Moonlight and the Duke (Cherish and the Duke #2)

Chapter Six

“L ord Aubrey seems to have taken a serious liking to Eden,” Connor’s mother remarked later that evening while Connor was dancing with her. This was no formal ball; however, Connor chose to claim his mother for the first dance in order not to give any particular peahen his preferential attention.

They were all too young for him, giggling like schoolgirls because that was what they had been until they were pushed out into the world earlier this year.

He, just like his mother, had noticed Aubrey hovering over Eden, quietly circling her like she were prey. The viscount had a good reputation and could be a potential match for Eden, but Connor simply did not know enough about him to pass judgment. “Yes, his attentions are hard to overlook.”

He tamped down the uneasy feeling now churning in his gut. What was it about Aubrey that bothered him? Why should Eden not find happiness with him?

Well, she had only just met the viscount. Eden was a practical woman. Connor would never consider her a gushing romantic. She wasn’t going to leap into a commitment as important as marriage with just anyone, and certainly never upon so short an acquaintance.

He shouldn’t make too much of this Aubrey chap.

“I think Eden looks particularly lovely tonight, don’t you? Lord Aubrey cannot take his eyes off her,” his mother remarked.

He growled at her—dear heaven, growling at his own mother—as he led her in a twirl. “Why the sudden fascination with Eden?”

She looked up at him innocently. “I am merely remarking on how pretty she is.”

He snorted as he led her in another twirl. “I could have told you that. She hides behind her spectacles, but her beauty is obvious for anyone who bothers to look beyond them. By the way, why isn’t she wearing her spectacles? Did you hide them from her?”

“I merely insisted that she not wear them tonight.”

“She wasn’t wearing them at this afternoon’s tea, either. Why?”

His mother cast him an admonishing look. “Need you ask? I want her to be seen in her best light. None of these men will look at her if they think she has spent her life buried in books.”

“Has she asked you to match her with anyone?”

“No. However, I have taken it upon myself to match her with someone I deem quite suitable. The dear girl may be smart as a whip, but she does not always know what is best for her.”

“And you do?” Connor tried to stifle his annoyance. Why was his mother meddling in Eden’s life? She ought to respect her privacy. After all, Eden was no child who needed to be led about by the hand. She was a vibrant and intelligent woman who was capable of making her own decisions.

Apparently, Eden’s first decision was to dance with Aubrey. They seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Connor did not like this at all. Wasn’t that bounder moving too fast? Connor was going to have a talk with him, make certain his intentions were honorable. He would pound Aubrey to dust if he meant to take advantage of Eden.

In truth, Connor would pound him to dust even if his intentions were honorable, although he did not want to consider the reason why. He was too old and set in his ways to be jealous.

Nor did he quite understand the sudden proprietary interest he had taken in Eden. Perhaps it was merely that he did not wish to see her hurt.

Yes, that was certainly the reason.

“You haven’t selected Lord Aubrey for her, have you?” He growled again at his mother. “You cannot push them together until we know more about him. Eden is…”

Gad, he was going to say that she was his to protect. Not Aubrey’s.

“What, Connor? You were going to say something about Eden.”

“Never mind.”

The dance came to an end, and he quickly escorted his mother to her circle of older friends. But he had no sooner unloaded her than the peahens began to flock around him again. “Oh, joy,” he muttered before cracking a smile and enduring their fake adulation.

As the evening wore on, Connor decided his head was going to burst if he had to listen to one more inane conversation or the endless giggles from these debutantes being thrust at him. Persephone in particular was giving him a blistering headache.

But she was not the only one. The heiress in pink, Margaret Wallingford, was going to do permanent damage to her eyeballs if she did not stop fluttering her lashes or sending him suggestive gazes behind her fan that she was constantly flipping open and shut.

Damien, the marquess’s son, was scowling at him because he had diverted the girl’s attention from him. The fool was drinking too heavily and also tossing him looks. Challenging looks, as though Connor was infringing upon his territory.

He was more than happy to shove Miss Wallingford at Damien. He could have Persephone, too. He could have all of them.

Just not Eden.

No, Eden was…

Gad, he had almost thought Eden was his , as though rescuing her from a fishpond when she was two years old had formed an irrevocable bond between them.

Perhaps it had. That was twenty-five years ago. Hadn’t he kept an eye on her ever since?

Finally, as midnight approached and the moon shone like a silver ball upon an ink-dark sky, he managed to slip onto the terrace for a breath of air.

