Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
“ T here are several men here tonight who I think fit your criteria,” Dorian murmured in Lady Leah’s ear, startling her out of her conversation with Lady Vivian Bellmond. Lady Leah looked around, her eyes settling on him and narrowing slightly.
“There you are,” she murmured. “I have been looking for you ever since we arrived!”
“Eager for another dance, are you?” he said, smirking at her, and she gave him a sardonic smile.
“Eager for you to introduce me to more gentlemen,” she corrected. “Or have you forgotten that you are no longer sabotaging me but helping me find, if not my love match, then the next best thing?”
“How could I forget?” Dorian quipped, even as he felt his stomach lurch slightly. The next best thing. She deserved much more than that. Unfortunately, it was the most he could promise her, especially considering that it was the end of the Season and pickings were slim. However, he had settled on one prospect.
“Lord Eaton is here tonight,” he said, nodding across the ballroom of Almack’s to where a tall, slender gentleman was just exiting the dancefloor with another young lady. “I spoke to him at my club yesterday, and he is both eager to find a bride and desirous of a large family. What do you think? Shall I make the introduction?”
Lady Leah gazed across the ballroom at Lord Eaton. There was a strange look in her eyes that Dorian hadn’t seen before, and for a moment, he felt uncertain.
Is Lord Eaton a bad prospect? Did I choose wrongly?
But then Lady Leah blinked and looked back at him, her face breaking into a wide smile. “That is perfect. I would very much appreciate an introduction.”
Dorian should have been relieved that she was pleased , but instead, all he felt was a dull hardening in the pit of his stomach. Now that he thought about it, Lord Eaton was a little bit plain-looking for a woman as beautiful as Lady Leah. And he could rather go on about the books he loved to read. It could be quite tedious listening to him…
But it was too late to change his mind and tell her that actually, Lord Eaton wasn’t good enough for her. He had already ruined things with Lord Trembley--rightly, he still maintained--and he knew that he couldn’t risk ruining things with another potential suitor.
So once Lord Eaton had said goodbye to his dance partner, Dorian caught his eye and gestured with his head that he should join them . He had mentioned Lady Leah to Lord Eaton the night before at his club, that he thought they would get along very well, and once Lord Eaton saw with whom Dorian was standing, he made a beeline for the three of them.
“Lord Eaton,” Dorian greeted him, shaking his hand as he joined them on the edge of the dancefloor. “How good to see you here this evening.”
“It is good to see you as well,” Lord Eaton said, his eyes flickering from Dorian to Lady Leah. As they did, Dorian was sure he saw the man’s eyes widen with admiration. How could they not? Lady Leah looked particularly ravishing tonight in a silk dress of silver and white. The delicate moonlight shades made her look like an ethereal, heavenly creature that had descended to earth for the night.
Good God, why am I thinking in the terms of a bad erotic novel?
Shaking himself, Dorian turned to Lady Leah. “Lady Leah, may I introduce you to Lord Eaton? He is a friend of mine from my club. Lord Eaton, this is Lady Leah, the younger sister of my dear friend, the Duke of Dredford.”
“Lady Leah,” Lord Eaton said, taking her hand and bowing low over it. At least he didn’t kiss it , Dorian thought as the man’s lips brushed too low for comfort. How gauche that would be. Lord Eaton looked back up at Lady Leah. “It is a pleasure to meet you. And may I please add that you look very beautiful tonight? I can barely take my eyes off of you.”
“Oh, thank you, Lord Eaton,” Lady Leah said, blushing prettily as she curtsied to him. “This is my friend, Lady Vivian Bellmond.”
Lord Eaton bowed to her as well, then quickly--and predictably--returned his attention to Lady Leah.
“Would you care to dance, Lady Leah? I believe that the waltz is next.”
“I would love to dance,” she said, and the shyness in her smile looked so real that Dorian wondered if she was actually interested in Lord Eaton. She can’t be that good at flirting already, can she?! He looked back at Lord Eaton and really tried to evaluate him. Was he actually handsome? He was tall, yes, but too slender. His hair was auburn, and he had kind gray eyes, but his chin was too weak, and his nose was crooked.
No, she cannot possibly find him handsome.
But as the music changed and Lord Eaton took Lady Leah’s hand to take her to the floor, Dorian was less sure. She was smiling so warmly up at him, and once the music began in earnest and they began to dance, she moved with him effortlessly, as if all her fear of the dance had melted away and she was as attuned to his lead as she had been to Dorian’s.
But she just met him! h e thought indignantly as he watched the two of them. She cannot be attuned to him as a dancer! Nor is he anywhere near as proficient as I am…
“Are you proud of your student’s accomplishments?” Lady Vivian Bellmond asked him in a low voice, and Dorian started. He had completely forgotten that she was still there. Glancing down, he saw her watching him with an amused--and knowing--look on her face.
