The Duchess Deal (Girl Meets Duke, #1)

by Tessa Dare

“Listen to me, will you? If she wants to leave for the country, that’s best.” He passed a hand over his twisted face. “She doesn’t need me.” “Of course she doesn’t need you.” Khan’s indignant words rang through the ballroom. “Only a fool would underscore it.” “What am I supposed to do, then?” Khan gave a long-suffering sigh. “Go. To. The. Ball. Whether you agree with her or not. Whether she goes to Swanlea or not. You know how Miss Worthing will be salivating to tear her apart. If you send her to face that on her own, you’re no better than the rest of them. First that rotter Giles—” Ash frowned. “Who’s Giles?” “The squire’s son. In Hertfordshire. Don’t tell me she hasn’t—” “Yes, yes. Of course she told me. I didn’t ask for the blackguard’s name.” Khan began again. “First Giles. Then her father. Next, that villain Robert . . .” “Wait, wait, wait. There was a Robert?” The butler winged the last cricket ball. “Robert. The one who made a pretense at courting her, when his true goal was to learn about the ladies who came into the modiste’s shop? The one who eloped with a rubber heiress? She must have told you this.” Not only did Ash not know about Robert—he didn’t even know there could be such a thing as a rubber heiress. Khan stalked about the ballroom, gathering the errant cricket balls into the basket. “Every one of those men failed Emma in the same way: He chose protecting his own pride over standing by her. And now you’ve done the same. You’d rather skulk about London play...