody hell. Trust Georgie to make him spell it out. He cleared his throat. “I never properly apologized for my behavior at the ball.”

“And you still haven’t now,” she said.

He shot her a quick look, surprised by her lighthearted tone, though he shouldn’t have been. Trust Georgie to turn his apology into a joke. “No, you’re right.” He stopped and turned to face her. “I am sorry, Georgie. My actions were inexcusable and out of character. I dishonored us both with my—”

“Please stop. That’s quite enough.”

To his surprise, he saw that Georgie’s typical smile had faded, and she looked…pained. She recovered quickly and waved her hand as though brushing his words aside. “I did not mean to interrupt, it is just…”

It was just…what? His curiosity was well beyond piqued. He waited anxiously for her next words.

She turned to keep walking so he was forced to fall into step beside her. “I was there too, you know. It wasn’t as though I protested, now was it?”

He honestly didn’t know what to say to that. What was she saying? That his advances had been…wanted? His devilish mind eagerly called up fragmented memories of that kiss—her eager response, the soft sounds she made in response.

No, she had most certainly not protested.

Hell, he should never have let his mind wander. Now he couldn’t seem to focus on anything other than how beautiful her hair looked in the sunlight and how gracefully she walked.

Lord, he was losing his senses entirely. It was about time he found himself a wife and ended this whole courtship endeavor once and for all so he could go back to focusing on the things that mattered.

“Besides,” she said with a sigh. “I’ve seen my brothers after they’ve imbibed too much whiskey.” She shrugged as though she didn’t know she was offending him completely. “It shouldn’t surprise me that it would cause you to act out of character.”

“Are you implying that I was…” He stumbled for the words a bit, feeling every bit the stodgy blustering old duke. “I was not inebriated.”

A small group walking past them shot them startled looks. He held his head up high and looked down his nose at them. This conversation was private. Georgie, he noticed, was gracing the curious group with a gracious smile as she made the proper pleasantries.

He kept his mouth shut, not trusting himself to make idle chit-chat at a time like this. Hello…yes, quite the beautiful day…now mind your own bloody business.

Best he leave the small talk to Georgie.

After they passed, she turned to face him. “Were you not inebriated then?”

He blinked at the sudden return to their conversation as though it had never been interrupted. “No!”

Now it was her turn to blink rapidly in the face of what was admittedly a roar.

“My word,” she said quietly. “I suppose now it is I who should be apologizing for offending your honor.”

He let out an unseemly snort of disgust. The kind he typically reserved for his brother when they bickered. “Don’t be ridiculous. I am merely telling you that I do not overindulge. In anything.”

She didn’t respond. That lack of response put him on edge. Sure enough, when he glanced down he saw her lips pressed together in what was very clearly an ill-disguised attempt at smothering a laugh.

Oh bloody hell.

“Say it,” he said with a wave of his hand. “Whatever silly comment is making you contort with amusement at my expense, just say it and be done with it.”

The laugh escaped her with a burst of air. “I’m sorry, Your Grace. It’s just…I was thinking how nice it must be for you not to be hindered by the same follies that we mere mortals suffer.”

He gaped at her for a moment, but her eyes were so wide. So guileless and filled with mirth. He found himself making a noise.

What the bloody…

The laugh started as a sort of grumble before tumbling out as an honest to God laugh. He shook his head, ignoring the stares of passersby, noticing only the way Georgie was beaming up at him like a proud mama.

“You are exasperating, Georgie. You do know that, don’t you?”

“I’ve been told often,” she said.

He laughed again at the pride in her tone.

A silence passed between them that was neither stilted nor thick with tension. They walked for a moment in a quiet that was really quite pleasurable.

But of course, that could not last. Not with Georgie around. He felt her hesitation as she looked up at him and then away quickly, her hands clasping and unclasping in front of her as she very clearly battled within herself over what she was about to say.

“What is it?”

She cleared her throat. “I have been meaning to apologize to you as well, Your Grace.”

He looked down in surprise. “For what?”

Her tongue darted out to wet her lips and he looked away quickly.

Bloody hell.

“I was angry that night,” she started. It went without saying what night she referred to, he supposed. “But I should not have said what I did about your family. I should not have mentioned the scandal. That was low and—”

“You were right,” he said, surprising himself as much as her. “That is, I offended your family as well—a fact that I regret, I assure you. But you were right to put me in my place.”

“I—I—”

Her stammering made him smile, his cheek muscles feeling the strain of such an unusual expression. “Are you at a loss for words, Miss Cleveland?” he asked mildly.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you teasing me, Your Grace?”

He very nearly laughed again. Yes, he supposed he was.

She didn’t wait for him to answer. “And yes, I was temporarily speechless. It is not every day one hears the Duke of Roxborough say that he was wrong.”

He scowled down at her, but his anger was feigned, as she well knew. “I did not say I was wrong. I said you were right.”

“Ah,” she said with a laugh. “My mistake.”

“Besides,” he said, looking straight ahead. “Your comment about my family’s past scandal caught me off guard, but you only spoke the truth.”

“Still,” she said with a sigh. “As one whose family deals with scandal on a surprisingly regular basis, I should have known well enough to hold my tongue.”

