The Duke’s Accidental Wallflower (The Wallflower Pact #3)

Chapter 1

One

“Iswear, Cherie, I will absolutely strangle her when I find her!”

Minerva Bellington’s sharp tone echoed down the grand hallway of the London mansion that belonged to her friends, Cassandra and Aidan Norton.

Her steps were quick, her hands twisting the fabric of her skirts in frustration as her best and oldest friend, Aidan’s sister Cherie Casserly, hurried to keep pace.

The evening had started normally enough, filled with the usual small talk and the background hum of ballroom music, but now Minerva’s patience was frayed, hanging by the thinnest of threads.

“Minerva, do you not think you are overreacting a little?” Cherie asked, her breath coming in shallow bursts from trying to match Minerva’s long strides. Her voice was soft, meant to soothe, but even she couldn’t deny the concern that lingered beneath her words.

Minerva rounded the corner, her gaze darting toward every closed door they passed, her heart hammering in her chest. “Overreacting? I am not overreacting, Cherie. You did not see what I saw. You did not read what I read. She wrote it, right there in her diary—tonight, she plans to meet him, this... dark and handsome man, and she plans to ask him to kiss her!”

Her voice wavered slightly, a rare crack in her usual composure.

Cherie frowned, her forehead creasing with worry. “It could still just be a harmless fantasy, a girlish dream. Many debutantes write things like that.”

Minerva stopped abruptly, spinning on her heel to face Cherie, her eyes blazing.

“You do not know my sister like I do. She has always been impulsive, but since Mother passed, it has been impossible to control her. Chastity is reckless, making poor choices, and if she acts on this... this foolish notion, she will ruin herself – she will ruin everything!”

Cherie did not respond immediately. She bit her lip, glancing down the corridor before speaking again. “But a kiss? Surely a single kiss would not—”

Minerva cut her off with a sharp glare. “Yes, it would. You know better. One kiss witnessed by the wrong person would destroy her reputation entirely. The ton would devour her, and no one would propose to her. She would be doomed, and Father... Father would blame me for failing to protect her.”

Cherie’s expression softened at that, a wave of sympathy flickering across her face. “Minerva, you have done more than anyone could have expected. You cannot control every move she makes.”

Minerva pressed her lips into a thin line, unwilling to show any further signs of vulnerability.

“Ever since Mother died, Chastity’s upbringing and social success has been my responsibility.

Father is too absorbed in his own affairs, and Chastity.

.. she is slipping through my fingers. If I do not stop her, no one will. ”

Cherie sighed softly, glancing toward the nearest door. “Then we need to keep looking. Samantha and Cassandra are searching the gardens, and we have covered half of this wing. She cannot have gone far.”

Minerva nodded, sure that their other two friends would be looking just as hard as Cherie and Minerva. Resuming her hurried pace, she mused, “If we do not find her soon...”

Minerva had taken off so quickly that Cherie had to catch up. If they did not find Chastity before something irreversible happened, Minerva would never forgive herself.

The mansion boasted endless corridors and rooms, each filled with the trappings of wealth and high society. It had been over ten minutes since they had started searching, and the more time that passed, the more Minerva’s panic began to edge out her usual calm.

“And this... this secret suitor. He must be truly unsuitable if she is hiding him from me,” Minerva muttered, half to herself, half to Cherie. “There is no other explanation.”

Cherie offered a small, sympathetic nod. “I see your point, but we need to stay calm. Panicking will not help.”

Minerva clenched her jaw, unwilling to entertain the thought of calm when disaster seemed so close.

“We are running out of time,” she said tightly. “We have been searching for too long already. We need to cover more ground. You check the parlors and drawing rooms, and I shall head to the library.”

Cherie hesitated. “Are you sure we should split up? What if—”

Minerva’s sharp glance silenced her. “We will waste too much time if we stay together. We do not have the luxury to be cautious.”

Cherie nodded, her face creasing with worry. “All right. We will find her. I will meet you in the library when I have finished.”

Without another word, Minerva turned and headed toward the large library.

She barely acknowledged that being alone herself would be ruinous to her reputation as well.

Her mind was entirely consumed with thoughts of Chastity and the growing dread that her sister might have already done something irrevocable.

