‘Nonsense!’ Edith dismissed as she continued to smile benevolently at her young protégée. ‘Jeremy Caulfield is a widower as well as being an earl.’

  Justin grimaced. ‘He is also twice Eleanor’s age and in need of a stepmother for all of those children he keeps hidden away in the nursery at Caulfield Park!’

  His grandmother raised iron-grey brows. ‘There are but three children, Justin, the heir, the spare and a girl. And anyone with eyes in their head can see that Braxton is smitten with Ellie herself, rather than having any thoughts of providing his children with another mother.’

  Justin was only too well aware that Jeremy Caulfield’s admiration of Eleanor was personal; that was made more than obvious by the warm way the other man gazed upon her so intently, and the way in which Caulfield’s hand had lingered upon hers as they’d danced together. That Eleanor returned his liking was obvious in the relaxed and natural way in which she returned the earl’s smiles and conversation. Nor could Justin deny, inwardly at least, that it would be a very good match for Eleanor if Caulfield were to become seriously enamoured of her, enough so that he made her an offer of marriage.

  It would, Justin also acknowledged, bring a quick end to his reluctant role as Eleanor’s guardian.

  An occurrence which, surprisingly, he found far less pleasing than he had thought he might.

  ‘—am afraid that I have already promised to eat supper with the dowager duchess, Lady Hawthorne and the Countess of Ambridge, my lord,’ Ellie shyly refused the invitation of the handsome and attentive Lord Jeremy Caulfield, Earl of Braxton, placing her hand upon his arm as they left the dance floor together.

  After the disastrous end to her ride in the park with Justin earlier, Ellie had been in a turmoil of trepidation about attending the Royston Ball with him this evening, only to find, once the tension of dancing the first set with Justin had been dealt with, that she was actually enjoying herself. Mainly due, she admitted, to the genuinely warm regard of such gentlemen as the attentive earl.

  Her smile faded somewhat as she looked up and saw the imposing Duke of Royston standing so disapprovingly beside his smiling grandmother; he had certainly made no effort to put Ellie at her ease this evening. How could he, when he had barely spoken two words to her since his arrival some hours ago, causing her to give a sigh of relief when their dancing together finally came to an end?

  Surely it only confirmed how deeply Justin disapproved of his grandmother’s determined interest in settling Ellie’s future, and his own reluctant involvement in it? He had made it more than obvious he would never have contemplated agreeing to it if not for his deep regard for Edith and that lady’s recent bout of ill health.

  Thankfully, the dowager duchess really had seemed to improve a little over the last few days, and although she was still pale, she gave every appearance of enjoying the evening; Ellie knew that dear lady well enough by now to know that Edith St Just would never admit to it if she were not!

  The Earl of Braxton looked genuinely disappointed by Ellie’s refusal to sit with him at supper. ‘Perhaps if I were to ask the dowager duchess’s permission—’

  ‘As Miss Rosewood is my own ward, it is my permission you would need to receive, Braxton,’ the cold voice of Justin St Just cut in.

  The older man turned, a pleasant smile curving his lips. ‘Then perhaps you might consent to allowing me to escort Miss Rosewood into supper, Royston?’

  ‘I am afraid that would not do at all, Braxton.’ The duke looked down the length of his nose at the other man.

  ‘Oh, but—’

  ‘It will not do, Eleanor,’ Justin repeated firmly as she started to protest. ‘Forgive my ward, Braxton.’ He turned back to the earl. ‘I am afraid Eleanor is new to society. As such she is unaware of the attention she has already drawn to herself by her naivety and flirtatiousness.’

  Ellie’s eyes widened at the unfairness of the accusation. Admittedly she had not sat down for a single dance since that first one with Justin, but she believed that her popularity was only because she was considered something of a curiosity, an oddity, if you will. Certainly she had not sought out any of the attentions that had been shown to her, nor did she consider she had been in the least flirtatious!

  ‘If you will excuse us, Braxton?’ Justin did not wait for the earl’s response as he took a firm grasp of Ellie’s arm before turning away.

