Page 8 of A Bride for the Wicked Duke (Claimed by Regency Devils #2)

Chapter Eight

"I t was pathetic, really,” Victor, the Duke of Blackwood chuckled sardonically. “I am not even exaggerating when I say that the man had tears in his eyes. I almost felt bad for the poor sod. Well, almost,” he snorted. “Pitiful.”

Gerald wasn’t paying his friend any attention, knowing even before the story began that it was one which he would not like to hear. So, he nodded along as if he was listening, while doing what he could to ignore it.

Not that such a thing would have been hard to do, even if he was trying to listen. Such was the frazzled state of Gerald’s mind right now, and how fractured were his senses and ordinarily stalwart composure.

“Needless to say, he will be making payment by the end of the week,” Victory continued proudly. “If not, as he now knows, I will happily see his kneecaps broken. A tad harsh, perhaps, but it is as I told the man. Do not gamble with money you do not have, and such measures will not be taken.” He chuckled and took a sip of his ale. “Is it wrong that a part of me almost hopes he fails to make payment? Let us call it perks of the job.”

“Yes,” Gerald said, still not paying attention. “Nice work.”

“Nice work?” Victor asked, only just now noticing that he was not being listened to. “Gerald, have you heard even a word that I have said.”

“Right, I agree.”

“Urgh.” Victor slapped Gerald on the shoulder, forcing his full attention finally. “Honestly, man, where is your head at!”

“My head...” Gerald blinked, noting the annoyed look on Victor’s face. “What do you mean?”

“All evening, your mind has been elsewhere. Ordinarily, I do not mind it, as it saves me having to put up with your faux-self-righteousness. But I have an amusing story for you, man, and the least you can do is pretend to listen.”

“Concerning broken kneecaps?”

“Ah, so you were listening.”

“Just a guess,” Gerald sighed, turning away from his friend, his mind again drifting. “Such is how predictable you have become.”

From the corner of his eyes, Victor scowled, which had Gerald chuckling. Few men could talk to Victor like that, not if they didn’t want to find themselves on the wrong side of his wrath. Gerald being one of them, because for all of Victor’s posturing, the two men needed each other and it behooved them not to become too antagonistic.

Where Gerald was indeed the brains behind this operation, Victor had long since proved himself to be the much needed muscle. It was this power dynamic that allowed the two to work together without their relationship descending into argument and violence. And Victor was a violent man, let there be no doubt about that. Although Gerald supposed that was why he was so good at the job.

The two men sat together by the bar of Gerald’s gaming house, watching over the patrons who had filtered through the front door tonight, their goal seemingly to lose as much money as they could possibly afford. And often far more than they could. As far as businesses went, there wasn’t another in existence that was so assured of success and profit, even if that was mostly to do with how lowly the entire endeavor was.

Gerald did not like the fact that he owned such an establishment as this. It was beneath him. It was morally reprehensible. It forced him into situations he did not like being in, questions of his character constantly rising to the surface, the black and white code that he lived his life by called into disrepute more often than he had ever intended.

That was why he had Victor, a man with no such scruples as that.

“I was surprised to see you here, this evening,” Victor continued, taking another large mouthful of ale. “What’s the matter? Keeping an eye on me?”

“Do I need to?” Gerald said, not looking at him. He watched the floor, keeping an eye on the patrons as they had a tendency to turn rowdy if not kept in line.

“By now I hope you know that you do not, and I should be insulted that you think you do.” Although Victor was a duke, one look at him might have you thinking him more of a common thug. He was big and brutish, grizzled and mean looking. The type that if you saw walking down the street toward you, you would likely cross to the other side of the road. Just in case.

“I am not here for you,” Gerald assured him. “No need to get upset.”

“Then why are you here?” Victor demanded. “I know how much you hate this place. Or rather...” He chuckled wickedly. “How much you claim that you do. For a man who despises coming here, you are here an awful lot, you know.”

Gerald curled his lip at his friend but said nothing.

Victor was right in what he said. Gerald hated coming here and liked to avoid it as much as he could. That was why he put up with Victor, knowing that where Victor lacked certain social decorum, he knew how to keep the patrons in line and collect on debts. Better than he ought to have.

Technically, the men were partners. His acquiring of this gaming house had been a necessary evil, a weight he had not wished to bear, which was why when Victor found out about it, rather than panicking that his secret would be out, he offered for him to join in on the enterprise. Victor did not hesitate.

One day, Gerald hoped to be free of this place. Sadly, that would not be today.

“I needed to get out,” Gerald offered under Victor’s harsh stare. “Cooped up at home for far too long, is all.”

“Ah yes, that old story,” Victor sighed. “Can’t say I blame you.” He snorted. “For you, especially. Having to play the role of perfect duke day in and day out. It must grow tiresome.”

“I am not playing anything,” Gerald snapped. “That is not what I meant.”

“Yes, yes,” Victor chuckled knowingly. “I forgot. This here is the role that you play at...” He winked and took another sip of his drink. “While the perfect duke, loved by all, is the real you. How silly of me for suggesting differently.”