He cleared his throat and drew himself up, wondering what expression he’d been wearing on his face to make Lady Bellmond look at him like she was now.
“Pardon me?” he asked, and she nodded at where Lady Leah and Lord Eaton were dancing.
“She told me you helped her learn to waltz,” Lady Bellmond said. “I was wondering if you were admiring how proficient she had become under your tutelage.”
“Oh… yes,” Dorian said distractedly. He supposed he was to thank for how well Lady Leah was dancing. Not that Lord Eaton is likely to come and thank me for that!
“She is a very special young lady,” Lady Bellmond continued, turning back to the dancefloor and gazing with interest at her friend. “She is very beautiful but doesn’t seem to realize it. At least, it didn’t help her feel more confident this Season. She spent most of it tongue-tied around gentlemen. If she hadn’t been so shy and nervous, she might have found a husband by now, or at least had a list of suitable gentlemen who might have saved her from Lord Dubois. But she could barely speak to anyone.”
“Yes, she told me,” he said, turning his attention to Lady Leah as well. It was hard to imagine her tongue-tied now. She was laughing at something Lord Eaton had said, her cheeks a little flushed and her eyes sparkling.
“Then you know what is at stake here,” Lady Bellmond said. The tone of her voice had changed dramatically, had become hard and cold, and Dorian looked back at her in surprise. Her eyes had narrowed, and she was now glaring at him with suspicion.
“I do know what is at stake,” he said, nonplussed. “That’s why I am helping her find a husband.”
“Are you?” Lady Bellmond raised an eyebrow at him, and he suddenly felt as if she could see into the very depths of his soul. He had never felt so naked in front of a woman--and it was not the nice feeling he’d expected that to be. “Because from what Leah has told me, you have been inconsistent at best in your help, downright malicious at worst.”
“Lady Leah and I have discussed this,” Dorian said slowly. “She knows why I sabotaged the men I did, and she has forgiven me for it.”
“Well I have not,” Lady Bellmond snapped. She took a small step closer to Dorian, who, insanely, felt the urge to step back. But he held his ground. “Lady Leah may have a kind heart and a forgiving disposition, but I do not. Nor will I allow you to ruin this for her. If she ends up married to Lord Dubois because of this, then I will make sure that you suffer for it as well. Have you got that straight?”
Dorian wasn’t sure how to respond. Lady Bellmond’s threat was almost absurd enough to be funny, but he couldn’t laugh. Her expression was too deadly serious.
Instead, he chose to be affronted. “Lady Bellmond,” he began, “I appreciate that you care about your friend, but this is none of your business.”
“Of course it’s my business,” she snarled. “I am Leah’s closest friend, and I love her very dearly. And, unlike her, I am not a naive debutante. I see what you’re doing, and I see how you are toying with her.”
“I am not--”
“You are. You dangle men in front of her that you think she’d like, and then you snatch them away because you, like every other rake, cannot bear to not be the center of every woman’s attention.”
“I resent that!” Dorian cried. “I don’t want to be the center of every woman’s attention.”
“Well, you clearly want to be the center of Leah’s attention. And I am here to warn you that if you let your egotism, and your desire to flirt with every woman you meet, keep her from making a good match--if you are the reason she ends up with Lord Dubois, then--”
“Yes, I know,” Dorian interrupted flatly. “You’ll make sure I suffer.”
Lady Bellmond’s eyes narrowed even more. “Yes, I will.”
Dorian looked away. He knew he should feel angry at Lady Bellmond. She had just threatened him, after all! But he couldn’t. If anything, he admired her and the fiery protection she had over Lady Leah. He wished she understood that he felt the same way; he also wanted to protect Lady Leah. But as he gazed out at where she was dancing with Lord Eaton, he realized, with a jolt of guilt, that a small part of her was right.
He did enjoy flirting with Lady Leah. He did enjoy her attention. And she was right to be afraid that it would lead him to ruin things for her. Already he was making a list of reasons why Lord Eaton wasn’t good enough for her.
But it wasn’t as dark as Lady Bellmond made it out to be. His motivations weren’t because he was a selfish rake who needed to flirt with every woman he met. But he couldn’t explain the real reasons. Nor could he blame her for thinking that; he had made this reputation for himself. Now he had to live with its consequences.
“I shall leave you now, Lady Bellmond,” he said, turning back to her and bowing. “And I promise you, I will take your words to heart. Believe me when I say that we both want the best for Lady Leah.”
“We shall see about that,” she said, curtsying very stiffly to him. “Your behavior will prove your sincerity, not your words.”
“Please make my excuses to Lady Leah if she asks after me,” he said. “I don’t think she will be needing any more of my help. She is doing perfectly well on her own.”
And he turned and walked away from Lady Bellmong, resisting the urge to turn and glance once more at Lady Leah. Instead, he headed straight to the exit of Almack’s. What he needed right now was some peace and quiet in order to think. And the last thing he needed was to see Lord Eaton and Lady Leah flirt with each other all night.