Others were on the terrace as well. To avoid them, he strode down the steps and made his way toward one of the quieter corners of his garden, not far from the infamous fishpond where the young Eden had taken a dive. But when he got to the spot, he noticed a slender figure sitting upon a stone bench overlooking the rose beds.

He immediately recognized the young woman illuminated by moonlight. “Eden?”

He heard her soft gasp and then her release of breath. “Connor, I did not hear you approach. Thank goodness it’s you.” She slid over to allow him room beside her.

His shoulder grazed hers as he settled his large frame by her side. “Who did you think it would be?”

“Lord Aubrey, if you must know. He has been…relentlessly attentive to me all evening.”

“And you felt the need to escape him?”

She nodded. “I like him. He has been charming and not at all boorish, but it feels too much. Or perhaps it is me who is hopeless.”

He sighed. “I know what you mean. I felt the same need to escape. One can hardly breathe from all the attention. Aubrey does seem to be genuinely interested in you.”

She gave a light snort. “Interested in my funds, more likely.”

He took her hand, although he probably should not have done that. Still, he was not going to let her go just yet. Her hand felt soft and little in his. “No, Eden. Never say this is all he cares about. You are beautiful and smart. Not every man is after you for your wealth.”

She let out a ragged breath. “Oh, Connor. Yes, they are. Perhaps at one time I might have found a man who loved me for myself, but that time has come and gone. I only have myself to blame for rejecting everyone. I was a coward, afraid to be wrong and lose everything. And I seem to have lost the most important things anyway.”

Her voice was shaking as she continued, and he knew she was going to cry.

Groaning, he put his arm around her. “Eden, I cannot bear to see you this unhappy. Why will you not believe a man can love you for yourself?”

But he knew the answer already. This girl had been raised unloved.

“Let’s not talk about this here and now. It is too painful, and I am already struggling not to turn into a watering pot.” Her voice was thin and punctuated by sniffles.

“All right, love.”

Gad, why had he let that slip out?

He had hired an orchestra for the evening, and they were now playing a waltz. The strains drifted on the wind to their private corner of the garden. “Come on, Eden.” He tried to nudge her to her feet, but she resisted.

“What are you doing?” she grumbled. “I don’t want to go back inside yet.”

“I have no intention of taking you back inside.”

“Then what are you doing?”

“You’ll see. Trust me.” He took her hands in his, drew her to her feet, and then wrapped an arm around her waist.

He was pleased when she made no effort to extricate herself from his grasp, especially since he had drawn her closer than was proper. “I still don’t understand what you are doing,” she muttered, her voice a soft whisper against his ear.

He inhaled the scent of her skin, that mix of apple and jasmine or cinnamon that was so intoxicating to his senses. “The orchestra is playing a waltz. I am standing in a moonlit garden with the prettiest girl at my party. I am going to dance with that girl. Is it not my privilege as host?”

Moonbeams reflected off her eyes and made them sparkle. “You genuinely want to dance with me?”

“Yes. What is wrong with that?” He placed his palm flat across the small of her back and took her hand in his. “Any objections?”

She laughed softly, her melodic lilt falling gently upon his ears—a welcome relief from the inane giggles he had endured all evening long.

“Have you ever danced in the moonlight before, Eden?”

“No, this is my first time,” she admitted, easily following his steps as he guided her with expert skill around the flowerbeds.

“My first time, too,” he said.

She looked up at him. “Really?”

“Yes—why are you so surprised?” He kept to an easy pace as they twirled in time to the music. There were a few torches lit in the distance that were meant to keep the garden moderately illuminated. Nights were dark out here, even when the moon was bright. Quite often, a mist or clouds obscured the moon.

But not tonight. It was a perfect night. Moonlight seemed to follow Eden with her every step.

He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to kiss her soft mouth and never stop kissing her.

“You are a Silver Duke, Connor.”

She gave her lip a light nibble that had the alarming effect of shooting flames through his body. “And your point is…?”

Another soft nibble like that and he would lose all control. Fortunately, she stopped.

“You have a rakish reputation,” she said, pursing her lips.

This was almost as bad as nibbling. He wanted to kiss her more than ever.

“Do you expect me to believe you have never danced with a woman in the moonlight? Among all the ladies you have met and seduced in London, are you going to tell me not one of them has ever danced with you like this? Well, I suppose they have done more than merely dance with you.”

“Eden, when I slip away to an elegant garden, it is merely to get a breath of air. I am not saying I am a monk, not at all. I just… Hell, we should not be talking about this.”

“No, I am curious. Please go on.”

“I had better not. It is highly inappropriate for your delicate ears.”

