“What’s happened?” he called out to Frederick who was scratching his head.
“I…I believe they’re chasing a ferret.”
“Damn,” Dermont muttered as he dashed after them.
“I’m not going in there,” Frederick hustled beside him, but casually, so as not to muss his perfectly coiffed hair.
“Frederick, forget about your hair for once. They’re headed toward the Serpentine. Run, damn it!”
Chapter 5
Honoria
Well, this was certainly not how Honoria had envisioned the day going. “Phoebe, wait!” she cried in desperation, skirts in hand. That ferret was not slowing down. He looked to be after a frog, which of course, was heading straight to the Serpentine.
With rudimentary prognostication abilities, Honoria predicted the imminent events; essentially, everyone was about to get wet.
No concern for its owner, the ferret scurried right into the water. And, no concern for societal expectations, Phoebe flounced right in after him. Finally, with concern only for Phoebeand her deteriorating reputation, Honoria traipsed in right after both of them.
“Phoebe,” Dermont’s rumbling voice growled behind her, shaking her to the core, “get out of there.” But instead of grabbing his sister, his muscled arm latched around her waist, just under her ample bosom, cinched tight, effectively locking her body to his, and began dragging her out of the thigh deep water.
“I’m not Phoebe,” she ground out, wrestling to free herself from his grasp. Which…was causing all kinds of tingling prickles to surge through her system.
His hold only cranked more tightly around her. “I know,” he bit back, “but you’re the first one I reached.” It was futile to fight the latched arm, besides she was distracted as she heard more splashing in the water. “Frederick, grab my sister and her damned ferret.”
Nipples peaked in arousal, Honoria brought her arms over her chest to hide the betrayers.
“Stop wiggling. Let me get us out of here.”
The words hardly left his mouth when a few of her sisters were clamoring on the bank and into the water. One of them bumped into Dermont causing his foot to slip. Down they went, she slipped under the water and bobbed back up with a splutter.
“Everyone out of the water!” Dermont shouted in exasperation as if he were herding cats.
It took several minutes, but soon everyone was lined up on the bank in soggy attire. Still shivering but draped in Frederick’s coat, Phoebe held her ferret with a relieved smile. The rest of the group was huddled shoulder to shoulder. Nine grown adults stood waiting, anticipating a chastisement from the duke who looked ready to toss them all back in, as counterproductive as that would be.
And of course they weren’t the only ones in the park. A small crowd had gathered, and those walking by were passing at a reduced speed.
Dermont glared at the group, and Honoria felt a small squeeze in her heart. It was the oddest thing to look at this domineering, egotistical man and feel such a draw to him.
Her foot moved her before she could think better of it. She turned his back to the line of reprobates, and stood in front of him with her hand lightly on his forearm.
Like he was unable to look anywhere else, he fixed a steely gaze on her, one that held the power to render her a pile of pudding. “Don’t you think,” she started, rubbing her hand up and down his forearm, “that this might be one of those moments in life to laugh rather than growl?” What made her touch him like this, she couldn’t say, but nothing on earth could stop the subtle movement of her hand on his powerful arm. Such strength. Such discipline. Such magnetism.
“No.” His eyes still pinned her in place.
She shivered, not because of his answer, but because of the cold seeping into her bones.
“Damn it,” he mumbled, quickly shrugging out of his coat and slinging it around her shoulders. But when his hands pulled the lapels of his coat around her bosom, his pace slowed. And his eyes dropped for the first time. Dropped from her eyes. Down to her chin. He sighed. A ragged sigh. Like one of concession. And then his eyes dropped further. Straight down to her breasts. Where she felt her nipples look back up to him.
“You’re cold,” he rasped.
“Just a bit. The sun is still shining.”
He raised the backs of his knuckles toward her nipples peeking up at him, but he paused and then moved up higher to brush some mud off her clavicle instead. Her breath hitched at the contact.
“I’m fine,” she reassured him.
He gave her the oddest look, but she just ignored it.