Dizzy Dilemmas (12 page)

“You ar
e incorrigible, the both of you,” he said. “Just because you have found wedded bliss does not mean you have to manoeuvre everyone else into Holy Matrimony!”

“Marcus displayed all the signs of jealousy earlier when he saw the two of you together. You know scowling and growling and looking like he wanted to strangle the life out of you!” Ross casually commented and smirked when his friend, blasphemed.

“Oh God! I am not to be thrown into the role of rival again am I? I had enough of that with you!”

“I may have mentioned that you were on the lookout for a wife
and Lady Dizzy was a candidate,” Ross told him.

“Which I am not and she is not!” Robert informed him.

“No but Marcus does not know that, does he? So if you were to go over there now and use some pretext to carry her off, he would perhaps acknowledge his feelings for her,” Ross pointed out.

“And what is in it for me, other than a possible punch being thrown at my head?” Robert asked.

“A case of that ’86 port that you so admired when you were round to dinner the other night.”

Sighing deeply, Robert drained his glass and handed it to Erica. “Very well but make it
two cases. Always the rival but never the bridegroom!”

As he walked away Erica turned to her husband and said, “Sweetheart, it is as well that Robert is such a calm person because anyone else would have blackened your eye.”

“My darling girl, Robert is as much the romantic as the rest of us and he enjoys meddling just as much as you!”

“Me indeed! I am merely observing and
only wagering on the outcome because you can be so very persuasive. You are the one manipulating poor Marcus by trying to make him jealous in the hope that he will propose all the quicker and win the bet for you.”

“Or is it that you are easily persuaded
?” Ross asked her. “For example, if I kiss your neck just here can I persuade you to find a secluded corner, somewhere?”

He trailed kisses down the back of her neck and beneath her ear; a particularly sensitive spot and one that usually got her to agree to anything.

“Oh that is so unfair!” Erica said but it lacked conviction and when Ross transferred to caress below her other ear, she readily agreed. “Follow me. I know just where we can be private!”

“That’s my girl!”

Robert arrived just as Glenmore was, albeit reluctantly, releasing Dizzy. For the sake of their audience he was solicitously asking her if she had regained her balance but nobody was fooled for a moment apart from perhaps Fitz who had only just got his breath back and had missed much of what had been happening.

             
“Lady Dizzy, Fiona, Gentlemen.” He greeted them and then spent a few moments chatting with them before deftly walking away with Dizzy on some pretext of introducing her to the other guests, much to the annoyance of Glenmore.

             
It was over an hour later before Glenmore approached Dizzy again and this time he waited until she was quite alone and close to the house.

“You are a very difficult person to get by oneself
,” he told her whilst taking her hand and placing it on his arm before leading her inside and up the stairs. “I want to talk to you.”

“Good because it just so happens I have a few things I would like to say t
o you too!” she told him.

He led her along a corridor and entered a small but charming sitting room that faced the front of the house. Dizzy took a moment to admire the tasteful décor of pale blue and cream before she turned to Glenmore
, ready to say her piece, but the words were forgotten and replaced when she realised he was locking the door.

“What are you doing?” s
he asked rhetorically but he answered anyway.

“
Locking the door so we will not be disturbed. If anyone comes in here your reputation will be in shreds and I will be expected to marry you and as we have already established, it is something neither of us wants. This way no one can walk in on us,” he explained.

Much to her amazement, he then went around the room checking a winged chair that faced the window and around the side of a tall cabinet.

“At the risk of repeating myself, what are you doing now?” she queried, this time expecting an answer though she was not convinced his response would make any sense.

“Checking that Trevellyn isn’t hiding in here somewhere. He is a devious devil and I wouldn’t put it past him!”

“He is a good friend of yours isn’t he?”

“Yes, a very good friend and that
’s how I know how devious he can be!” he told her and then when he was sure they were alone, “Now we can be comfortable.”

             
Dizzy watched in amazement as Marcus went over to one of the two facing sofas and sat down; swinging his legs up and stretching out as if he were spending an evening at home alone in front of the fire with a good book. Once he had wriggled into a comfortable position he indicated the other sofa to her and bade she made herself equally at home. Dizzy looked at him for a moment and then sat; keeping her feet firmly on the floor as good etiquette dictated. “Perhaps I should leave you to rest!” she remarked caustically.

“As neither wants to impress the other with our society manners in the hope of marriage, I think we might as well be comfortable. Put your feet up. These s
ofas are incredibly comfortable,” he informed her and as she was quite envious of how cosy he looked she shrugged and kicking off her shoes, did as she had suggested.

“You’re right. This is heavenly.”

“Erica has sofas like these and I happen to know that is why Ross married her! It was for her incredible sofas,” Marcus said.

“
I thought as much!” Dizzy remarked. “When I saw him kissing her not more than an hour ago, I said to myself, ‘There is a man in love with his wife’s sofas!”

“Kissing her was he? Where?”

“On the side of her neck. Just here!” Dizzy indicated by rubbing her fingers down her own neck.

Marcus went very still as he watched her fingers tracing down her slim, elegant neck. He wondered if he leapt really quickly, he would be in time to trail kisses behind her fingers.

“Then he swapped sides.” She tilted her head the other way and he cursed because he definitely would have had time to reach her sofa if only he had known she was going to taunt him with both sides of her beautiful neck.