“Connor, I am going to step on your foot if you repeat that stupid remark.”

“All right, spare my feet. But my exploits are not nearly as exciting as most people think. That London set is more about ballrooms, boudoirs, and hallway niches. They are not keen on the outdoors.”

“I love the outdoors.”

“I know, but I am not talking about the respectable activities you engage in when out among nature.”

The women of his acquaintance were like indoor cats. They liked their creature comforts. They liked engaging in the sort of dances one performed in the bedroom. Sometimes, they liked it up against a wall. Or on a desk. On a floor. Just not outside, where one’s naked arse might get bitten by a gnat or crawled on by something hidden in the grass.

And when the deed was done, in whatever manner it was done, they liked the man to leave. No arms around each other or cuddling in bed or whispering sweet nothings in one’s ear—which suited him just fine, because there was no real intimacy involved. Deed done. Get the hell out.

“Honestly, Eden. Can we not just leave it at that? You are the only woman I have ever danced with in the moonlight. Why do you look disappointed?”

“Not disappointed, merely surprised.”

He twirled her around slowly. “Well, there you have it. Our rakish reputations are exaggerated. Have I not always said so?”

She nodded. “But it is hard to believe when everyone idolizes you.”

“We encourage the naughty rumors, I suppose. But I give you my oath that I have never danced with a young lady at midnight, or any other time of night, in a garden. Nor have I ever kissed a young lady in a garden. Nor—”

“Not even kissed a woman in a garden? Connor, how can this possibly be true?”

“I don’t know. It just is.” He twirled her again, but they got too close to another couple who were in the throes of a dance of a very different sort. He heard their moans as they were reaching their climax, and quickly steered Eden away. “Nor have I ever done that in a moonlit garden.”

Eden buried her head against his shoulder and smothered a laugh. “I should be shocked,” she said, still chuckling. “I wonder who—”

“We are not going to pry,” Connor warned her. “I had better escort you back inside.”

“But the waltz hasn’t ended yet.”

“You still want to dance with me?” He was surprised, but it could be he was overly protective of Eden’s sensibilities. She was an intelligent woman, not an ignorant girl. Although she would never engage in such behavior, was it not condescending of him to think she would have a fit of the vapors over catching another couple in the act?

She sighed. “You don’t have to dance with me if you are tired of my company. But I’d like to sit out here on my own a little while longer.”

“Then I’ll stay too.” He made certain to move them away from the other couple, who seemed to have finished now, if their moans and groans were any indication.

He settled with Eden back on the stone bench where he had found her. He watched as she closed her eyes and embraced the music. Was this not the perfect moment to kiss her?

Yes, he was going to do it. Bother the consequences.

What was the worst that could happen? A compromising situation? Forced to marry Eden to protect her honor?

In truth, he would not mind this at all.

He was about to lower his head to hers when his mother’s stern voice cut through the night. “Connor!”

Hell in a handbasket.

Eden’s eyes had been closed and now flew open.

“Connor! There you are. I—” His mother came to an abrupt halt when she noticed Eden seated beside him. “I…I…”

When was the last time his mother had been left speechless?

Eden rose and stepped away from him. “Your son was kind enough to dance with me out here, Evelyn. It was a lovely, romantic gesture.”

“Dancing with you? Is that all he was doing?”

Connor growled. “What the hell else would I be doing?”

He sensed Eden’s hurt as she said, “Evelyn, this is me out here with him. He was only being nice. You know he has no interest in me.”

His mother put an arm around Eden. “Come inside with me, my dear. Lord Aubrey is looking for you.”

“Aubrey?” Connor growled again. “Don’t you think he is a bit too ardent?”

“No, I don’t,” his mother shot back. “Some men believe in the institution of marriage. Why should he not reach for a good thing when he sees it? He is only here a week. Why not spend his every waking moment getting to know Eden better? Eden, did you know he is an avid bird watcher?”

“Yes, he told me.”

“Ah, good. Then you won’t mind that I suggested he join you and the children tomorrow on your outing.”

Connor wanted to wring his mother’s neck. “You invited him to go with Eden? They are my children. Should you not have asked me first?”

“Why are you in a dither about a harmless outing?” the wily dowager replied as though she did not know full well why he was irritated, though she must have seen him about to kiss Eden.

It was a stupid idea for so many reasons.

First, Eden had her eyes closed and had no idea he was about to kiss her. At the very least, he ought to have made her aware of his intentions and given her the chance to decline.

But this was his Silver Duke arrogance. The possibility that she would not want to kiss him had never entered his mind.

