Chapter 5
Ashbrook was… nothing like she had ever imagined.
Selina had grown up with her father’s deep hatred for the former Duke of Ashbrook and, by extension, his family.
When she had first met and duly gotten to know Lizzy, she realized that perhaps her father was mistaken about many things pertaining to that family.
Her friend, however, had promptly dissuaded her from the notion that the present Duke was one of the nice ones.
Or even vaguely likeable.
“Goodness, he is awful,” Lizzy had complained one day at their secret book club.
“He walks into a room, and the temperature drops. He grumps and glooms around, making everyone else miserable. I cannot even breathe without eliciting a sharp look or a cutting remark from him. Sometimes—and I know I shouldn’t—I wish he had just stayed away.
I was perfectly content with just my grandmama.
She has never called me spoiled or snarled at me for having an extra morsel of dessert at dinner. ”
That was the least worrisome of her commentary about her brother.
Selina was certain she would not like a man who scowled coldly at every little inconvenience, or spoke rudely all the time, or behaved as if he were superior.
Why, then, was Philip so vastly different from everything she had heard about him?
“Well, if that is not the strangest thing I have seen all day,” Lizzy murmured.
Selina turned toward her friend. “What is so strange?”
Lizzy tilted her head toward the door that her brother had just disappeared through. “That. Him. Smiling.”
Selina wanted to correct her; he was laughing. At her expense, perhaps, but a chuckle counted as a laugh, did it not?
“I have never seen him smile at anyone before.” Lizzy looked genuinely bewildered. “Not unless it is in that sarcastic way of his, at least.”
Selina wanted to burst out laughing herself. Perhaps the Duke found their entire predicament just as hilarious. Perhaps he truly found her amusing. Who knew what he was thinking?
“Well, I do not want to stand here all day wondering about my brother’s mercurial moods,” Lizzy announced, looping her arm around Selina’s. “Come. Let me show you to your rooms.”
“My rooms?”
“Why, you are about to become the Duchess of Ashbrook in a fortnight.” Lizzy grinned at her. “You did not think we would have you quartered just about anywhere, did you?”
“I must admit I had feared you might put me in a cupboard.”
“I was considering the dungeons, but those have not been available for some time.”
“How charming. A dungeon.”
Her best friend would never put her in a dungeon, of course. The Duke, however… Selina was not too sure about that.
Perhaps he was only playing at being nice.
After all, she could not forget his mastery during the non-duel, but he had made a darker impression long before that.
She had sensed the danger radiating from him in waves from the moment he had stepped out the door, his unbuttoned tailcoat flapping behind him, eyes like a storm, pistol in hand.
Lizzy was much taller than Selina, but the Duke was absolutely massive in comparison, with broad shoulders that tapered to a narrow waist in a tempting V. And how could she forget those steely bands he had for arms, the very ones that had caught her with such ease when she had stumbled?
But then he had smiled at her. Teased her.
That was even more worrying.
He was already dangerous enough, but knowing that he could easily tease her? Make her all flustered and warm? Make her so distracted that she would foolishly walk right into the back of him?
She was in even greater peril than she had thought.
“You have a lovely house,” she said, needing a diversion.
“It is much improved,” Lizzy agreed. “My grandmama’s touch.”
The entrance hall was airy and bright, with pretty landscapes hanging on the walls and wallpaper a pleasing shade of warm yellow with white accents. A curving stairwell tongued upward and split in two, leading to the east and west wings.
It was up the right fork that Lizzy led Selina, walking so quickly that they were almost running by the time they halted outside a set of doors.
“Here we are!” Lizzy announced, throwing the double doors open with a grand flourish and jolting Selina out of her thoughts. “Your new rooms here in Ashbrook Manor!”
Sunlight streamed in through an entire wall of mullioned windows framed by pale green draperies embellished with gold embroidery.
On one side of the room, there was a pair of settees in pale green silk damask.
On the other side, gauzy curtains in pink and pale green pooled to the floor to frame a gigantic bed.
“Not bad for a cupboard.” Selina grinned at her friend.
“The best part is that my rooms are just across the hall,” Lizzy added. “And further down to the very end… well, that should be Philip’s, now that he is the Duke.”
Selina made a mental note not to venture down that particular hall.
“Lizzy?”
“Hmm?” Her friend sank onto one of the settees in a rather unladylike fashion while Selina lowered herself onto the other one.
“What is he like? Your brother?”
“Philip?”
“I was not aware there was another.”
The blonde pursed her lips as if in deep thought. “You already know that he rarely smiles. Or laughs.”
“Yes, you made me aware of that earlier.”
That… was not very reassuring. Selina had had two decades’ worth of experience with a man who rarely smiled or laughed. Her father was not a man who was given to smiling, laughing, or any other emotion besides annoyance. It was not something she looked forward to in the next chapter of her life.
“Can we not speak of him?” Lizzy groaned. “It is such a dull topic. I have told you everything about him before. What else can you possibly want to know?”
Selina shrugged. “Anything and everything, I suppose. Call it research.”
A mischievous glint entered Lizzy’s eyes. “At least gathering for our book club will be easier now. Melody can just come here because the two of us will already be here.” She laughed. “Oh, this is marvelous!”
“Concentrate, Lizzy. Please.”
It was not marvelous. It was a mess.
“Do you think the members of the Matchmakers’ Book Club meet like we do?” Lizzy sighed dreamily.
Selina gulped. The less said about those particular miscreants, the better.
