The Duke She Swore Never to Love (Love and Secrets of the Ton #11)

Prologue

Whitehall Gaming Rooms, London

The well-dressed gentleman sat at the table and fought back a smirk as Viscount Edmund Fairleigh lost yet again, his expression dejected as he laid his cards on the table.

This had been happening all evening. Fairleigh wasn’t good at playing cards on a regular evening, but tonight he was even worse.

It was like he was determined to prove a point.

In a way, he had. He just hadn’t done it the way he wanted.

“Maybe you should stop,” Fairleigh’s opponent said as he pulled the coins in his direction, adding to the vast pile beside him. “You are going to go bankrupt, at this rate.”

But Fairleigh shook his head, his mouth hardening into a thin line.

“No, I’m not going to do that. I’ll be able to win it back in the next couple of hands.”

“I don’t think that’s going to happen. You’ve lost every hand so far.”

“Deal.”

The gentleman exchanged glances with the other man at the table, the pile of money sitting between them.

His pile was a lot smaller than his companion’s, but he was more shrewd with his bets.

He didn’t go too high, knowing when he should play his hand.

If Fairleigh took the same advice, it would save him a lot of heartache.

But it would work in his favor, at least. And Fairleigh wasn’t in a position to refuse. He just had to wait for the right time.

“Aren’t you going to deal, Your Grace?” Fairleigh snapped as his opponent hesitated.

“I said I want to play again. And I’m going to win all of my money back.

”The Duke of Hartwood looked uncomfortable, his hand hovering over the pack of cards.

Then, with a heavy sigh, he picked up the remaining cards and began to shuffle them.

“I suppose we’d better get the drinks in.”

“I’ll get them.” He stood up and patted the duke on the shoulder. “You focus on ruining him.”

“That’s not amusing.”

But the gentleman’s mouth twitched as he went to the saloon bar and ordered the next round of drinks. He could’ve signaled a servant to come to them and bring them out, but he wanted to stretch his legs. They’d been deeply engaged in the game, and his legs were getting sore.

Besides, it was amusing to see Fairleigh struggling from afar. It was like a game in itself, seeing the viscount sweating and pale, looking close to having a fit. But he refused to move, certain that he would win this time.

The man was playing into his hands.

Walking back into the card hall, the gentleman stood behind Fairleigh for a moment and looked at his cards.

The man’s hand was terrible. It looked like it could work with a bit of clever thinking, but he couldn’t see Fairleigh doing that.

It was just going to make it worse with the way he was thinking this would work out.

It was almost comical to see someone so bad at playing cards.

The viscount and the duke played the round without the gentleman, and he was happy to sit back, sipping his brandy when it was brought to him, and watched the older nobleman fall with a hard thud.

He lost, again, and the last of his coins ended up on the duke’s side.

“I think we really should stop now,” the duke said, getting to his feet and signaling a footman to join them. “I won’t take more off you when you have nothing.”

“I can put something up for collateral,” Fairleigh said quickly.

The gentleman had to admire the viscount’s tenacity. Even after losing everything, he still wanted to prove a point. The duke shook his head.

“It’s over, Lord Fairleigh. I think you should go home now while you’ve still got a shred of dignity.”

That made him smile. Fairleigh had lost all dignity tonight. He wasn’t going to get it back anytime soon. The duke thought he was being kind, but he was just as wily. He knew that the duke was rubbing his hands with glee inside, knowing that he’d added more money to his coffers.

“Please, Alastair…” Fairleigh shot to his feet and gripped the duke’s arm. “You…I need to…”

But the duke sighed and gently removed Fairleigh’s hand.

“You have my sympathy for your situation, Edmund, but this has to stop now. You need to back off before you ruin your family further. What are your children going to think?”

That made Fairleigh flinch. He had really forgotten that he had a son and a daughter who were going to be heartbroken knowing that they had nothing to their name now? The duke stepped back and gave both of them a slight bow.

“I’ll bid you both goodnight. And again, Edmund…”

He hesitated, as if he was about to apologize again, but then he turned and walked away.

A footman was at the table now, scooping the coins and putting them into a velvet bag, which clinked with each drop of a coin.

It was a satisfying sound, but Fairleigh didn’t think so.

He looked ashen, as if he was going to collapse.

