The Duke's Undoing (Three Rogues and Their Ladies) by G.G. Vandagriff Page A

that sufficiently thrilling for your research?” he inquired close to her ear.
    “Most satisfying, thank you.” As she felt tender stirrings within, Elise berated herself. How could I fall so low that I should welcome and even be moved by the tiniest of kisses from the worst rogue in England? Conversions of his type into suitable husbands only worked in romances written by silly spinsters like herself. In real life, didn’t rogues continue to be rogues? If there was to be no duel in the morning, she must set her wits to discover how to be rid of Waterford, so her temporary fiancé could remove himself from her home and life.
    Elise could see herself scorning society and dowsing the Duke of Ruisdell with a full bottle of wine, not only a glass, if ever he treated her as he had the redhead. The image cheered her immeasurably.

CHAPTER NINE
    IN WHICH THE DUKE APPEARS AT HIS FIRST BALL IN TEN YEARS

    Lady Sumner might be forgiven for raising her eyebrows and dropping her mouth open, the duke thought. She probably felt the devil himself had entered her palatial townhouse. When she saw Elise on his arm, she actually ignored the guest she was greeting and raised her quizzing glass, looking down the stairs where he and his fiancée patiently awaited their turn to be greeted. Ruisdell hadn’t enjoyed himself this much in years.
    Living up to his role, he gently moved one of her blue-black curls over Elise’s ear and whispered, “Let’s be the adoring couple, dearest. What fun to hoax the ton .”
    “You realize, of course, that it will take a tremendous cad-ism to make me part with such a conquest,” Elise said.
    “Cad-ism? Have you invented a new word, my dear?”
    “I think I have. Gregory has been annoying me so much with his advances when he is supposed to be courting Violet that cad-ism has been much on my mind.”
    “Ah, but I am engaged to you, so none of my advances will be caddish.”
    His fiancée looked at him, trying to repress a grin. “Remember I am a gently reared, virtuous young lady, and you won’t transgress. I think the kiss on the neck, which I realize was my rash suggestion, is quite enough for this evening.”
    Truly disappointed, he managed to keep a straight face. They had reached Lord and Lady Sumner after their long climb up the stairs.
    “My darling Elise,” Lady Sumner said, taking both her hands in hers. “I had no idea you knew this reprobate! Where did you meet?”
    “At Ascot,” she lied.
    “How peculiar! And what does Lady . . . uh, your mother think of your attachment?”
    “’Tis more than an attachment,” Elise said. “We have just become engaged this evening. You will see it in the Morning Post tomorrow. As for Lady Hatchet, she dare not reject a duke. You realize his noble rank stands at the pinnacle of her ambitions for me.”
    “There is that, of course. Which brings me to the man himself. How have you been keeping all these years, Peter?” Since he had been at school with her son and a frequent guest in her house, it was not surprising that she addressed him by his first name. Many sins and misdeeds passed before him in a flash.
    He indicated his cane. “I took a ball in the leg for merry old England.”
    She looked from his cane to his face, where she apparently read something that changed her attitude. “Oh, I am sorry! How long were you on the Peninsula?”
    “Three years, for my sins.”
    “Well, I imagine Field Marshall Wellesley saw to it that you perpetrated your damage on a bona fide enemy for a change. Something drastic had to happen to drive you to matrimony. Lud!” To his surprise, she suddenly reached up to his shoulders and clasped him to her bosom. “See that you behave yourself in the card room. No fisticuffs.”
    “I intend to shun the card room, Lady Sumner. My fiancée is by far the loveliest lady in the room, aside from yourself, of course, so I dare not leave her side or someone will tell naughty tales and cut me out completely.”
    “Well,