  ‘Justin—’

  ‘We will await you in the supper room, Grandmother,’ he said to the old lady who had come up behind them, his expression grimly unapproachable as he strode rapidly towards the room in which supper was now being served, practically dragging Ellie along beside him.

  ‘Now who is the one responsible for drawing attention? To us both?’ Ellie’s cheeks burned with humiliation as she stumbled to keep up with the duke’s much longer strides, at the same time as she kept a smile fixed upon her lips for those watching them.

  Justin’s jaw clenched and he ground his back teeth together as he glared at the members of the ton who dared to so much as glance in their direction. Glances which were hastily averted under the fierceness of his chilling blue gaze.

  ‘Your Grace—’

  ‘Do not “your Grace” me in what can only be described as a feeble attempt to mimic my grandmother’s disapproving tones!’ Justin rounded on Eleanor sharply, only for his breath to catch in his throat as he saw how pale her cheeks had now become, those freckles more evident on her nose and cheeks, and that there were tears glistening in those deep-green eyes as she looked up at him reproachfully.

  Damn it to hell!

  He forced himself to slow his angry strides and loosen his tight grip upon her arm before speaking again. ‘It may not appear so, Eleanor,’ he explained, also attempting to soften the harshness of his tone, ‘but I assure you I am only acting in your best interests. For you to have singled Braxton out so soon, by eating supper alone with him, would have been as good as a declaration on your part.’

  A puzzled frown marred her creamy brow as she blinked back the tears. ‘A declaration? Of what, exactly?’

  ‘Of your willingness to accept a marriage proposal from him should one be forthcoming.’

  ‘That is utterly ridiculous...’ she recoiled with a horrified gasp ‘...when I have only just been introduced to him!’ If anything her face had grown even paler.

  Justin nodded grimly. ‘And being new to society, you are as yet unaware of the subtle nuances of courtship.’

  She shook her head, red curls bouncing against the slenderness of her creamy nape. ‘But I am sure the earl meant no such familiarity by his supper invitation. He merely wished to continue our discussion, to learn my views, on the merits or otherwise, of engaging a companion or governess for his five-year-old daughter.’

  Justin’s breath caught in his throat. ‘He discussed the future care of his young daughter with you?’

  ‘Well, yes...’ Ellie could see by the grim expression in his hard blue eyes that she had obviously done something else unacceptable. ‘It was a harmless enough conversation, surely?’

  He gave her a pitying glance. ‘It is the sort of conversation that a gentleman has with the lady who might perhaps become the new mother of that child.’

  Ellie eyes widened. ‘Surely you cannot be serious? I hardly know the man!’

  Justin gave a derisive snort. ‘Can it be that you are really as naïve as you appear to be, Eleanor? Because if that is so, then I believe my grandmother should have waited a while longer before introducing you into society.’

  ‘I do not—’

  ‘This afternoon you were all but propositioned by one of the biggest blaggards in London,’ Justin continued remorselessly. ‘And this evening you have committed the faux pas of discussing a man’s nursery with him!’

  Ellie’s cheeks now burned with humiliated colour, but she was determined not to give in without a fight. ‘Must I remind you that I would not have so much as spoken to that “blaggard” this afternoon, if not for your own acquaintance with the man? And I truly believe the earl was merely making polite conversation just now—’

  The duke cut her off with an incredulous look. ‘By consulting with you on what is best for the future education of his young, motherless daughter?’

  Ellie gave a pained frown. ‘Well...yes.’

  Had she been naïve in taking Lord Caulfield’s conversation at face value? She had not thought so at the time, but Justin knew the ways of society far better than she, after all. Yet it had seemed such a harmless conversation, Jeremy Caulfield so terribly bewildered and at a loss as to how best to bring up a little girl on his own—

  Oh, good lord...!

  ‘I believe my evening has now been quite ruined!’ Ellie almost felt as if she might quite happily sit down and cry rather than attempt to eat any of the delicious supper laid out so temptingly before her.