“Where did His Grace go?” Leah asked the moment she rejoined Vivian on the edge of the dancefloor. “I must tell him everything! Lord Eaton just might be the exact gentleman we have been looking for!”
Leah was breathless and flushed, and she felt better than she had since Lord Dubois had showed up in her family’s home. All she wanted to do was tell the Duke about how perfect her dance with Lord Eaton had been, to see his eyes warm with approval and delight. As she glanced around the ballroom, her eyes kept lingering on every tall, dark-haired gentleman she saw. But none of them were the Duke.
Turning back to Vivian, she saw that her friend’s expression had become more closed.
“I don’t know,” Vivian said, shrugging. “Perhaps he went to the card room to play a game with the other gentleman. He didn’t say.”
“Oh, really?” Leah felt herself deflate slightly. She had been so looking forward to sharing everything with him, to them being co-conspirators in the quest to find her a husband. “I’m surprised,” she said, glancing around once more. “I thought he would want to hear how it went, especially since he was the one that set it up.”
“Well, you know his reputation,” Vivian said with a shrug. “He can be thoughtless when it comes to women. Once a rake, always a rake.”
“I suppose so…” The crushing disappointment in her chest felt vastly disproportionate to what had happened. So what if the Duke hadn’t stuck around to hear how her dance had gone? The important thing was that it had gone well. She hadn’t forgotten the steps once. In fact, she’d barely thought about it. Everything had felt second-nature once she’d relaxed and just let Lord Eaton lead. And the conversation had come as easily as the dancing…
“But tell me about it!” Vivian said, giving her a wide smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Was it a success? Do you like Lord Eaton? Tell me everything!”
“Yes, he seems like a very fine gentleman,” Leah said, forcing herself to smile and to focus on what mattered. “Of course, I still hardly know him, but he was easy to talk to, and he mentioned wanting to have a big family, so I know we are compatible in that way.”
“Oh wonderful!” Vivian said. “I am very glad to hear that. We can ask Anthony for his opinion on him as well. Come, he’s at the lemonade table, let’s go ask him, and then you can tell me all the details.”
And even though she had every reason to be hopeful and happy after such a successful dance with Lord Eaton, Leah couldn’t help but feel a small twinge of disappointment as they set off for the lemonade table. She had been so sure that she and the Duke had reached a new level of friendship. But perhaps Vivian was right.
Once a rake, always a rake.
CHAPTER NINE
“I have nothing but the highest regard for Lady Leah Grove,” Lord Eaton said, loud enough for the entire room to hear him. “And I believe she has taken a real interest in me.”
If he wants everyone to hear him, then he is doing a very good job of it, Dorian thought to himself, swirling his own whiskey from where he sat across the room at White’s, pretending not to be listening. What a show-off. A beautiful woman shows a little interest in him and now he needs to announce it to all of White’s!
Still, it was a good thing, as Dorian had to remind himself. Lord Eaton was a fine prospect for Lady Leah, and the fact he was talking loudly and excitedly about Lady Leah meant that he didn’t mind others jumping to the conclusion they had formed an attachment.
Perhaps he really will propose. Dorian’s grip on his glass became tighter, his knuckles turning white. And then all her problems will be solved.
“Lady Leah is a fine young lady,” one of Lord Eaton’s companions said, taking his own sip of whiskey. “I wasn’t sure about her during the Season, she never wanted to speak with me much--or anyone, for that matter. But she seems to have opened up with you.”
“She has,” Lord Eaton said pompously, his chest puffing out with pride. “Lady Leah is like a rare flower that only blooms under the right conditions. She needed me to come along and help her bloom.”
Dorian rolled his eyes. Really, the way these men described women as flowers boiled his blood! Couldn’t any of them think of a more original metaphor? Anyway, Dorian didn’t think Lady Leah was like a flower at all. She was much too tough to be a flower. Maybe she was more like a cactus, or--
“But what of the rumors she is already engaged to Lord Dubois?” another one of the men at Lord Eaton’s table asked. “They have been circulating for the last week, and one must wonder if the lady has a prior commitment.”
“She would have mentioned it,” Lord Eaton said at once, waving a dismissive hand. “Just because Lord Dubois wishes he could marry a lady as fair and delightful as Lady Leah, doesn’t mean he actually will. In fact--”
“Oh but I would not be so certain of that.”
The interruption came from the doorway into the room, and everyone--all the men at Lord Eaton’s table, the footman serving drinks, several men sitting by the windows in armchairs, and Dorian--all turned to see who the newcomer was.
Dorian felt his stomach fall out of him.
It was Lord Benedict Dubois.
Dorian’s hands immediately curled into fists. His heart began to race. And for a moment, he saw red. But he didn’t dare move. In fact, as Lord Dubois stepped further into the room, his face a mask of cold fury as he stared at Lord Eaton, Dorian sank even lower in his chair. Some instinct told him it was better to observe this fight, rather than get involved in it. It would give him information that he could use in the future to help Lady Leah.