Although I will have to explain everything soon.
“Oh, Selina, please do not look so worried,” Lizzy said, sitting up straight, all seriousness. “He will most likely stay out of your way. You might have to see one another at dinners, but that is all. I will have you mostly to myself, and I shall be so very glad of it.”
Selina managed a dry little laugh.
She honestly did not know how she was supposed to react if her friend had said something greatly worrying. Like, “He does not approve of women with a fondness for books or learning.”
That would have had her reconsidering their suitability for a lifelong union… more than she already was.
Thankfully, Ashbrook did not seem to have any objection to the notion of women with a penchant for reading.
“Not if reading is the most mischief you could ever get up to,” he had said to her earlier, with that flutter-instigating smile of his.
But she had to do something about her reaction to that smile of his. It was simply far too…
Distracting.
She patted her suddenly warm cheeks. Oh, this would not do. This would not do at all.
Just then, a light rap wrenched her from her thoughts.
Who could it be this time?
“I came as soon as I heard.”
When he heard his friend’s familiar voice, Philip set out another glass and poured some whiskey into it. He pretended to ignore the look of concern and confusion that marred Zachary’s brow when he handed it to him.
His friend shook his head. “I thought the old feud had died with your father. What the devil possessed old Barlow to come banging on your door?”
Philip shrugged and tossed back his drink. “Nothing really. Just some mischief that some ladies were up to.”
He was making assumptions, but they were not baseless.
“Some mischief that must have been, to demand such retribution from the old Duke.” Zachary looked at Philip over his glass and raised his eyebrow. “Does this mischief involve you dishonoring his daughter in some way?”
“Of course not. You know that I am a man of honor.”
“I had not known you to make jokes after just one glass of whiskey, old boy.”
Philip chuckled. “It is nothing serious, really. Lizzy once mentioned this particular book club that sends scandalous letters to young ladies who have come out into society. I do not know why they do so, but Barlow discovered one sent to his daughter and promptly lost his mind.”
“Scandalous letters?” Zachary choked out. “What kind of scandalous letters?”
“From their supposed ideal matches, though not written by the said matches. Have a look at it yourself.” Philip tossed the letter to his friend, who quickly scanned its contents. He watched as his friend’s expression turned rather grave, and he poured himself another glass.
“This looks like you really could have written it.”
“Yes, if I had lost half my wits.” Philip rolled his eyes. “It was meant as a joke. A prank. Barlow, though, would hear none of it and demanded satisfaction unless I married the girl.”
Zachary shuddered and tossed the letter back to him. “Thank God, my daughter has not heard of this book club, or she would have them send me a letter.”
“You could use some help, old friend.”
“Like you did?” Zachary smirked at him.
No, he most assuredly did not.
The last thing Philip cared for—up until Barlow began shouting up his window—was a bride. He was even just dissuading his grandmother from the notion of his “duty” when chaos erupted.
“Yes, well, I did not particularly care for murdering the man in front of his children.” He shrugged.
“So, you did not shoot the fellow.” His friend frowned. “However did you manage to keep him from shooting you?”
“He could not figure out his pistol, and I graciously withdrew before he could embarrass himself any further,” Philip replied. “I could not let him murder his own authority in front of his children.”
Zachary chuckled. “Was it truly so bad?”
“I have seen farmers’ boys who have never wielded a weapon before aim with greater accuracy,” Philip snorted. “Anyway, my proposal to his daughter put an end to it. He accepted rather more eagerly than I would have expected from a man who openly despises me.”
“Aren’t you suspicious of his intentions?”
Philip shrugged again. “Not really.”
“And you’re actually going to marry her?”
“Seems that way.”
He was going to need a third glass. And a fourth.
Whom was he deluding? He would definitely need the whole bottle.
Zachary still looked as if he could not quite digest the news.
“Well, do forgive me, but this is… unbelievable. I would have expected you to shoot the man for even daring to insinuate you had dishonored his daughter, not marry her.” He peered at Philip.
“I suppose her exceptional prettiness had nothing to do with your surprisingly generous decision?”
“She is not unfortunate-looking,” Philip managed.
There was no point in repudiating that fact. He possessed a good eye for the feminine form, and heaven help him, the little troublemaker was certainly charming.
He just did not appreciate the thought of his friend appraising Selina in that manner.
Unfortunately, Zachary did not seem to be aware of this.
“I also heard that she is possessed of a lovely temperament,” his friend continued. “A refreshing wit in a ballroom of vapid butterflies.” Philip did not miss his sly, knowing smirk. “Imagine all that loveliness, wasted on a jaded wretch like yourself.”
Oh, screw the whiskey. The prospect of throwing the entire bottle at his friend’s smug face was becoming more appealing by the moment.
“Yes, yes. You have already made it quite clear how it is the lady’s great misfortune to marry a man such as myself,” he grumbled. “Now, be a good friend and tell me who her former betrothed was so that I may send an invitation to the poor man and help in lessening the offense.”
Zachary held out his glass for another round. “You truly are decided on this?”
Was he really?
An image of the young lady rose in his mind, a delicate blush on her cheeks. Her lovely lips parted, almost begging for him to steal a kiss. Even his skin could perfectly recall how she had felt against him—soft and warm and everything he had told himself he neither wanted nor needed.
“Yes, I am,” Philip told his friend. “After all, marrying the enemy is something even I cannot refuse.”
He smiled and downed the rest of his drink.