Sienna was the very last guest standing in the drawing room. Everyone else had set out on the scavenger hunt and she was alone, like she always was. ‘I am sure he will come,’ said Amelia softly.
‘He has made it very clear that he cannot stand me, Melia.’ She wasn’t even sure why she was waiting for the Duke. The last thing he had said to her was that he was going to get out of today’s activity, and so he had probably forgotten to tell Ash while going off to do whatever someone so enamoured with numbers did with their day. ‘It is very warm in here,’ she said, wishing she’d brought a fan with her. ‘Or perhaps my skin is burning from the humiliation.’
‘Oh, Sienna, I am sorry. I did think he was…’
Clipped, hurried footsteps sounded in the corridor and Amelia trailed off. There was a brief pause outside the door and then the Duke appeared, his pale skin flushed. He bowed stiffly. ‘I do apologise for my lateness,’ he said. ‘I received a letter that needed an urgent response and time ran away from me.’
He was normally so put together but his light blond hair was rumpled, as if he had run his hands through it many times. It was endearing, if one liked that sort of thing. ‘That is quite all right, Nolan,’ said Amelia, bustling forward, clutching a piece of paper. ‘I am afraid I must leave you to it. I have many…hosting duties to attend to. You know how it is. Sienna will explain the rules.’
Her traitorous sister thrust the scavenger list into the Duke’s hand and promptly left.
Sienna knew she should say something to ease the tension that filled the room in the rush of Amelia’s departure, but her mouth was oddly dry.
‘I understand,’ the Duke said, brandishing the paper.
‘What do you understand?’
‘The rules of a scavenger hunt. We must find the things on the list.’
‘Yes. I do not see why Amelia thought that needed explaining. What is the first item?’
He looked down at the list, running his fingers through his hair and making the ends stand up. Her heart squeezed and she frowned; she did not want to start feeling any sort of affection for him, even if he looked adorable.
‘Something appropriate for Mr Mayhew’s waistcoat,’ the Duke told her.
‘That should be easy enough.’ Adam’s waistcoats were always bright and colourful. ‘I can think of just the thing.’ This list would be quick and easy to complete. The two of them could be back within the hour and they could carry on ignoring each other for the rest of his sojourn. She pushed aside the niggling voice that told her that wasn’t necessarily a good thing. That voice was wrong. The Duke and her were opposites who would never get along, and thinking otherwise would only lead to disappointment. ‘Let us begin.’
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