There would be sympathy for him if he wasn’t so obsessed with winning. But there were some people who were so bad at trying to win, it became an addiction, almost as if they were trying to prove a point. Fairleigh was one of those people.

And he was ripe for the picking.

The gentleman waited around, trying not to look too suspicious, until Fairleigh left.

The duke had already departed, heading back home with his extra wealth, while Fairleigh would be walking back to his townhouse a few streets away.

It would be a long and difficult walk for him to do, knowing that he was a pauper now.

Getting a loan to help for a while might be a brief reprieve, but that would only last for so long.

There was no hope in giving the man any sympathy.

The gentleman stood in the doorway and watched as Fairleigh made his way down the street, turning his collar up against the chilly air.

Despite it having been a warm day, it was cold tonight.

There was even fog curling up from the Thames nearby.

There was something ominous about the scene before him.

Retrieving his hat and coat from a servant, the gentleman stepped out into the street, shivering in the chilly wind. Nobody would think it was mid-April when it was this cold. Perhaps it was due to being so close to the river; the wind did tend to whip off it at times.

The smell didn’t make it any better, and it was turning his stomach. That was the only downside of the club being this close to the Thames: it was a beautiful sight on a nice day, but if the wind was blowing the wrong way they could smell the factories on the other side.

At least it was quiet. Nobody wanted to venture out at this time of night, although there were a few mudlarks coming up the slippery stone steps from the river.

The gentleman didn’t know why they’d tried to go and scavenge anything off the banks of the river when the tide was in, but when something was hungry and desperate, they would try anything.

He gave them a wide berth as he passed them, falling into step a little way behind Fairleigh, who hadn’t noticed that he was being followed. The viscount had his hands shoved in his pockets, his shoulders hunched, and his head down. He was looking like a man who had lost everything.

But that was ideal. The gentleman was going to take advantage of it.

They were alongside the river wall, almost at the end of the street, when Fairleigh slowed to a stop, his head twitching.

Had he heard someone following him? That was confirmed when he spun around, his expression one of apprehension and fear.

He couldn’t blame the viscount for that; it was common for pickpockets to be out and about during the night.

It was not a good idea to be walking around alone.

But Fairleigh likely couldn’t afford his carriage anymore, so it was likely he didn’t have a chance.

“What are you doing?” Fairleigh demanded once he realized who was following him. “Why are you following me?”

“I was just making sure you were getting home safe and well.” The gentleman raised his hands and approached, giving the viscount what he hoped was an innocent smile. “We have to look out for each other, don’t we?”

Fairleigh snorted.

“You’ve never cared about anyone except yourself in your life. You expect me to believe that?”

Sighing, the gentleman lowered his hands.

“All right, you saw through me. I wanted to know when you were going to pay back your debts. The duke isn’t the only one you owe money to.”

Fairleigh swallowed, his annoyance faltering.

“I’m aware that I owe you as well,” he croaked. “But you saw what happened tonight. It’s going to be a while before I can get anything to you.”

“Well, I’m giving you a week.”

The viscount blinked. “What? You’re giving me a week? But I can’t get my debt to you paid in that time!”

“You’re going to have to find a way, aren’t you?” He folded his arms and smirked. “You know my price, Fairleigh. I’ve mentioned it before.”

From Fairleigh’s expression, he knew exactly what he meant by that.

The gentleman raised the suggestion before.

If Fairleigh wanted the debt paid off quickly, then he would hand over his daughter.

That would wipe out the debt almost immediately.

But the viscount had been holding out, determined not to drag his child into the mess he’d created.

That wasn’t what the gentleman wanted, though. He wanted Arabella, and he was determined to get her.

“No,” Fairleigh said firmly. “I’m not having that.”

“It would be beneficial for both of you.”

“I’m not using my daughter as a pawn because of my failings. Arabella deserves better than that.”

“She doesn’t get a say in this and neither do you.” He stepped toward the older man. “If you want this debt cleaned out, and me to help you in the future, then you’ll let me marry Arabella.”

“Never!” Fairleigh shot back. “Arabella deserves much more than you. She would never forgive me if I did this to her.”

“You listen to what she wants?”

“If you love someone, you listen to them. That’s how it works.”