Her sigh did something funny to him. He understood it. In that moment he understood her—or at least, he knew where she was coming from. It was not easy growing up in the midst of gossip and accusations. He had the most alarming urge to reach out to her, right here in public.

That would not do.

She glanced up at him. “Do you know the nice thing about having a scandalous father?”

He gaped at her. Who on earth uttered something like that?

Georgie, he supposed. Only Georgie.

She didn’t wait for an answer. “You really know who your friends are, don’t you?” She looked up at him, her brows arched in question.

“Yes, I suppose so,” he murmured. There was no arguing the truth of that and for some odd reason he felt he needed to add to it. To offer something in return for her brave candor. “In my case, I suppose I learned who I could trust, outside of my immediate family, of course.”

She looked up at him. “And who is that?”

His smile held no amusement. “No one.”

She widened her eyes. “Well,” she said, her breathless voice a giveaway that he’d surprised her with that cold, hard fact. “That’s a rather dreary outlook.”

He shrugged. “Dreary, perhaps, but it’s helped to keep from any further scandal.”

“Mmm.” Her murmur of agreement sounded thoughtful, if such a thing was possible. “Still, it’s a bleak way to view your fellow man, is it not?” Before he could respond, she continued. “Now it’s becoming abundantly clear why you’re so keen on screening your ladies of the list.”

She gave the term a ridiculous French accent that time. He sighed. “Do stop calling them that.”

She ignored him, turning to face him with an expression so hopeful, he found himself growing distinctly uneasy. “Perhaps I can help you.”

Yes, he was definitely right to be uneasy. “Help me how? With what?” Then, “I don’t require any help, thank you.”

She wasn’t listening. “I can help you narrow down your list so you find the perfect duchess.”

“What? No. Why? Whatever for?” Good Lord, five minutes alone with this insufferable woman and he was a tongue-tied baboon.

She was already walking away and he had to hurry to catch up. “I don’t not trust people like you, but I am a good judge of character.”

He let out a huff of amusement. “You?”

She looked up with arched brows. “Yes, me. I saw through Lord Malcolm quickly enough, did I not?”

“Yes, you definitely did.” He had to give her credit on that score, particularly since he’d been so quick to doubt her that night. “I still don’t see how you could be of assistance, though.” And quite frankly the very thought of it was making him uneasy.

In fact, every time Georgie so blithely mentioned that blasted list he felt a surge of something alarmingly akin to outrage. Or maybe it was a specific type of jealousy. Whatever it was, it reminded him of how he’d felt when she’d said he was like a brother.

Brother, my arse.

He was not her brother and she was not his sister, nor any other close relation whom he should be confiding in about his marital prospects.

He was so caught up in his own inner rebellion, he nearly missed the fact that she was still talking, so rapidly it was nearly impossible to catch up.

“…I think I would be quite good at it, don’t you?” she asked.

“Uh,” he started. He needn’t have worried, she did not seem to require a response.

“Yes, I think I’d make a fine spy on your behalf.”

Oh Lord, what on earth was she on about now? “I have no need of a spy, Georgie. But if I should have such a need in the future, I will be sure to keep you in mind.”

“First teasing and now sarcasm?” She laughed, briefly resting a hand on his arm as though it were the most natural thing in the world to touch him so intimately.

No, not intimately, it was merely…friendly.

He scowled down at her. Damn, there was that blasted sensation again. Outrage didn’t begin to cover it.

He had the most ludicrous desire to kiss her again. Right here, even though they were surrounded by the ton. Precisely because they were surrounded by the ton. There was no denying it. Some primitive part of him wanted to kiss her right here and now and brand her as his for all the world to see.

It was a ridiculous urge, obviously. One born out of this irrational anger that rose up in him every time she relegated him to some harmless, platonic role such as friend.

He had to clench his hands into fists to keep from reaching out and showing her just how much of a friend he was not. He was a man, dammit. Made of flesh and blood, like everyone else.

Oh hell, what had come over him? A duke’s temper was even-keeled. He was rational above all else. He had to be when so many others were depending on him.

It was his father’s voice he heard, but it was still the truth.

Georgie had moved on. It seemed she’d recently read a novel that involved a female spy and now she was recounting the sordid tale as though it were the most natural thing in the world to talk so freely to a gentleman. To a duke. To him.

He found his hands relaxing. Then he was laughing at the utter ridiculousness of the drivel she read.

When he called it that to her, she’d recoiled in mock horror before starting in on a diatribe about the moral benefits of reading “drivel.”

He found himself laughing more in those few minutes than he had in years. When her steady stream of chatter turned to talk of gossip and preparations for the upcoming soiree at his home, he found himself reluctant to interrupt, though he had a veritable mountain of work awaiting him at home.

The sound of her voice was so pleasant, her laughter so infectious, he hardly realized that another half hour passed without so much as a thought to the obligations he’d been ignoring.

As they found themselves back in front of his home once more, the poor forgotten Mary once again rejoining their ranks, he found he’d lost track of time all together.

He watched Georgie disappear into a drawing room with Mary, the light seeming to fade straight out of his life as she left.

Staring at the closed door that separated them, he took one last moment to ponder what in the bloody hell had just happened.