“Lord Dubois,” Lord Eaton said, his eyebrows shooting up as he stared in surprise at the newcomer. “I did not know that you were in town.”
“Yes, I have had to return to town on a pressing legal matter,” Dubois said. “A matter that is related to the subject you were just discussing, in fact.”
“Oh?” Lord Eaton tried to look nonplussed, but Dorian could tell from the shaking of his hands that he was worried about what Dubois was about to say.
“You seem to be under the mistaken impression that I am not engaged to Lady Leah Grove,” Dubois said. “But I assure you: her hand has been promised to me, and nothing will stand in the way of our union.”
“Is it Lady Leah’s wish to marry you?” Lord Eaton asked, his eyes narrowing. “Because from what she has said to me, I get the impression that she wishes to marry me.”
Lord Dubois laughed. It was a cold, cruel sound. “And you mistakenly believed her? I will admit, Lady Leah can be quite the flirt. She always was with me, when I used to visit her late father.”
Dorian’s stomach churned, and rage briefly blinded him. He did not care to hear Lady Leah’s reputation maligned like this. A flirt! It was preposterous. Especially considering she’d been a girl when the late Duke of Dredford had died.
But Eaton must not have known this timeline, because he said nothing to defend Lady Leah. Instead, his eyes narrowed.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
? “I mean that my bride is experiencing what many refer to as cold feet. She knows she must marry me, but in her last days of freedom, she is eager to test the waters and see what other gentlemen might be interested in her hand. It is a childish attempt to stir my jealousy, of course, and one that I will not stand for. But it has worked: it has brought me to London, and now I will stake my claim for her.”
“Excuse me,” Dorian said, standing up before he could help himself. At once, all eyes in the room turned to him. But he had eyes only for Lord Dubois. “I will not allow you to speak of Lady Leah in such terms,” he snarled. “She is not childish or a flirt, nor is she eager to test any waters. She simply does not want to marry you, Lord Dubois. You are trying to force your suit upon her--against her will--and she has every right to choose a different gentleman.”
Lord Eaton’s eyes narrowed. “Force your suit?” he looked at Dubois. “Does the girl not want to marry you?”
“Of course she does!” Dubois said, glaring at Dorian. “It is just her brother who does not approve of the match. He thinks I am too old. But Leah’s hand was promised to me by her father, and I assure you, I plan to make good on that.”
Eaton, mercifully, looked up at this, his eyes narrowing. “If the Duke of Dredford is opposed to the match, then there must be a good reason. He would want what is best for his sister.”
“He is opposed because the late Duke of Dredford did not approve the match,” Dorian said. “Dubois is lying!”
Dubois’ lip curled. “ I am not lying, and I have the legal papers to prove Dredford is simply a stubborn man. But he will lose this legal battle. The law is on my side.”
Eaton looked back and forth between Dorian and Dubois, clearly unsure whom to believe. “The law will not allow you to marry a young lady who is unwilling ,” he began uncertainly , and Dorian felt momentarily forgiving of the man’s flaws, if he was going to stand up for Lady Leah like this against her foes.
“The lady has been promised to me,” Dubois snarled, “and she will fall in line. She wants this match, even if she is having trouble admitting it to herself. ”
“No she doesn’t!” Dorian roared, his hands balling into fists. But Dubois ignored him.
“ Long has she been attached to me. And any man who stands in my way will be met with the full force of the law.” Dubois’s face darkened and his voice grew lower and more dangerous as he glared at Eaton and Dorian . “Dredford will be mired in this legal battle long after I have married his sister, and I will make sure to bury whoever else stands in my way.”
Dorian turned furious to Eaton.
“Defend the woman you are planning to marry!” He snapped. “Tell this snake that you will not be intimidated!”
Eaton, however, looked uncertain, and before he could reply, Dubois spoke.
“Ask yourself, Eaton: is the girl really worth this? She came into your life, what, two days ago? And has used her charms and good looks to manipulate you into thinking of marriage when you still hardly know her or anything of her character. Is her pretty face really worth taking me on?”
Eaton closed his mouth. He was now gazing at Dubois with a strange expression, as if he couldn’t quite believe his own ears. Dorian’s heart sank. He knew that expression. It was a look he’d seen on the faces of many young men when they realized they’d gotten themselves into hot water with a young lady. And Dorian knew what it meant: it meant that Eaton was realizing Lady Leah wasn’t worth the effort. He was realizing he barely knew her, and now no longer trusted her. He was realizing that he wasn’t willing to go into a legal battle for her hand in marriage--especially if she was manipulating him.
“You are spineless,” Dorian spat at Eaton. “Dubois is the one manipulating you, not Lady Leah!” Eaton looked at him with momentary guilt and regret, but then he made his face smooth and expressionless.