  Justin gave her a humourless smile. ‘Do not take on so, Eleanor, a single inappropriate conversation with a gentleman does not commit you to spending a lifetime with him. Indeed, I should not give my permission for such a marriage even if such an offer were forthcoming. And I have no doubt my grandmother is even now excusing your behaviour by reiterating to Braxton your inexperience in such matters.’

  ‘And that makes me feel so much better!’ Ellie snapped, her earlier feelings of well-being having completely dissipated during the course of this conversation.

  She had believed herself to be doing so well, to be behaving with all the dignity and decorum as befitted the supposed ward of the Duke of Royston, and instead it now seemed she had been encouraging the Earl of Braxton into believing she was in favour of him furthering his attentions towards her.

  She gave a forlorn sigh. ‘How on earth have you managed to avoid the pitfalls of the marriage mart for so long and so expertly, your Grace?’

  And just like that, Justin’s scowling and dark mood of the past twelve hours became a thing of the past, and he began to chuckle even as he moved forwards to pull back a chair for her. ‘I believe I may attribute my own success in that regard to both stealth and cunning!’

  Eleanor pursed her lips as she sat down. ‘Then perhaps you might consider tutoring me into how I might do the same, for I fear I am completely at a loss as to how to deal with it myself.’

  Justin eyed her curiously as he lowered his long length into the chair beside her, waiting until one of the footmen had placed plates of sweetmeats on the table for their enjoyment before answering her. ‘You would not consider yourself fortunate in becoming Braxton’s countess?’

  She shook her head. ‘He is a pleasant enough gentleman, I am sure, but I—I have no ambition to become the wife of any man who does not love me with all of his heart, as I intend to love him.’

  Justin studied her closely. ‘Because of the unhappy circumstances of your mother’s marriage to Frederick?’

  Eleanor nodded. ‘I can imagine nothing worse than suffering such a fate myself.’

  Justin could not help but admire the strength of her conviction, even if his own feelings on the matter were in total contradiction to her own. He thought it was far better to marry a woman for her lineage and ability to produce healthy children. On which subject... ‘And what of children, Eleanor?’ he enquired. ‘Do you have no desire to have a son or daughter of your own one day?’

  Green eyes twinkled mischievously as she looked about them pointedly, the supper room now filling with other members of the ton seeking refreshment. ‘Is our present conversation not as socially unacceptable as discussing the education of Lord Caulfield’s young daughter with him?’ she murmured softly before leaning forwards to pierce a piece of juicy pineapple with a fork and lifting it up to her lips.

  ‘Perhaps,’ Justin allowed ruefully. Then he found himself unable to look away from the fullness of her lips as they closed about the juicy fruit.

  Her expression was thoughtful as she chewed and swallowed the fruit before innocently licking the excess juice from the plumpness of her lips. ‘Then of course I would dearly love to have children of my own one day, both a son and a daughter at least. But only—’

  ‘If you were to have those children with “a man who loved you with all of his heart”,’ he finished drily.

  Ellie smiled. ‘Why are you so cynical about falling in love, your Grace...? Your Grace?’ she prompted quizzically as he started laughing again.

  He raised an eyebrow. ‘You do not find it slightly ludicrous to ask me such a personal question at the same time as continuing to address me with such formality, Eleanor?’

  ‘Perhaps,’ she allowed huskily, colour warming her cheeks.

  ‘Perhaps, Justin,’ he insisted.

  She blinked, aware that an underlying, inexplicable something seemed to have crept into their conversation, although she had no idea what it was or why it was there. ‘Would calling you Royston as your grandmother does not be more appropriate?’

  ‘Far too stuffy,’ he dismissed gruffly.

  Ellie lowered her lashes. ‘I am not sure the dowager duchess would approve—’

  ‘Not sure I would approve of what?’ Edith prompted briskly as she joined them, Lady Cicely and Lady Jocelyn accompanying her.

  Her grandson rose politely to his feet and saw to the seating of those three ladies in the chairs across the table from them, before resuming his own seat beside Ellie. ‘I was endeavouring to persuade Eleanor into calling me Justin when we are alone together or in the company of family or close friends,’ he explained with an acknowledging bow of his head towards Lady Cicely and Lady Jocelyn.

