Page 15 of A Bride for the Wicked Duke (Claimed by Regency Devils #2)

Chapter Fifteen

"R emind me why I came here again?” Victor sighed as he took a sip of brandy.

“I would say it is because you are my friend,” Gerald said. “Although now I am wondering if you are even that.”

Victor chuckled. “I came to make you look good.”

“Ah yes, improvement by comparison. People will see me standing next to you and think to themselves, well at least he isn’t nearly as bad as the Duke of Blackwood.”

"That is not what I meant,” Victor scoffed. “My meaning was that with me here, it will be at least considered that you have a few friends of social worth. I look about and I see what? A viscount? A baron or two? An earl .” He sighed. “Honestly, Gerald, you really need to work on your social circle.”

“If I did that, you wouldn’t be here.”

Victor laughed and took another sip of his brandy. “Careful now. If I had feelings, I would say that you are starting to hurt them.”

Gerald laughed dryly but did not respond. If he had his way, he would not be speaking with Victor at all – in truth, he was regretting inviting the man, having only done so because it would have seemed odd not to. After all, tonight was supposed to be a gathering of friends, and most knew he and Victor to be close. They don’t know why we are, which is how I plan on keeping it.

It was all a charade, this entire night, its true purpose, and why Gerald’s home was inundated with a dozen guests, none of whom he particularly wished to see or speak with. Of the dozen people here, there was but one whom he wanted to talk with, she who he had spent the entire evening avoiding for that same reason.

He was standing by the fireplace, appearing casual as he spoke with Victor. Taking a sip of his own glass of brandy, Gerald glanced quickly across the room, spying Lady Hawkins in deep conversation with the viscount Lord Mildenhall. They had been at it all evening, since the two sat across from each other for supper, a pairing which Gerald had endeavored to promulgate but was now regretting.

“That reminds me,” Victor started. “Will I be seeing you this week?”

“Hhmm?” Gerald pulled his attention back on Victor. “This week? What are you speaking of?”

Victor raised an eyebrow. “Do you wish for me to say it out loud?” He gestured to the room, in which there were a dozen others. “I was trying for subtlety.”

“Oh...” Gerald’s face dropped. “Right. Yes. I... I am not sure. What for?”

“No real reason,” Victor said. “Simply that I have not seen you there for over a week. And do not get me wrong, Gerald, I do not miss your presence. But you are technically in charge, as you are always at pains to remind me. It behooves you to at least show your face every now and again.”

Gerald clicked his tongue with irritation, annoyed that Victor would choose this moment to bring up the gaming house which they operated together. An operation which nobody save themselves, and Lady Hawkins, was aware of. And for good reason.

The truth was, Gerald had not given much thought to that part of his life of late. He was far too preoccupied for such things. His sister, for one, and his never-ending quest to find her a suitor. And, of course, his current affixation with Lady Hawkins, which had started merely as a means for him to acquire payment owed but had since transformed into a new sort of beast which was playing havoc with his conscience.

That’s what tonight was all about – a night that if it was successful would finally free him of distraction. Which is exactly what I want! Even if my intolerable lust filled thoughts suggest otherwise.

This dinner party was called for the precise reason of finding Lady Hawkins a suitor. He had not told her as such. Nor had he told the five men whom he had invited that he thought might be worthy of her hand. Nor had he told his sister, Lady Hawkins’ mother and brother and sister, Lord and Lady Eggleton, or the few others who he had invited to make tonight appear like a casual affair without sinister intent.

It had seemed like a rather good idea at the time too. The men whom he had invited were those who he had introduced to his sister at one time or another, none of them making the cut, but each perfectly adequate in his eyes. And each with more than enough money to pay the debt that he was owed.

What was more, it was going even better than planned! Which is precisely the problem . Another glance across the room at Lady Hawkins, his stomach twisting to see her laughing at something that Lord Mildenhall said, and Gerald was forced to question for the hundredth time why Lady Hawkins was able to undo him like this.

He knew the answer, of course, he just wasn’t ready to admit it...

“Your Grace...” Rosalind came in suddenly, a smile on her face as she greeted Victor. “It is lovely to see you again.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Victor said as he took Rosalind’s hand and gave it a very wet kiss. Gerald narrowed his eyes at his friend, for he hated Victor speaking with his sister. “Lady Emerton, you grow more beautiful by the day.”

“Why thank you.”

“Clearly, you do not get your looks from your brother.”

She giggled. “As I have always said.”

“Victor...” Gerald warned him.

Victor rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes, I was just about to fetch myself a drink. I would ask if Lady Emerton wants one...” He winked at her. “But I would not waste my breath, for I know I’d be better off asking you.”

Rosalind giggled again. “And you know what the answer to that would be.”