“Why should I defend a girl whose motivations are unclear and who clearly is only using me to either make Dubois jealous or get out of a legally binding marriage contract with him? I will not be used, Nottington.”
“Oh, please! All gentleman and ladies use each other in the marriage mart. Lady Leah’s reasons for needing to wed are no different from any other ladies’!”
“I will not be used!” Eaton repeated, more loudly. He turned back to Dubois.
Dorian wanted to stand up and start yelling at Eaton. Defend her! He wanted to scream. Dubois is the one manipulating you, not Lady Leah! Yes, she needs a husband, but her actions are no worse than any young lady’s who is in need of a good match.
“You will not face any opposition from me,” Eaton said at last. His face had become closed once more, and he looked every bit the proper, disinterested gentleman. “I admire the young lady, but there is no serious attachment--certainly nothing that would challenge the legal right of a previous engagement contract.”
? ? “Good, very good,” Dubois said, and a toad-like smile spread across his face. Dorian’s stomach churned again. There was something so malevolent about this man that it made him feel queasy. “Then I would appreciate it if you could spread this information throughout the ton and to any other of Lady Leah’s suitors: that I, Lord Dubois, have an unimpeachable contract promising me her hand in marriage, and I will not hesitate to go into legal battle with anyone who attempts to thwart it.”
Lord Eaton nodded. “I’m sure no one would do so,” he said , turning and glaring at Dorian .
“You are a coward,” Dorian spat, crossing his arms. “And I will absolutely not be spreading this false information. I am a gentleman and I will protect this lady at all costs--unlike you, Eaton, who are not worthy to even look at her.”
“Stop throwing a tantrum, Nottington,” Eaton said coldly, all the guilt gone from his face now. “What is the girl to you, anyway? You are often in her company but you have not offered for her either--you clearly see her deficiencies as well.”
“She has no deficien---”
But Eaton had already turned away. “Would you care to join us for a drink, Lord Dubois?” he interrupted.
“No, I must be going,” Dubois said. His eyes were fixed on Dorian, even as he spoke to Eaton, and Dorian saw the suspicion there . “But now the gentlemen of London are warned: stay away from Lady Leah Grove.”
He turned and swept from the room, leaving a taut silence behind him. Dorian felt as if his stomach had dropped completely out of him. He was shaking with rage.
“To think!” Eaton ? said to his friends. “I was seriously thinking of proposing marriage to her! And all along, she was just using me.”
“Do you think it’s true she wants to marry Lord Dubois?” one of the gentlemen asked. “He is so old.”
? “It doesn’t matter what she wants,” Lord Eaton said forcefully. “She must obey the law and her commitment to a gentleman! A gentleman’s reputation and legal rights are on the line here. She must do her duty to her family.”
“You are going to regret that comment very much,” Dorian snarled, and he slammed his whiskey down on the nearest table, making it slosh out of the glass. Eaton looked startled and affronted.
“Is that a threat?” he asked, his eyes narrowing.
“Yes,” Dorian said. “In fact, I ought to call you out for how you betrayed Lady Leah’s trust today and let her honor be impugned. Perhaps when I get back from putting things right.”
Eaton stared at him with a mixture of shock and horror. “You would call me out over this?”
“I would do much worse,” Dorian said, his anger now so strong it took all his effort not to punch Eaton in his sanctimonious face. “Fortunately for you, I don’t have the time. I have to save Lady Leah if you won’t.”
“What are you going to do?” Eaton’s friend asked uncertainly. “You heard what he said: he’s going to ruin any man who stands in his way.”
Dorian scoffed. “ Lord Dubois’s threats might scare most men, but I am not most men. And I am not going to let that vindictive old man scare him. ”
Eaton’s friend looked impressed, even as Eaton turned very pale.
Without another word, Dorian stood and strode from the room, grabbing his jacket on the way out. Fortunately, he moved quicker than Lord Dubois, who was just stepping up into his carriage as Dorian came outside. Ducking to the right, Dorian hurried over to where his horse was tied to a post and began to undo the reins. The door of Dubois’ carriage closed, and it jolted forward, with Dorian following right behind. He didn’t know exactly where Dubois was going, or why he was following him, or what the plan was, but he knew one thing: he was not going to let Dubois out of his sight until the threat had been neutralized.
He will never have her.
? Chapter Ten
“Here’s your ale, sir,” the barmaid said as she deposited the large glass, filled to the brim with beer, on Dorians’ table.
“Thank you,” he said, distractedly, as he tried to peer around the barmaid. He didn’t want to lose sight of Lord Dubois, even for a minute. He was afraid that if he did, the man would somehow carry Lady Leah off against her will.
So far, however, Lord Dubois had not showed any signs of kidnap. All he was doing was drinking heavily in this rather grimy public house in central London. It wasn’t exactly the kind of place Dorian would expect a viscount to frequent, but he was at least glad for the anonymity. He didn’t want anyone to see him here, following Lord Dubois.