The second reason kissing her was idiotic was that Eden was looking after his children for the week. Well, it was not exactly her job to do so, but she had volunteered. He did not want her distracted or made to feel uncomfortable because of a kiss.

Would she not be just as distracted by Aubrey romancing her in front of his children? It was completely inappropriate.

Eden must have heard his low growl, and spoke up before he had the chance to erupt. “Evelyn, I will explain to Lord Aubrey that he cannot join me and the children. I shall invite him to join me another day. You see, I promised the children this outing would be special and just for them. I think they will be hurt if others come along and steal my attention. I’ll propose something for the day after tomorrow. Something that others might enjoy and wish to come along.”

“Very well, my dear.” Connor’s mother patted Eden’s hand and then led her back inside.

Connor remained standing on his own in the dark. He quickly followed them back inside because he did not want to be caught out here by one of those peahens who thought to lure him into compromising her.

Eden was different. He trusted her wholeheartedly never to scheme or manipulate. Nor would he hesitate to do the honorable thing if he somehow compromised her reputation.

He walked back into the ballroom in time to see Aubrey take Eden’s hand to lead her in another dance.

His mother returned to his side as he watched. “What now, Evelyn? Have you not meddled enough?” he asked.

“Oh, I don’t think so. Lots more meddling in me still.”

“Oh, joy,” he muttered sarcastically.

“Connor, we need to speak seriously.”

“About what?”

“Do not play innocent with me. I know you were about to kiss Eden. And you have not taken your eyes off her since returning to the ballroom.”

“Only because I am worried about her. She cannot hike with my children all day long and then dance the night away, too.”

“Yes, I see your point. She will exhaust herself. Might I make a suggestion?”

He arched an eyebrow and glanced at his mother. “Why bother to ask me when you are going to speak your mind even if I forbid it?”

She smiled. “Eden’s plans are set for tomorrow. But I think you should take your children the day after that. Give Eden time to spend with Lord Aubrey.”

He was about to growl again, but held off. “Me? Take the children? Without Eden?”

“She is not your nursemaid, Connor. Why are you so reluctant to give her a chance at happiness?”

“With him ?” He nodded toward Aubrey, who was fawning over Eden and had eyes only for her.

That wretched wolf.

That Connor was doing the same thing was immaterial.

“Yes, with him,” his mother intoned. “What right do you have to interfere when you have no intention of marrying her? Will you ruin her life because she is convenient to have as your neighbor? Will you turn her into a mere bed partner? That is too cruel of you.”

He strode away from his mother, not caring that he was being unpardonably rude. The thought of Eden married was a blow straight to the gut.

Eden married and lost to him?

No, he could not imagine it.

Eden married to Aubrey?

Over my dead body.

He would marry her before he ever let—

Gad, what would his fellow Silver Dukes say if he decided to take the plunge?

Not that this would stop him from taking the drastic step if he believed it necessary to protect Eden. They had a deep and abiding friendship. Could it not turn into a love match? Well, it was something to keep in mind if Eden ever needed him.

He had resolved never to marry merely for the sake of duty. He would never do this again. Love and nothing less.

Yes, he could see himself falling in love with her.

Eden regained his attention as she twirled past him and laughed at something Aubrey had said.

What was it about Lothmere’s son that Connor did not like? Was it just his imagination? Or was he jealous?

He strode into his study to steal a moment alone and pour himself a brandy. After pouring perhaps too much in his glass, he settled in one of the leather chairs by his hearth and began to contemplate his feelings.

Gad, he hated these changes. Why could his life not go on exactly as it was now?

But he knew it could not. His children were growing up. His mother was aging, although she seemed to be managing it with far more grace than he was.

And Eden was ready to move on, aching to take the leap and finally marry. He knew this because they had spoken openly about the risks and benefits—especially the risk of trusting the man she married not to steal her wealth.

It was a serious risk, but he had heard no rumors about Aubrey or his family being in desperate need of funds to save the Lothmere holdings. Quite the opposite—they had impressive wealth. He was familiar with some of their business interests and knew they were profitable and well run.

Knowing this, was it fair to discourage Eden when she had the seemingly perfect suitor?

But this was what troubled him most, this apparent perfection in Aubrey. What would stop Eden from accepting the man if he proposed?

And what of himself?

Connor took a healthy swig of brandy as he morosely contemplated his life without Eden.

What if he declared himself and asked her to marry him?

He was a short-tempered duke with three demon children and a meddlesome mother. Not to mention he was already over forty, and his hair—which he still had, thank goodness—was starting to turn gray.

Why would she ever choose him over Aubrey?