her future on the game. If nothing else, it would prove entertainment for the evening and deflect unwanted feelings linked to Aunt Min’s passing; although the notion paled when he considered the redundancy of forging the bargain when one already knew the outcome.
He picked up the white queen and tossed it across the salon. She captured it in a smooth arc of her hand.
“Let’s play.”
Alexandra’s body swayed with the steady jarring of the coach, yet her glare never wavered as she eyed Devlin under lowered lids. The barouche, newly repaired, had arrived on cue that morning as if summoned by the devil himself. That devil, Wharncliffe, sat across from her now. Neither of them had spoken a word since last evening when he’d made quick work of winning their chess matches.
He’d extended her another opportunity, a tournament of three out of five games and gone so far as to claim he enjoyed their wager, ready to offer new stakes, but she was no fool to fall further into his debt.
He proved a masterful chess player. She watched his adept fingers move the pieces about the board through intricate plays exceeding anything she’d read in a book or practised on her own. How foolish she’d been to bargain with him. And she had lost.
When he did not appear at breakfast, Grimley informed her of Devlin’s desire to leave and she’d walked to the foyer alone with her single valise and small travelling bag. Henry followed, yipping at her heels. She’d picked him up with a wry smile, confident and pleased the combination of the confinement of a barouche, two days’ travel and a rambunctious terrier would annoy the duke tremendously.
And yet for all her misery, there was no denying Devlin Ravensdale composed a breathtaking sample of a man. He rested now, his head against the velvet cushion of the back bench, his eyes closed. Did he sleep? She could not be sure.
She’d heard Grimley enquire of his night’s rest in a manner overly concerned, but then too, she’d been distracted by her own situation to give the comment due attention. He did look weary when they’d first entered the barouche.
She continued her perspicacious perusal of his person. His body, long and lean, was proportioned to the perfect cut of his clothing. Impeccable clothing, made by a very precise tailor, no doubt. For all the biscuits he seemed to enjoy, his physique showed no trace of fat. She blinked away the thought of all his strong, hard muscle. Nothing at all like Henry Addington.
Odd, that sudden and obtuse comparison. Henry seemed a boy compared to this man, a simple respectable gentleman. His Grace likely sent a string of ladies into a swoon on a regular basis. When she first met him in the stable, the dim light and newborn colt saved her from embarrassment as her breath came up short and her hands trembled. The visceral reaction proved difficult to ignore and unsettled her usual levelheaded demeanour. And when he’d lifted her atop his horse, as if she was nothing more than a bag of feathers, and rode with her back to the manor house, the muscles of his legs pressed against the horse, pressed against her—
She shook her head to stop her wayward thoughts.
Her gaze travelled to his hands placed atop his waistcoat, his fingers folded in repose. He wore a gold signet ring on his right hand and his fingernails were well trimmed and polished. She’d watched them reach into his waistcoat pocket in search of a little metal tin, of which she hoped was not tobacco or snuff. She hadn’t seen evidence of such use, but could not fathom what else he’d keep captive there. His watch fob and chain were golden, linked from one end of his pocket to the other and not visible where his coat hung open.
Abandoning all propriety and convinced he must surely be asleep, she raised her eyes to his face, enthralled in examination of his person. His hair could not be blacker if he bathed it in soot. Its glossy richness reflected sunlight in blue, and no doubt felt silkier than satin to the touch. It wasn’t overly long and definitely not stylish. A sudden jolt of the barouche sent a lock rakishly over his brow and her fingertips itched to tuck it into place.
How unfair for a man to possess such ruggedly entrancing good looks. His dark brows slashed straight to give the appearance of seriousness, although at the hearty rumble of his laughter when she proposed her challenge last evening, she surmised he enjoyed humour well enough. His nose was chiselled in proportion to his sharp chin, wrapped with the thinnest beard she’d ever seen. How might it feel to kiss a man with whiskers? She shifted on the bench and reached for Henry, offering a rub to the sleeping pup’s belly in a familiar habit. Devlin’s whiskers could not possibly feel the same.
She raised her eyes to his face. Devlin stared back with such clarity he likely never slept at all. A shiver passed through her with the realization, still she couldn’t look away. His eyes, framed with lashes black as midnight and twice as thick, held her with hypnotic strength as if striving with unsettling intensity to peer inside her soul. Mortification crept up her neck and further to her ears in the form of a deep blush.
He cleared his throat with an audacious chuckle.
Luckily Henry interceded with a sharp bark, a clear signal the dog needed to make use of a nearby field.
Devlin tapped the carriage roof and signalled to stop. Once outside, he spoke to the footman and Alexandra hurried down the steps and into a grassy area with Henry, although she swore she heard Wharncliffe’s laughter chase after her.
He waited by the stairs to hand her up when she returned.
“Just Henry can ride atop with John. Your dog will be in good hands and it will allow the pup fresh air.”
He handed Henry atop the seat before she objected, although it did make sense and would serve Henry well. Having begun the trip so early, they’d travelled more than halfway to London, and it was as if Devlin read her thoughts when he mentioned his intentions.
“I’ve advised the driver to travel straight through if that is agreeable with you. Given your lack of maid or chaperone, and the haste we make in an effort to return to London, I thought it best to complete our travels as soon as possible.”
He handed her into the barouche and settled on the other side. Again good sense prevailed. The sooner she reposed in the privacy of her own bedchamber, the sooner she could plan the next step in her life. No matter Aunt Min’s well-intended gesture, Alexandra knew with assurance she would salvage the situation yet.
Devlin reached into his waistcoat pocket and produced the same tin she’d puzzled over earlier.
“Cinnamon candy?” He enquired in an amused tone. Could he read her mind? Divine her thoughts? There was something persistent and unsettling about how neatly his questions aligned with her own.
The next afternoon, Alexandra’s restless anticipation escalated as the carriage approached Kenley Manor. She would give her little finger to exit the confinement of the coach and breathe open air. They’d travelled at a breakneck speed through the night, with only necessary stops. After much effort, she’d found an awkward form of sleep, and settled into a fitful slumber, but now the remnants of their haphazard travel wore her temperament to the bone.
His Grace appeared no better. He’d deliberately dozed during the day with the intention of staying awake throughout the night. She could only assume he did so for a measure of safety, but she hesitated on drawing any obvious conclusions. She’d never mixed much in society, yet prided her ability to decipher the male mind, her father and Addington simplistic in their thinking. Yet Devlin proved something altogether different; the man’s reasoning as mysterious as his appearance. She would need to work harder to decipher his manner of consciousness.
At least Henry proved no bother and found a comfortable blanket and a new friend on the top bench with the footman.
The barouche made a turn onto the long drive leading to Devlin’s estate and Alexandra could no longer contain her impatience. How she yearned for a hot bath and a comfortable bed. With restless anticipation she peered out the window, the drive lined with walnut trees, their leaves a mottled green. There was not another house for as far as