The barmaid moved away, and Dorian took a sip of his ale and wondered what to do next. I should speak to him, try to discover more about his plans.
The viscount was certainly drunk enough that Dorian thought he could risk the conversation. But of course, Dorian was well-known as a friend of the Duke of Dredford’s. Which meant that Dubois might not trust him--even if he was drunk.
I will just have to be very convincing. He’d have to employ all the skills that had made him convincing as London’s most notorious rake--despite the fact he had never once acted on that supposed rakishness.
Dorian took one more large gulp of ale--for the nerves--and then he stood up and made his way over to Dubois’s table. .
“My Lord,” Dorian said, bowing low before Dubois. “May I join you?”
Dubois looked up, and the moment he saw Dorian , his eyes narrowed with suspicion . “ What are you doing here?” He snapped, his voice edged with fear and loathing. “Did you follow me? Come to have another round with me about Lady Leah’s honor? Because I assure you, I will win. The law is on my side ”
Dorian laughed and shook his head. “No, no,” he said, “nothing like that. I came to clear things up between us: to tell you that I really am on your side.”
“On my side?” Dubois looked at him skeptically. “I do not believe that for a moment. Not after the way that you defended Lady Leah at White’s tonight.”
“I had to defend her,” Dorian said with a shrug. “Dredford has me over the barrel of a gun.”
Dubois’s eyes grew even more narrow. “What are you talking about?”
“You know of my profligate ways,” Dorian said, sighing. “May I sit?”
“No,” Dubois snapped, but Dorian sat anyway, giving Dubois a sad smile.
“It’s not just women with me,” Dorian continues, despite the look of annoyane on Dubois’s face. “It’s also the gambling. I have run myself up quite a debt at the gambling halls these past years. Why do you think I left England for so long? It wasn’t just to travel Europe, my friend, it was to avoid gambling debts.”
Dubois was watching him with a thoughtful expression. He still looked skeptical, but he also looked intrigued.
“I only came back because Dredford offered to pay my debts for me. But in return, I am his lackey now, and I must do his bidding whenever he asks me something. It is humiliating for me, a duke, to be at the beck and call of another duke. But what choice do I have?”
“What does this have to do with Lady Leah?” Dubois snapped.
Dorian sighed and shook his head. “He asked me to help find her a husband. To avoid marriage to you, of course. So now I must go around London trying to get the girl married, which is a waste of my time and quite a humiliating use of my skills. Not to mention that it cheats you of your rightful claim to her.”
Dubois sat back in his chair, observing Dorian. “It does not surprise me that Dredford would treat you thus,” he observed. “He is very arrogant and thinks that others live to serve him. But the way you defend Lady Leah tonight…”
?
“I have to, don’t you see?” Dorian leaned forward, looking deeply into Dubois’s eyes. “I have to defend her in public or people will tell Dredford I did not. But it makes my skin crawl. The girl is rightfully yours, and I see no reason why Dredford should try to stand in the way of the match. Except for his arrogance, I suppose.”
“I see,” Dubois said, leaning back in his chair and smiling with satisfaction. “Then I see we share an opinion of him. He is deeply arrogant, which he has proven by refusing to honor the agreement that his father and I came to. ”
?
“It is lucky, then, that you have a contract for her hand in marriage,” Dorian said. “Not many would be able to boast such a document !”
He signaled for the bar maid to bring them more rounds of pints, and once she brought them, he raised his pint.
“To good luck!” He said.
Dubois cinked his glass against Dorian’s and drank deeply, but when he set it down, his eyes glittered.
“It is not luck, though, ” Dubois said, and Dorian’s heart leapt. Was Dubois about to admit that he had faked the document? “I was very strategic in convincing the late Duke of Dredford to agree to the marriage. I knew I would need a backup in case my wife died without producing an heir. She was such a frail, sickly thing, especially by the end. I was right to take such precautions, she died last year, and now I am without an heir. Lady Leah will achieve that end for me.”
“And the girl? Does she want to marry you?”
“Oh, who cares what she wants,” Dubois said dismissively. “She is just a girl. She will do as she is told.”
Dorian had to work hard to keep himself from exploding with rage at the man. The contemptuous way Dubois spoke about Leah made him feel particularly violent.
Instead, however, he took a calming breath. “She is very beautiful,” he admitted. “But do you really want to be married to a woman who doesn’t wish to marry you? That seems like such a headache.”
Dubois shrugged. “All women are headaches. At least Leah is a young and beautiful one.” He sniggered and raised his pint of ale. “You are a rake! Surely you understand what I mean.”
“I do indeed,” Dorian forced himself to say, and he clinked his pint again against Dubois’. “To young and beautiful women!”
Dubois threw back his head and began to chug his pint. While he wasn’t looking, Dorian swiftly emptied his pint onto the floor. Fortunately, in an establishment such as this, it was made of dirt, so it wouldn’t be obvious to Dubois that Dorian had poured it out.
