Page 12 of Duke of Pride

His silence was damning. He raised his chin and looked down at her.

“Oh, you cannot be serious.” Victoria’s nostrils flared.

“It is not an unreasonable conclusion.”

Victoria barely held back from baring her teeth at him. Instead, she gathered her wits and lowered her voice to a cold hiss.

“I assure you, Your Grace, if I had any desire to trap a man into marriage, I would at least choose one I liked.”

Stephen’s eyes flickered, something sharp flashing behind them.

She didn’t stop. He had crossed a line, and that worked both ways. And since he dared to imply such a thing about her, he basically just set the standard for the rest of their interactions.

So, Victoria unleashed her sharp tongue.

“I would choose a man who challenges me intellectually,” she continued. “A man with wit, with charm, with a sense of humor. A man who possesses the ability to laugh.”

Stephen’s expression darkened. His jaw clenched, and for a moment, Victoria thought that she had finally succeeded in shattering that infuriating composure of his and she would see the man under the facade.

But no. When he spoke, his voice was low, measured, and controlled.

“I would caution you, Miss Victoria, to remember your place when addressing a duke.”

“Oh, yes. My place, my situation. Somewhere beneath you, isn’t that right?”

“You misjudge me.”

“I highly doubt it.”

“Miss Victoria, I am not trying to be cruel.”

“And yet you seem to excel at exactly that.”

His lips pressed into a thin line, and he exhaled through the nose sharply. “Miss Victoria. I asked you to address me properly.”

“You seem to forget that my brotherisa duke, whether you like it or not. I am well aware of how to address one. I am being quite reasonable, given the circumstances.”

“Since you mentioned your brother, what would he think about all of this?”

“That’s irrelevant. He is too far away to be able to do anything about the matter.”

“You still haven’t answered my question.”

“Excuse me for not submitting fully to your interrogation. What was the question again?”

“Why are you with my mother?”

“Apparently, for the chance to walk around in my nightgown and catch a fine man like you.” Victoria’s words dripped with venom.

“Miss Victoria!” Stephen barely contained himself.

He seemed ready to snap, his eyes blazing. He was too tall, too broad, and though she was well aware he would never go over the limits of what was proper, his massive body locking up like that made him look less of a gentleman. A side of him she didn’t want to unearth. So, she retreated a little and decided to answer earnestly.

“Because I like her. I consider her a good friend. She is kind, she is brilliant, and she is alone,” Victoria sighed. “Or at least, she was. Before I came.”

Stephen inhaled, and his jaw dropped.

“And now you come along, ready to condemn her into the same loneliness—a loneliness that was partly your fault.”