“Actually I meant where were they
standing when he was kissing her?” Marcus tried to bring his thoughts under control but the blush that stole up her cheeks when she realised her mistake made his body follow his musings and he had to keep it firmly in check if she were not to know precisely where those musings were taking him.

O
h I’m sorry! They were in the garden just before Robert came to join us and then they disappeared,” she told him.

“Then that must be when they came here.” When she looked puzzled, he added. “Ross told me about twenty minutes ago about this secluded room and these wonderful sofas. He said it was a good place for a few quiet, undisturbed moments if I felt the need. He must have been here with Erica.”

“Then let us hope he does not come looking for you!” she snapped.

“That is why I locked the door! If he comes you will have
time to climb out the window.” he smiled at her.

“But we are on the first floor!” she pointed out.

“So? Where is your sense of adventure? Surely in your murder stories people climb out first floor windows. Don’t worry I have already checked and there is a ledge for you to stand on until the danger has passed.”

“You
could go and stand out there!” She bared her teeth in what she hoped resembled a smile but knew that it fell rather short.

“Hardly. Ross told me abut this room and would suspect something if he
turned up and you were here!” he grinned when she snorted.

“
Perhaps you should tell me what you wanted to speak to me about so I can leave through the door and not the window.” Dizzy said then changed her mind. “No wait. I shall go first.

Are you completely brainless?”

“No that would be Mustapha!” Marcus got in before she could begin her tirade.

“
Well obviously you have more in common with him than it at first appeared. What happened out there? And in front of Fiona Pearson of all people! According to my sisters she never misses anything. Had we not agreed to ignore each other in public so nobody would link our names?” 

“Actually, we were not going to ignore each other but just acknowledge one another with the briefest of nods. I thought we got that across qui
te well when we were outside!” he corrected her.

“Oh yes we really hammered that point home! Nobody would believe we were any more than slightly acquainted. Well I say nobody but perhaps I should really say only a complete imbecile would believe it!” Dizzy glared at him.

“Now Gherkin, it was not that bad.”

“Don’t call me that and y
es, damn it, it was that bad,” she retorted.

“Language, my yummy pickle!” Marcus taunted her some more. “We only told them what happened in public view anyway.”

“You were caressing my arms. That is not something you do to someone you scarcely know, or come to think about it, someone you know well either!”

“That was the best part of it, darling girl and if you come over here we can carry on!” Glenmore said.

“Glenmore, this is no time for your tomfoolery,” she spoke sternly, though she was finding it difficult to maintain an angry front when she was melting at the thought of his hands stroking her.  “Tell me.  How long have you been attending Aunt Tess events?” she asked seemingly changing the topic of conversation.

“This is my first. Your brother Gideon invited me along yesterday. Why?”

“It is my first time too. Apparently Grandmamma did not want me to attend even though she was a founding member on some misguided idea that my sisters have not made successful marriages because of it. Yet suddenly Gideon insists my sisters bring me along. Do you not think that odd?” she asked.

“No, I have rarely been to town
what with my army career and then unexpectedly inheriting the Duchy. There really was no opportunity for your brother to invite me along before and as you have just explained there were reasons you were not included.”

“Perhaps I am just being suspicious but I cannot help feeling that Gideon is u
p to something and I am very much afraid it is matchmaking,” she muttered but more to herself.

“Have you
finished having your say now?” he enquired and when she nodded he continued. “Good it must be my turn. I have decided that we need to change tactics. I do not think you were entirely honest with me, my little gherkin when you said the matchmaking mamas would be throwing their offspring at me if they thought I was interested in you.”

“Actually I said if they thought you were after a wife and they would conclude that if they thought
you were interested in me,” she corrected him.

“Regardless, an unmarried Duke attracts marriage minded girls and their parents whether he is looking for a wife or not. Therefore it will make no difference if we ignore, nod, speak or e
ven kiss each other; I will still be hunted by would-be Duchesses. So I have decided that I am going to be seen to pay court to you,” he announced with a beaming smile.

“Oh no you do
not! You cannot change what we agreed without consulting me and there is nothing I want less than you courting me!” she categorically stated.

“I would be preten
ding to court you, Gherkin. It makes sense because if we are constant companions at all the functions, balls, soirees and so forth, I will not have to worry about the traps and snares baited by unscrupulous women because the two of us will be able to spot and avoid them,” he explained.

“You must be
completely witless. They will only become more determined and I will probably be caught in the middle when they bring out the heavy artillery. Marriage Glenmore is the only deterrent.”

“Is that a proposal, P
ickle?” he asked.

“
No it is not! Will you please be serious for a minute? I already suspect Gideon of playing at matchmaker so imagine his delight were we to live in each other’s pockets? Before you know it he will have the church booked and the banns read and we will be united till death us do part!” she pointed out.

“Not until I have proposed and you have accepted and as neither is going to happen then there is nothing to worry abou
t. I suspect Ross and Erica are playing at being matchmakers too but that need not concern us,” he said lightly, placing his hands behind his head and closing his eyes as if he were about to enjoy an afternoon nap.

“It concerns me. So instead of one person
matchmaking, you now calmly inform me there are three people campaigning for a marriage between us. What if they join forces? They could be formidable!” She swung her feet back down to the floor and glared across to where he sat; still very much relaxed. “Why do they want us married anyway?”