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seen her father, but for as long as she could remember, she’d known she’d inherit the title when he died.
    She felt the weight of that responsibility as keenly as any male heir, perhaps more so as a female who hadn’t been properly groomed to assume the reins. Her father might not take his duties seriously, but she certainly did. And that meant doing everything in her power to keep Traherne safe from Sebastian’s apparent poaching.
    “It does seem like an awful lot of work,” Tabby said, echoing Josette’s sentiments. “I’m not sure why you bother.”
    Relaxing back in his chair, Orford closed his eyes and tilted his face toward the sun. “She doesn’t want it said the duchy fell to pieces after being placed in the care of her feminine hands.”
    “Quite right.” Determination surged within her. “I’ll do whatever it takes to protect my birthright and I won’t allow Sebastian Stanhope to stand in my way.”
    …
     
    “ Poussée ! Parade !” The fencing instructor called out instructions from the sidelines. “Excellent! Une telle grace !”
    Sebastian thrust forward with vigor, landing yet another hit on his embattled opponent.
    “Such a magnificent combination of flexibility and power.” Master Henri’s black, bushy eyebrows rose in admiration as Sebastian launched a forceful final series of offensive moves with little apparent effort. “ Il est formidable !”
    “Yes, yes.” Pen watched from the side, having already finished his turn. “He’s superior in every way.”
    Sebastian’s exhausted opponent seemed to agree, given his obvious relief when the practice match ended and two other men moved into position to take their turn. Sebastian stepped out of their way, his bared broad chest glistening with a fine sheen of sweat from his exertions.
    Pen handed him a towel. “You’re in rare form today. You practically ran poor Darley into the ground.”
    “Nonsense.” He mopped his face, his attention on the start of the next match. “He acquitted himself well.”
    “There are already few enough men willing to take you on.” Pen looked to where the weary man now sat, trying to regulate his labored breathing. “I doubt Darley will offer you a rematch anytime soon.” He started toward the changing room but halted when Sebastian didn’t follow. “Are you coming?”
    Sebastian shook his head. “No, you go ahead. I think I’ll await another match up.”
    Pen looked incredulous. “You are going to have another go at it? You’ve already been at it for hours.”
    Sebastian tracked the movements of the two fencers as they parried and thrust. “Just one more.”
    “I say you are even more vigorous than usual, Stan. And distracted, too. Wouldn’t have anything to do with that woman from Claymont’s library would it? Tasty piece that one. One could not help taking notice of that delightfully full bosom. Perhaps she will be the one to finally tempt the saint.”
    “At the moment, the only thing I’m tempted to do is run you through with my foil,” he said, without taking his eyes from the bout. “Without the safety button on the tip, of course.”
    Chuckling, Pen backed away. “Have I hit a nerve?” He pondered aloud moving in the direction of the changing room. “Interesting.”
    Once he’d gone, Sebastian exhaled loudly through his nostrils. Pen had hit a nerve.
    He couldn’t stop thinking about the saucy beauty. Any liaison was unthinkable, of course. It was completely against everything he believed in, totally at odds with the example his moralistic father had set, which he had always tried to emulate. Still, he imagined what it would be like to nourish his hunger with the sumptuous taste of her, to pull her into his arms and share the events of his day.
    Blast and bugger his eyes. What had come over him? He knew the agonizing cost of infidelity better than anyone. He’d seen firsthand that children suffered the most. They grew up not quite bastards, but not exactly legitimate