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Within His Grace’s shadowed eyes, his enjoyment deepened. His full attention had shifted from the quartet to her and bored into her as if to read her soul like an ancient scroll. Her breaths came quicker, more shallow, a delicious, somehow powerful relaxation spreading through her limbs. He seemed to consider her the only person of importance within the room, the only subject worthy of scrutiny; and she had to admit, when His Grace, the Duke of Cumberland, paid his attention to a lady, she knew she had it undivided, complete to the last full stop.
“Yes,” he said. “Beethoven’s string quartets are full of Romantic sensibilities, are they not? Emotion soaring above storm and stress, a strong eagle flying. Stronger than one would imagine.” His smile softened, gentled, and impishness gleamed in the deepest depths of his eyes. “And yet exquisitely tender, all at once. Not rational, but there it is.”
Her head swam. The weight of his interest tasted like strong wine and its effect sang through her. Not a vintage of which she should partake too freely. But not one to be easily laid aside, either.
For some reason, her fear of him had quite vanished.
But then he straightened, returned his attention to the musicians, and Anne suddenly needed a deep breath. Along with the release, confusion crowded in. There had been no flirtation in his voice, his words, his conversational topic. And yet the sensations he’d aroused within her had borne no direct relationship to those, either. She’d responded not to his chitchat, but to him.
In a way, that was somewhat disappointing. One expected more from an attempted seduction, after all. Or, if this wasn’t an attempted seduction, what on earth was the man’s intention?
He couldn’t be serious. Could he?
No. Not a chance.
Then what?
#
Good question, Miss Kirkhoven.
All of the Christmas Regencies recently released by Astraea Press are currently on Amazon's Hot New Releases list for the genre! In order as of 10 PM Friday night:
#1 The Devil Duke Takes a Bride, by Rachel Van Dyken
#5 Two Turtledoves, by Leah Sanders
#12 Time for a Duke, by Ruth J. Hartman
#13 Redeeming the Deception of Grace, by Kristin Vayden
#29 Partridge and the Peartree, by Patricia Kiyono
#30 The Duke of Christmas Past, by Kim Bowman
#32 Ghosts of Winters Past, by Christy Graham Parker
#35 A Christmas Surprise, by Lindsay Downs
#48 Scandal on Half Moon Street (squee!)
#74 Vidal's Honor, by Sherry Gloag
And we still have Kay Springsteen's The Toymaker coming. Whee! It's gonna be a fun Christmas and the season hasn't even started yet.
Thanks for stopping by,
Vivian