The gentleman knew that love meant people doing things they shouldn’t, but he didn’t care about that. As long as it advanced what he wanted, that was enough. Although having a beautiful woman like Arabella Fairleigh as his wife would be quite a trophy.

Even the duke couldn’t get that for himself.

“Well, how about I tell you how it works?” The gentleman stepped toward the viscount, who didn’t back away despite the scared look on his face.

“You give me your daughter’s hand, and I’ll make sure the debt is wiped clean as soon as the wedding happens.

If not, then you’re going to have to find a way to get a loan to pay me back.

And I’m aware that you’re not on good terms with your bank, given the loans you’ve gotten out from them before. ”

“So you’re going to blackmail me with my daughter?” Fairleigh snapped.

“I don’t think you should consider it as blackmail. More like a…business transaction.”

Fairleigh glared at him. His eyes were glinting, his outrage building more than his fear. To his credit, the viscount knew when to stand his ground. Even if he didn’t know when to stop gambling.

“I will not allow you to do that with my daughter,” he growled. “You keep your hands off her. You’re not going anywhere near her, and you certainly won’t become her husband.”

“Why don’t we see what she thinks about it?”

“She wouldn’t look at you for a potential husband, anyway. She wants to marry for love, not because the other party wants to claim her as his own. That’s not love.”

The gentleman threw back his head and laughed.

“You still believe in love? That doesn’t exist. It’s too ridiculous.”

“It was enough for me when I was married, and it’s what I’d want for Arabella. She deserves the best, both in a loving husband and a good life.”

Listening to this was boring, and he rolled his eyes. This was getting too long already. They should’ve agreed to an arrangement already, but Fairleigh was incredibly stubborn. Even though he had nothing to his name now, he was determined to make sure that Arabella was not in anyone’s clutches.

At this point, he wouldn’t have much of a choice.

“At this moment in time, Fairleigh, it’s not up to you. You’ve lost everything, and you can’t even give your daughter a dowry. If she marries me, I won’t care about that. You don’t have to pay a dowry and your debts are gone. It’s as simple as that.”

But Fairleigh shook his head. He looked like he was getting angrier.

“I’m not doing it. I’ll get the money to you one way or another but not by using my daughter.”

The gentleman sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I can’t believe you’re not agreeing to any of this. It works out for you. Your daughter is practically a spinster now. Don’t you want her to be married and settled down?”

“On her terms, not mine.”

“And you respect that?”

This was getting nowhere. Fairleigh should’ve been in such a low mood that he would agree to anything. But he was holding out and patience was being lost.

“Look, I know what you want,” Fairleigh said, stepping toward him. “You keep your hands off my daughter. In fact, keep away from her completely. You don’t deserve to be in the company of someone as remarkable as my child.”

“I don’t think you can tell me what to do.”

“How about I make the point hit home?”

Fairleigh moved so quickly that the gentleman wasn’t able to react in time. The fist hit him in the face, and he stumbled back, pain exploding in his mouth. He could taste blood, and it was a sickly, metallic sensation. He was sure one of his teeth had come loose, and he wobbled it with his tongue.

Fury sprang up. Fairleigh had made a big mistake lashing out like that. He wasn’t going to stand for it.

Launching himself at the viscount, the gentleman shoved him hard, trying to take a swipe back at the older man’s face, but Fairleigh stumbled with the shove, falling back so suddenly that he just ended up punching air. He hit the parapet, and he was knocked off-balance.

The gentleman could see his eyes widening with shock and horror as he toppled over the wall, disappearing from sight with a cry of terror. Moments later, there was a splash.

He hurried to the edge of the wall and looked down, but it was too dark. All he could see were the rippling waves crashing against the wall. If there was a body down there, he couldn’t see one.

Or the sound of splashing, indicating Fairleigh was still alive.

This was not how it was supposed to be. Panicking a little, the gentleman straightened up and looked around. What if someone saw him, saw what had happened? But there was nobody about. Even the mudlarks had disappeared.

That was a little relief. It was an accident, and he didn’t mean this to happen. But it was doubtful that anyone would see this as anything otherwise. Fear rose in his chest, and the gentleman’s chest tightened. What if someone thought it was suspicious and started looking into his life?

He could only hope that he could walk away and nobody would be any the wiser.