Page 87 of The Duke's Vice

Beatrice opened her door and looked down the barren hallway. A cunning smile formed as she tip-toed down the quiet hallway, with only the nightly shadows accompanying her on her adventure.

She slipped out the back door and down to the main road. She didn’t need to think of the route, her body knew the way. It wasn’t long before she found herself standing in front of the door to the midnight party that Graham brought her to.

The same mammoth of a man was standing outside the door. “Ah, mistress, I see you have returned.”

She pulled out the invitation but he waved her off.

“No need, mistress.” He stepped to the side and opened the door. “You’ve been accepted into this house before. You are a Reveler now.”

Anticipation and excitement rose within Beatrice. She honestly thought her feet were going to leave the ground as she skittered past the doorman with a squeal and a nod of ‘thanks.’

Her steps skidded to a halt when the reality of the occasion came crashing down on her.

Heads turned at her abrupt arrival. Curious looks, coy whispers, and someone even licked his lips when he looked at her.

Beatrice swallowed hard as her mind and body fought over whether this was a mistake or not.

Beatrice dipped her head and made her way to a makeshift bar just off to the right of the door.

“Looking for love, mistress?” A woman behind the bar asked.

Beatrice looked up from underneath her hood to find kind, yet curious, eyes looking back at her.

Beatrice lowered her hood and shook her head.

“I don’t want love. I just want to feel something.”

The woman’s lips widened. “Good. We can’t help with the first one, but I’m sure someone can help you with the latter.”

CHAPTER 23

“What are you doing here?” Ezra’s eyes darkened as they focused in on his brother-in-law standing in the doorway.

Frederic raised his hands to his sides. “Not what you think I assure you. Your sister knows I’m here.”

The thought of his sister being at one of the Reveler’s midnight parties turned his blood cold. “Is she here?”

Frederic’s laugh bounced off the walls in the small room. “Heavens, no, what are you? Mad?”

Ezra rubbed his face. It was too late in the night to deal with Frederic. “Then why are you here?”

“I’ve been trying to track down Slatington. He owes me money and the bugger keeps forgetting to bring it to our meetings so I figured he’d be well stocked here.” Frederic leaned against thedoor jamb in a nonchalant way that had Ezra grinding his back molars.

“I heard there was a game going on in one of the back rooms tonight and that he’d be in attendance. Imagine my surprise to find you in one of these back rooms. Waiting for someone?”

Frederic’s raised his eye brow added to the cheekiness of his grin. Ezra rolled his eyes and groaned.

“I was. Now, if you’d leave me be you probably scared her off.”

Frederic looked around the empty room. “Aw, your usual girls wouldn’t be so picky. Most were up for the challenge, eh?” Frederic laughed. “You could always do it by yourself but-”

“Will you just leave?” Ezra bellowed.

Something about Frederic reminding him of his old ways grated him the wrong way. He didn’t like remembering those lost nights of random women with no ties, no emotion. He used to crave only that, but now, something had changed.

He refocused his rage onto his brother-in-law.

“You barged in here and disrupt my night. If you must know, I wanted to make sure this room was empty before I brought someone in here. Unlike you I find it rude to just walk through closed doors.” He said with a sniff.