Then he pretended to finish off the last little bit before slamming it down on the table.
“Another!” he cried, and he signalled to the barmaid. “Bring us two more pints!”
“Oh thank you, Your Grace!” Dubois gushed , and Dorian saw that all his skepticism was evaporating. Dorian knew why, too: Dubois was a famous social climber, and he was flattered by the attention of a duke. It was making him un-cautious, especially after a few pints, and Dorian knew exactly how to use that . “I am very grateful for your generosity, and for your interest in my plight.”
“I am always interested in those who stand up to the Duke of Dredford,” Dorian said with a smile. “He may be a duke, but he is not above the law!”
The barmaid arrived with two more pints, and Dorian watched with glee as Dubois began to gulp down this one as well. He had to be strategic in how he dumped his own out, but as the man grew drunker and drunker, he seemed to take less and less notice of what Dorian was up to.
“You know, the truth is, the father was just as bad as the son,” Dubois said, after he’d drunk about half of the pint down. His eyes were becoming unfocused, and his face was slack.
“I thought he was your friend,” Dorian said carefully as he pretended to take a sip of his pint.
“My friend!” Dubois cried incredulously. “Oh, that man wanted me to believe he was my friend, but only so that he could use me--like everyone else has. He wanted some of my lands, you know. They bordered his, and he pretended to like me, but really, he was just trying to manipulate me into selling them. No, he was even worse than his son is now. Even more proud and arrogant. Even more obsessed with his pitiful family.”
“What a scoundrel,” Dorian said, contorting his face with rage, while inside, his heart had begun to race. If the late Duke of Dredford hated Dubois, then why would he have signed over his daughter’s hand in marriage to him? It didn’t make sense. “I am not surprised to hear that, though,” he invented. “ I heard he ? was always a cruel, selfish man . No wonder his son has turned out to be just like him.”
“Indeed,” Dubois said darkly. “I shouldn’t have been surprised that the current Duke of Dredford would treat me so abominably when his father was just the same!”
“You must be a very clever man, though,” Dorian said, thinking fast.
“What do you mean?” Dubois asked, blinking in surprise. Then he smiled. “But of course, I am deeply clever.”
“Yes, you are,” Dorian said, smiling widely. “Despite the fact the Duke of Dredford was not a good friend to you and tried to use you for your lands, you still managed to convince him to give you his daughter’s hand in marriage! You are very clever, indeed, Lord Dubois!”
Lord Dubois smiled mischievously, mysteriously, and Dorian’s heart hammered more loudly.
“I offered to make him a trade,” Dubois said, leaning in closer to Dorian. “My lands that he wanted for the promise of his daughter’s hand, should my wife die without producing an heir. I knew she wouldn’t. She was already old when I proposed this plan, and I was beginning to panic. But the Duke… he laughed in my face! Can you believe him? He’d been after those lands for years, manipulating me at every turn, and then when I offered him a fair bargain, he laughed at me!”
“He is every bit the cad I always suspected him to be,” Dorian said sympathetically. He leaned forward. “But how did you get him to change his mind?”
Dubois’ grin widened, revealing his yellowing teeth. Was it just Dorian’s imagination, or did they seem pointed?
“I didn’t get him to change his mind,” he said softly. Glancing around the public house, he leaned even closer to Dorian. “Can you keep a secret, Your Grace?”
“Of course,” Dorian breathed. Every inch of him was tense, as if he were about to spring forward. This was the moment he had been waiting for.
“The signature on the document is fake,” Dubois said, his eyes glittering. “But there is no way to prove it. I was in the Duke’s office often enough that I was able to procure documents with his signature on them. I practiced it for years, perfecting it. And then I signed the contract myself, using his signature ? and seal after making a copy. It is perfect, and no court of law will be able to find a problem with it. And of course, there are letters between me and the Duke discussing the deal. You see, he was against it, but he began to waver over time, as his lands fell even deeper into debt. He knew that he was in financial trouble, and that only through procuring my lands could he hope to get out of debt. The last few letters between us show that he is willing to talk about the deal again. I will show these in court, along with the signed document, and no one will be able to testify against it. Not even the Duke of Dredford.”
Dubois sat back in his chair and laughed. Dorian, meanwhile, was stunned. The man had just confessed everything to him, but what use was that? It was Dorian’s word against Dubois’, and Dubois had a signed contract with, apparently, a perfect signature. And the letters…
These letters boiled Dorian’s blood. He had known the late Duke of Dredford well, and although he had been a good man, Dorian could believe that he had wavered. He was a foolish man, obsessed with his wife and making her happy no matter what, and he had spent lavishly on her. He’d loved his children, too, but Dorian could imagine there was a possibility in which he would consider selling one of his child’s happiness for more land and money.
