This time, he merely grunted. Her smile didn’t falter, not that he’d intended it to. He didn’t try to be surly. He just was.
“If you’ll excuse me, I need to explain how the hunt will work.” She took herself off to where her husband stood near the hearth.
Dare made his way to the trio of women he’d regarded when he came in. Since he would undoubtedly be grouped with at least one of them, he might as well put himself in their proximity. Plus, he could savor Juno’s intoxicating scent.
Lady Cosford discussed the treasure hunt, but Dare paid no attention. Instead, he went over the list of questions he’d drafted the night before. Today he would decide if he and Lady Marina would suit.
“I find it somewhat improper that I’m not part of your group.” Lady Wetherby’s acerbic tone cut into Dare’s thoughts.
“I’ll chaperone,” Juno said brightly, glancing toward Lady Marina and then Dare, who stood just behind her, but also somewhat close to Juno.
“Very well.” The countess gave Juno a pointed look rife with expectation before taking herself off.
Juno pivoted to face him and Lady Marina. “I’m confident we can win.”
Dare appreciated the ruthless glint in her eyes. “Are you competitive, Mrs. Langton?”
She lifted a shoulder. “When I want to be. And when it’s important.” Her gaze darted almost imperceptibly to Lady Marina.
He had the impression Lady Marina was important and that Juno wanted her to win—not the treasure hunt, but Dare. Surprisingly, he wanted to support Juno in her quest. He would give Lady Marina his best today. Whatever that was.
Lady Cosford approached them and handed a paper to Juno. “This is your list of ten items. Whichever team arrives back here first with all their objects will win.”
“What is the prize?” Dare asked.
“The winners will get to choose the seating arrangement for one of the remaining dinners.”
He opened his mouth to say that was a terrible prize, but then clamped it shut. His gaze drifted to Juno, who gave him a slight, perhaps approving nod.
Lady Cosford moved on as Juno studied their list. She spoke while her eyes scanned the parchment in her hands. “An orange. I know where we can get one of those quite easily. The orangery.”
Dare had seen the orangery from the exterior on his walks, but hadn’t yet visited. “Shall we start there?”
“Yes, let’s.” Juno looked to Lady Marina. “Would you like to look at the list?”
“I suppose I should.” The young lady took the list between her gloved fingertips. “There’s a book, and I know precisely where it is in the library. I can go and fetch it while you go to the orangery.”
“No, you can’t,” Juno said rather hastily. She summoned one of her captivating smiles. “I believe it’s against the rules.”
Since when had her smiles gone from irritating to captivating?
“Is it?” Lady Marina didn’t sound convinced.
“I take it you’d rather spend your afternoon in the library,” he said, trying to sound…affable. How in the hell did one sound affable? Perhaps he ought to smile. The thought made him want to curse. He stretched his mouth but couldn’t quite do it. His expression was probably the opposite of affable. He relaxed his features into their normal, unsmiling state.
Lady Marina’s blue eyes flashed with surprise. “Yes. But we can do the treasure hunt,” she added.
“We can always just pretend to do it,” he said. “Perhaps we’ll get stuck in the library.”
She nearly smiled then, her face softening. She was quite pretty. He tried to imagine being married to her, and with that, the things they would do together once they were wed. Specifically, the things they would do in the bedroom. But a vision of Juno flooded his brain. He glanced toward her as heat suffused him.
That was not helpful to his cause.
Dare recalled his list of questions. Knowing that Lady Marina would while away hours in the library told him the answer to one: what she liked to do for amusement. “Do you ride?” he asked, ticking another off.
“A little. I’m not very good.”
“Riding is overrated,” Juno declared. “Let us make our way to the orangery.” She gestured for them to precede her from the drawing room.
Dare hung slightly back, preferring to walk beside Juno so he could interrogate her about her silly statement. “Riding isn’t overrated. Perhaps you’ve never properly learned.”
Juno cast him a sour look, her lids low over her eyes. “Perhaps I simply enjoy other activities more.”
“We should take a ride, and I’ll show you how exhilarating it can be.”
“By we, I hope you mean you and Lady Marina, with me as chaperone.”
“Er, yes.” That wasn’t at all what he’d meant.
“Speaking of Lady Marina, perhaps you might wish to catch up with her. She is likely halfway to the orangery by now.”
“Of course.” Dare stalked from the drawing room, irritated that he’d allowed himself to be swayed from his goal. He would focus his entire attention on Lady Marina and not be distracted by her goddess of a companion. A goddess who didn’t care for riding. That fact should have disappointed him. Instead, he hoped he had the chance to change her mind.
Lady Marina! his mind screamed.
Moving quickly, he fell into step beside her and slowed his pace. He returned to his list. “I sense you are like me in that social gatherings are not your…preferred activity.” How else to put that? “Do you have any reticence about hosting a ball or a large dinner party?”
Lady Marina took a moment to answer, and Dare couldn’t read her expression. “I assume you have a butler and housekeeper who would help with such matters? And a secretary too.”
“I have all those people at my disposal, and they are most capable. However, a duchess must also be comfortable with such events.”
“Yes, I understand. I’m sure I can be up to the task.” She didn’t sound sure.
Ah well, she was right. Others could do most of the work. She need only be charming and look beautiful. How shallow that sounded. Surely he wanted a bride who was more than that?
He glanced over his shoulder to see if Juno was following them. Perhaps she intended for them to be alone, despite the potential for scandal.
The goddess was there, trailing them at a discreet distance. Not entirely alone, then, but she was giving them space.
They reached the door that led to the covered walkway between the house and the orangery. He opened it for Lady Marina, who preceded him outside into the temperate autumn afternoon.
It was a short walk to the orangery, where he again held the door for Lady Marina. Inside, the temperature jumped several degrees. All around them sprouted vegetation, and the air was thick with the smell of dirt and life. He loved the scent of the outdoors, but this was different, perhaps because it was an artificial space. Things were brought here to grow in a controlled environment instead of allowed to flourish—or not—on their own.
Lady Marina was already making her way to the orange trees, which had been brought inside in their large pots. They sat at the opposite end of the building. He couldn’t see any oranges from here and wondered if this would be a fruitless effort.