The moment Minerva pushed the heavy doors open, stepping into the familiar scent of old books and polished wood. Minerva and Cherie had once spent hours, days in this room! Every nook and cranny, every detail felt so familiar to her.

However, that night it felt different. Moonlight streamed through the tall windows, casting long shadows across the rows of towering bookshelves. The room was dimly lit, and it took Minerva a moment to adjust her eyes to the darkness.

Her breath caught in her throat as she spotted a figure near the far end of the room.

A man.

Minerva’s pulse quickened as she stepped farther into the room, her gaze fixed on the tall figure moving casually among the shelves.

He seemed utterly at ease, as though he had all the time in the world.

He had not noticed her yet, but Minerva’s gut told her this man, hiding alone in the library during a ball, had to have nefarious intentions.

She moved quietly, edging closer, her eyes narrowing as she strained to make out the details of his face. The light shifted slightly, illuminating his sharp features. Her heart stopped.

The Duke of Colburn.

Of all people, it had to be him! The man who was known throughout London as a notorious rake, the man whose name had been whispered at nearly every gathering for as long as she could remember.

This man matched Chastity’s description in her diary: He was devastatingly handsome with his dark hair and brown eyes.

.. well, I suppose they are closer to amber.

Women fawned over him, but he never seemed interested with any of them long enough to form an attachment.

Chasity, of course, would swoon over a man like him – dashing and off limits.

From all the gossip of the ton, he was everything Minerva despised in a man—carefree, charming, and entirely too arrogant.

And now he is here. But where is Chastity?

Minerva’s blood boiled at the very thought.

“You!” Minerva blurted out before she could stop herself, her voice ringing through the quiet room.

The Duke of Colburn’s head turned, his eyes landing on her with a look of mild annoyance. His lips curved into a slow, polite smile, the kind that made it clear he was used to women recognizing him.

“Well, good evening to you too,” he drawled with sarcasm, his voice deep and smooth. “I did not expect to run into an admirer tonight.”

Minerva’s cheeks flushed with a mix of anger and embarrassment, but she lifted her chin defiantly. “You presume too much, Your Grace. I had no intention of seeking you.”

The Duke’s brow lifted, though the smile never left his face. He took a step closer, his eyes as cold as ice as he looked her over. “Is that so? Then who were you looking for?”

Minerva’s stomach twisted, but she forced herself to remain calm. She had to be careful, had to handle this situation without letting her emotions get the better of her. “A young woman,” she said firmly. “I believe you have been meeting her in secret.”

The Duke blinked, momentarily caught off guard before a scoff escaped his lips. “I assure you, you are mistaken. I have not met with anyone tonight.”

Minerva’s jaw clenched. “I do not believe you. A man like you, with your reputation—what else would you be doing here, alone in the dark?”

He sighed, his fingers pinching the space between his eyes. “You may believe what you wish, but I have told you the truth. I came here for some quiet. I was not expecting to be accused of ruining a lady’s reputation.”

Minerva stepped forward, her anger flaring. “You expect me to believe that? You, of all people, hiding away in a library during a ball?”

His brow furrowed, and for a moment, a flicker of genuine exasperation crossed his face. “I have no expectations of you whatsoever.”

Minerva crossed her arms, glaring at him. “Do not play innocent with me. You are a known rake, always lurking in dark corners and breaking hearts...”

A slow smile spread across the Duke’s face again, a teasing gleam warming his eyes. “It appears I have been featured in more gossip sheets than I remembered. Lurking in dark corners, waiting to pounce on unsuspecting young women?”

Minerva scowled. “That is precisely what you do. I have read all about it.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “I do not need to hide in libraries to ‘pounce,’ as you say. And I certainly do not sneak around to ruin reputations. Even an innocent such as yourself cannot mistake innocent flirting with actual acts of ruination.”

“Whispers around town suggest that you do not ‘just flirt.’”

“I am sure I misunderstand and you are not basing your accusations purely on rumors or idle, and false, gossip. Unless...” he took a step forward, with a sudden smile, sharp and dangerous, “unless you wish to be the one to test your theory.”

She took a step back. Something about the serious and cold man from a few minutes ago, now looking like every bit the rake she swore to protect her sister from, unnerved her.

Minerva’s fists clenched at her sides. “You seem to find this amusing.”