  Lady Cicely looked flustered as she glanced nervously towards the dowager duchess. ‘I am not sure...’

  ‘Is that quite the thing, Edith...?’ Lady Jocelyn frowned her own uncertainty as she too deferred to the dowager duchess for her opinion on the matter.

  Edith gave her grandson a searching glance before answering the query. ‘I do not see why not. They are cousins by marriage, after all.’

  ‘Yes, but—’

  ‘I am still unsure as to whether—’

  ‘You were rather abrupt with Braxton just now, Royston,’ the dowager duchess cut off her friends’ continued concerns as she turned to look at her grandson.

  ‘Was I?’ the duke returned unconcernedly.

  ‘You know very well that you were.’ His grandmother frowned.

  ‘I am sure he will recover all too soon,’ he murmured distractedly as he reached out to pierce another piece of fruit before holding it temptingly in front of Ellie.

  Something Ellie—even in her ‘naivety and inexperience’—knew to be entirely inappropriate. Nor did she care for the piercing intensity of Justin’s glittering gaze at it rested on her parted lips.

  At the same time she realised that this was what had changed so suddenly between them just minutes ago; one moment Justin had been berating her for her ‘flirtatiousness’ in what he believed to be her encouragement of Lord Caulfield and the next he had been shamelessly flirting with her himself. Just what was he up to?

  Was this perhaps another lesson, to see if she had learnt anything from their conversation just now?

  Whatever the reason for his behaviour, it had resulted in his drawing unwarranted attention to the two of them. As Ellie glanced nervously about them, she could see several of the older matrons in the near vicinity looking positively shocked at the intimacy of his gesture in offering to feed her the sliver of pineapple. Indeed, Lady Cicely and Lady Jocelyn both seemed to be holding their breath as they waited to see what Ellie would do next. Edith’s expression was, unfortunately, as enigmatic and unreadable as her grandson’s.

  Ellie gave a cool smile as she sat back in her chair, not quite touching the chair back itself, as she had been taught to do by her mother long ago. ‘I find I am no longer hungry for pineapple, your Grace,’ she informed him repressively. ‘Perhaps you should eat the fruit yourself? I can vouch for it being truly delicious.’ She held her breath tensely as she waited to see what Justin would do or say next.

  Chapter Seven

  Madness.

  Absolute bloody madness!

  For there could be no other reason why Justin gave every appearance of behaving like a besotted fool, enticing his ladylove with succulent titbits of fruit.

  Justin considered himself to be neither besotted nor a fool, Eleanor Rosewood was most certainly not his ladylove—nor would she ever be—and the only enticing that had ever interested him, where any woman was concerned, took place between silken sheets—and it was fruit of the forbidden kind!

  He looked into those emerald-green eyes just inches from his own and knew from the uncertainty, the slight panic he detected in their depths, that Eleanor’s casual dismissal just now was purely an act she had assumed for their audience. That the widening of her pupils, the bloom of colour in her cheeks, her slightly parted lips, and the barest movement of her breasts as she breathed shallowly, were indicative of what she was really feeling.

  And Justin had no trouble at all recognising that.

  Arousal.

  For all that she might express her resentment of him in the role he now held in her life as her guardian and protector, and despite her rebelling against any and all restrictions he might choose to place upon her actions, she could not hide the fact she also found him physically attractive, despite her stated aversion to ‘lust’ being the reason for her mother’s marriage to Frederick.

  A knowledge that caused Justin’s lips to curl into a satisfied smile as he straightened. ‘Much better, Eleanor,’ he drawled as he discarded both the fork and pineapple on to his plate before turning to the three older ladies seated across from them. ‘I am endeavouring, at her request, to tutor Eleanor in how best to deter over-zealous gentlemen of the ton, without also offending them,’ he explained wryly as Lady Cicely and Lady Jocelyn, at least, continued to look upon him in obvious shock.