Such a thing was not even uncommon, among the men of the ton. Most of them looked forward to convincing their daughters to marry the men they picked out for them, usually for financial and political gains. Why should the late Duke of Dredford be any different? Although the fact he hadn’t actually signed the document did show he’d had some sense of common decency, at least.
Dorian felt stuck. He could testify against Dubois, but seeing as how he was a known friend of Lucien’s, his testimony probably wouldn’t be believed. If only he could find a way to get Dubois to write this down…
But while the man might be drunk and blabbering, Dorian felt sure he wouldn’t be foolish enough to put any of this to paper.
Unsticking his throat, he said, “Even with the letters and the contract, the Duke of Dredford will not give up easily. He is very stubborn, especially when it comes to his family.”
“Then I will drag out this trial for so long that the family will be completely mired in scandal,” Dubois said with a shrug. “By the time I am done with them, no one else will want to marry Lady Leah anyway--or any of the other sisters, for that matter!”
“Lady Leah has many charms,” Dorian went on bullishly. “She can withstand scandal.”
“No woman, no matter how beautiful, can withstand scandal,” Dubois said contemptuously. “Anyway, the family will give up eventually. They will realize I am not such a bad choice, especially compared to Lady Leah becoming a socially shunned spinster. Surely they would rather she marry me than face that fate!”
A pounding was filling Dorian’s head. He had told himself he would remain calm, that he wouldn’t act on any of the feelings that Dubois’ words brought up in him. He had to keep playing the part, keep pretending to be on the man’s side.
But it was getting harder and harder.
“What?” Dubois barked at him, eyeing him suspiciously for the first time. “You look as if you just smelled something foul.”
“Oh, no, it’s just this pub,” Dorian said, but he could feel how stiffly he was sitting, how cold his words sounded.
“Personally, I don’t know what the girl is so upset about,” Dubois said. “Our set are always marrying for financial and familial gains. And it’s not as if anyone else wants her. She should be grateful! If she gives me an heir, she will be well looked after, and I will be dead soon anyway, and she can live out her days as a wealthy, powerful widow.” Dubois laughed. “Really, I’m the one getting the raw end of the deal. A beautiful wife, but not long to live to appreciate her!”
Dorian said nothing. His mouth had gone very dry, and his hands had curled into fists. It was taking every ounce of self-control he had not to hit the man and send him flying across the pub.
“Anyway, I am not surprised that you appreciate this story,” Dubois said, chuckling to himself. “You’re a well-known rake. You’re used to getting your way with women. Really, I admire you. I should have been a rake in my youth. But I suppose it’s never too late for a man to get the woman he wants.”
“I have never ‘gotten’ a woman who wasn’t willing to have me,” Dorian said coldly. His hands were now curled so tightly that he was starting to lose feeling in them. Another few moments, and he knew he would punch Dubois in the face. “That is the difference between you and me. A rake might be a cad, but he does not force women against their will. Which is precisely what you are boasting about doing, as if it were something to be proud of.”
Dubois frowned at him. “What is wrong with you? You look ill.”
“That’s how a man feels when he is talking to a snake,” Dorian breathed.
“What?” Even in his drunken haze, Dubois seemed to have realized something was wrong, and now he was staring at Dorian with a mixture of annoyance and wariness.
? “You may think you can get whatever you want, but I am here to tell you that you cannot,” Dorian murmured. “There are still some gentlemen left in the ton who are not afraid of a fight.”
And before Dubois could say anything else, Dorian stood. His movement was so abrupt that his chair fell backward, clattering onto the ground. He didn’t bother to pick it up.
“Lady Leah is the most beautiful, interesting, kind, and selfless woman of the ton, and if you think I would sit by and let you force her into marriage, then you are completely deluded. You are the most despicable gentleman I have ever had the misfortune to meet, and I promise you, you will never so much as look upon Lady Leah again, let alone marry her. I promise you that on my very life.”
And w ith a swirl of his cloak, he turned away from the white-faced Dubois and strode from the room, tossing a few coins onto the bar as he left.
Anger gave him speed and purpose. He mounted his horse quickly, turned him away, and began to ride hard back through the streets of London. The pounding in his ears was still ringing, and his body was coursing with energy. He hadn’t felt like this in many years. Purposeful. Strong. Sure.
His last words to Dubois echoed in his ears as he turned onto the quiet Mayfair street where the ivy-covered Dredford House stood. They kept echoing as he dismounted, tied up the horse, and then slunk through the front garden to the side of the house where the family bedrooms were.
It wasn’t hard to find hers. She was silhouetted in the room, brushing her hair, the warm, buttery light of the candle flickering out to greet his eyes.
Nor did it take long for Dorian to find what he was looking for: the lattice underneath the ivy, which helped it grow upwards along the red brick. It wasn’t strong, but he could use the brick for footholds as well. And so, without hesitation, Dorian began to climb the ladder toward Lady Leah’s room.
Dubois might think he could get whatever woman he wanted, but he was wrong. He couldn’t have Lady Leah.