Gerald looked at his friend flatly, a warning in his eyes. Victor flashed his eyes back, grinning wickedly before walking away and toward the drinking cabinet.

“He is rather amusing, isn’t he,” Rosalind said.

“I would prefer it if you did not speak with him at all.”

She sighed. “He is your friend.”

“That is one word I would use, but not the preferred terminology.”

She shook her head at him. “I just wished to see if everything is going well tonight. So far, everyone agrees it to be a raging success. In fact, the only person here who does not seem to be having a good time is you.”

Gerald grimaced. “Hosting duties, sister. Too much stress to enjoy myself.”

“Is that right?” She raised a disbelieving eyebrow at him. “In my mind, you look distracted.” Her eyebrow somehow rose higher, and for a moment Gerald wondered, and worried, if she could see right through him.

Luckily, his need for a response was cut short by the sound of high-pitched laughter. There were a dozen people in the room, each chatting loudly in small groups, but the laughter echoed above it all, enough that most turned to see its source.

Gerald was one of them, smiling to himself to see that it had come from Lady Hawkins. He had been watching her all evening, noticing with some regret that his lessons with her had worked a treat. At supper, she had been a picture of politeness, staying her tongue and not once speaking over Lord Mildenhall or responding with her usual sharpness. It should have made him happy to see...

What did make him happy, rather, was that finally she was reverting to her old self. The way she cackled was unseemly and Gerald knew more than one gentleman who would be thoroughly turned off by the over-the-top response to whatever joke had been made. Frustratingly, this was not the case.

Lord Mildenhall appeared delighted by her response, chuckling along with her and beaming. He was a plain-looking sort, not unattractive, just so normal and forgettable. The same could be said of his personality, which had Gerald wondering what he could have possibly said to make her laugh like that. She must be faking it. Maybe she is trying to scare him off.

“Gerald...” Rosalind took his arm. “Is something the matter?”

“Wh -- what?” He pulled himself back to find Rosalind frowning at him with worry.

“You are glaring. What’s wrong?”

Nothing was wrong. And that was the entire point! Lord Mildenhall was a good fellow, which was exactly what Gerald had invited him here. And clearly, Lady Hawkins thought the same. To see them together should have brought relief, for if they worked out the way he needed them to, he would be able to cut Lady Hawkins from his life and move on. Is that not what I want!

It was all so confusing. It was all so troubling. It was playing havoc with his senses and Gerald knew that he needed to get control of himself.

“Nothing is wrong...” He straightened up as he came to a decision. “In fact, everything is perfectly fine. Wonderful.”

“If you say so...”

“I must... I will be right back,” he said, stepping around his sister. “And please, stay away from Lord Blackwood.” He looked at her with warning and she rolled her eyes.

“Fine.”

He nodded once and then started across the room toward Lady Hawkins.

Gerald wanted to put Lady Hawkins from his thoughts once and for all. And he would do that. But first, he needed to ensure that she was of the same mind as him. That she understood what tonight was really about and that she would not ruin it, as she so often did. That was the mistake he had made, not warning her the real reason he had thrown this dinner party.

And perhaps there was that side of him that wished to speak to her one last time, almost to prove to himself that he could do it without losing control. Memories of the last time they had been together still haunted him, and he needed to put those to bed once and for all. Only then, would he be free of her.

Lady Hawkins was still very much engaged with Lord Mildenhall, smiling and nodding along to whatever he was saying. But she saw Gerald approach from behind, frowning slightly before looking away.

“I am sorry to disturb you,” he began as he stepped beside them. “But might I borrow Lady Hawkins for a moment?”

“So long as you promise to bring her back,” Lord Mildenhall chuckled.

Gerald smiled his agreement as he indicated for Lady Hawkins to follow him across the room. They walked to a corner together and when they came to a stop, Gerald made sure to stand in a way that blocked her from the room so that nobody would be able to hear what he said.

“I wish to speak with you,” he said.

She frowned further. “I am confused as to what we are doing now.”

“Alone,” he clarified. “In five minutes, tell your mother you wish to visit the washroom and then come to my office. Do you understand?”

“I…” Confusion passed behind her eyes. She glanced back at Lord Mildenhall. “But I was rather enjoying my conversation with –”

“This isn’t a request,” he said with warning as he fixed her in his gaze. “Five minutes, I will see you then.” With that said, and before waiting for her response, Gerald turned and walked from the room.

He felt like a fool for what he had just done. And he knew deep down that no good could come from this. But he did not care. His desires played havoc with his senses. His confusion was beyond his reckoning. One more conversation alone, that is all this is, a final chance to confirm that I am strong enough to resist Lady Hawkins. That I do not want her…

A lie, he was sure, but one he needed to believe.