else completely.’
‘Intellect has very little to do with physical arousal,’ he allowed disgustedly, all humour now gone. ‘If it did, then I should not find myself in the least aroused by you, either.’
Georgianna flinched inwardly at the deliberate insult. ‘Then we are in agreement on the subject, because my head tells me I should not allow a man such as you to take liberties.’
‘A man such as me?’
She met his gaze defiantly. ‘A libertine who is not to be trusted.’
Humour lit Zachary’s eyes as he stepped back to regard her through narrowed lids. Admiration, too, because Georgianna Lancaster was, without a doubt, now a woman he could admire. Oh, not for her political beliefs, if indeed she should turn out to be a Trojan Horse for Rousseau’s cause, but most definitely for the courage she had shown in the face of her present dilemma.
She was a woman who believed herself disgraced in English society. A woman who had nevertheless returned to England, only to now find herself a prisoner of the very gentleman she had once been betrothed to. Her suggestion earlier that it might have been deliberate on her part was, Zachary was sure, completely untrue; Georgianna had been far too genuinely shocked and outraged at finding herself incarcerated in his home for it to have been her intention all along.
And this, taking advantage of Georgianna, making love to her, when she was a prisoner in his home, was not a gentlemanly thing for him to do.
Georgianna’s past behaviour might render her undeserving of such consideration on his part, but that did not mean he had to lose all honour.
Most especially when he still had no idea, as yet, as to whether or not Georgianna was merely Rousseau’s minion, sent to England, to Zachary, at the other man’s bidding.
The fact that she was now repelling his advances was, perhaps, a mark in her favour; a devious and manipulative woman would surely have used his obvious attraction to her own advantage?
Georgianna Lancaster was more than just a fully mature woman now, Zachary acknowledged, she was also an intriguing one. One who appealed to him on several levels. In her character. Intellectually. And certainly physically.
Which was all the more reason for him to keep his distance, at least until after he had confirmed, one way or the other, as to whether or not she was telling him the truth.
And if her information should prove correct, then he might no longer be given a choice about keeping his distance, because Georgianna would want nothing more to do with him after the way he had treated her whilst holding her prisoner.
His mouth twisted mockingly. ‘It takes one to know one, my dear Georgianna.’
Georgianna gasped, her face paling at what she knew to be another deliberately delivered insult and a direct reference to her scandalous behaviour the previous year. ‘I believe I will go back upstairs to my room now.’
‘You have not eaten any dinner.’
‘I am not hungry.’
The duke’s lips firmed with his displeasure. ‘It is no wonder you are now thin as a stick, if you do not eat.’
Georgianna refused, absolutely refused, to spill the heat of tears that now blurred her vision. ‘You did not seem to have any complaints a few minutes ago, your Grace,’ she reminded stiffly.
He shrugged wide shoulders. ‘Thankfully the size of your breasts does not seem to have suffered in the process.’
Colour now burned Georgianna’s cheeks. ‘You are truly insufferable.’
He raised dark brows. ‘Was that ever in any doubt?’
‘Obviously not.’ She blinked back those tears as she lowered her lashes before turning away, no longer willing to even look at that triumphantly mocking face. ‘If you would care to act the turnkey again, I am more than ready to return to my room.’
Zachary cursed himself for feeling every kind of monster as he gazed upon the stiff slenderness of Georgianna’s back and the vulnerability of her exposed nape, knowing he could not give in to the impulse he felt to take her back into his arms and apologise for having deliberately insulted her.
For having hurt her?
Her eyes had looked awash with tears again before she lowered those long, protective lashes, as if his cutting words really had injured her feelings.
Damn it, how long could it take to confirm or deny Georgianna’s information? Zachary wondered impatiently. How much longer did he have to wait before he...?
Before he what? Exactly what difference was it going to make to Zachary’s dealings with Georgianna once he did know the truth?
Georgianna might have responded to him a short time ago, but she also so obviously despised him, and herself, for that response. He could not see anything, even the unlikely confirmation of her information being true, ever changing that.
‘Very well.’ Zachary nodded abruptly, having no appetite himself now. For dinner, at least. ‘But a dinner tray will be brought up to your room.’
Her head remained bowed as she nodded. ‘Thank you.’
‘And you will eat its contents,’ he added sternly.
Humour glinted in her eyes as she looked across at him. ‘Must I remind you that your dictates to me so far have not proved in the least successful?’
No, Zachary needed no reminding of Georgianna’s wilfulness. Or of his own response to those displays of stubbornness. ‘That is because you are contrary in the extreme.’
‘That being the case, perhaps you should have instructed me not to eat the food on the dinner tray rather than to eat it?’
‘That would be a useless exercise now that we have discussed the possibility,’ Zachary dismissed impatiently. ‘Eat, or do not eat,’ he advised wearily. ‘Personally, I grew bored with the subject some minutes ago.’
As Georgianna had no doubt he was bored with having her in his home. With her. And who could blame him? It was so obviously not his choice, but had been foisted upon him by his superior. As she had been foisted on him.
Zachary could not really be blamed for having tried to lighten that burden by entertaining himself in making love to her. A woman whose intimate association with another man put her well beyond the need for either respect or maidenly consideration from the top-lofty Duke of Hawksmere.
She straightened her shoulders. ‘Then I will relieve you of the necessity of suffering any more boredom by removing myself from your presence, so allowing you to go out and seek more entertaining and exciting company.’
Frustration surged inside Zachary as he eyed her impatiently, knowing he did not find Georgianna in the least boring. Indeed, she continued to intrigue and entertain him in a way he could not remember feeling with any other woman. Nor could he recall ever being anywhere near as ‘excited’ by another woman, as he had been just from kissing and caressing Georgianna.
He gave a mocking inclination of his head. ‘That is very considerate of you.’
‘I