Gerald glared a warning at his friend, which had little effect. Victor took pleasure in ruffling Gerald’s feathers, constantly trying to goad his darker side to the surface, for no other reason than he found it amusing. But Gerald was being truthful when he claimed that this was not the real him. He was a good person. A morally astute character. A bastion of his station and title! At least that is what I tell myself, for it makes it easier than admitting how effortless it is for me to slip into the role of loan shark. Why that is... I refuse to even consider.

In this instance, at least, Victor was wrong about Gerald’s reason for being here. Yes, it was to escape his home in the hope that he could clear his mind. But it had nothing to do with that side of him.

It might be easier if it did. At least that is something I understand, even if I do not like it. What troubles me right now... I don’t even know where to begin.

It was thoughts of Lady Hawkins which plagued him. Just as they had been doing all week. Ever since she stumbled into his office dressed as a man, begging to have her debts forgiven, behaving in a way that wasn’t a surprise to him, for he knew what she was like, but didn’t disgust or upset him nearly as much as it should have.

On the surface of it all, Gerald’s reasons for involving himself with Lady Hawkins were righteous. She was a lady of the ton, the debts on her family were not her fault, and he wanted to help her. He certainly did not wish to see her fall into peril. So, he offered her his help, hoping this would sort the matter out quickly.

Typically, it only made things worse.

He could not understand why he felt the way he did about her. Why he could not get her out of his head! She was just so abrasive. So coarse and rough around the edges. So argumentative and chaotic that he should have loathed the very sight of her. And a part of him did that. The other part...

The kiss they had shared was an accident. He had not meant to do it. But as they had been bickering, he had felt that same fire erupt in him that came whenever she was in his presence. That need to put her in her place. That needed to assert himself, to let go as he never could around other ladies of the ton. To be himself! It had come over him before he could stop it. And then... the kiss.

He felt his blood begin to pulse hot through his body. His leg began to shake. Thoughts now of what might have happened if he had not had such self-control. How he might have lifted her onto the table. How he might have spread her legs. How he might have dropped to his knees and dove his head between her –

No! Gerald forced those thoughts away. Just as he forced his manhood to soften, as he could feel it growing stiff in his breeches. Now was not the time for that. Or ever, for that matter.

The only thing that Gerald was certain of was that it could not happen again! Which meant that he needed to rid himself of Lady Hawkins as soon as was possible. Still, he would help her, as that was the right thing to do. But he needed to be careful around her. He needed to control himself!

“How goes your sister,” Victor asked suddenly.

“What?” Gerald turned on Victor, feeling a fire blaze inside of him.

“Your sister,” Victor said simply. “How is she? I have not heard you mention – woah!” Victory held his hands up as Gerald took him around the scruff of the neck. “What is the matter with you man!”

“What have I told you about speaking of my sister!” he growled.

“Just a question,” Victor said, smirking as he loved to see this side of Gerald. “Were you not telling me you had been searching for a husband for her? Can I not ask, as a friend?”

Gerald fixed him in a glare. “She is not your concern.”

“Clearly,” Victory chuckled. “Next time I have a question concerning her, I will leave it be.” He leaned back, pulling his shirt collar free of Gerald’s grasp. Then he straightened it and flashed his eyes wickedly. “I would hate to see you... snap.”

Gerald glared at him once more and then turned away.

His sister was another problem which he was yet to deal with. Although, and he was also aware of this, helping Lady Hawkins had the added benefit of helping his sister also. He did not like them spending time together. He did not like the influence Lady Hawkins had on his sister. A tad hypocritical, perhaps, but that’s just how it was.

Gerald planned on finding his sister a husband, but he reasoned he could not do it so long as Lady Hawkins was a part of her life. What decent fellow would marry a woman with a friend like that? None who my sister deserves, that is for sure.

If he wanted to find a suitor for his sister, first he had to find one for Lady Hawkins. She was what mattered right now... but only as it concerned her debt to him, and his sister. He had to control himself around her. He had to be proper. He had to be the gentleman everyone saw him as and not let the darker side of him out. Easier said than done...

“There is one more thing,” Victor then started. “I thought I best run it by you, as I know how much you like to pretend to care.”

“What?” Gerald said with warning, sensing still the man’s desire to antagonize him.

“Lord Grayhill,” Victor said, which had Gerald’s stomach twisting. “His debts have become… a problem.” He looked flatly at Victor. “The man owes us more than what he can hope to pay. My feeling is that it is time that we deal with it.” He raised an eyebrow. “And by that, I mean –”

“No,” Gerald said quickly.

“Excuse me.”

He swallowed and pretended to look disinterested. “I am aware of the Grayhill’s debts, just as I am aware of the endeavors they are taking to make payment.”

“And these endeavors are…?”

“Not your problem,” Gerald said with warning. “I am keeping an eye on them. That is all which should concern you.”

Victor frowned at Gerald with confusion and Gerald worried that his friend would push the matter. Aurelia’s family’s debts had been a talking point between them for some time, and until a week ago they had both agreed the time was now to collect. But things had changed; things which he could not discuss with his partner.

“Have it your way,” Victor sighted. “You know best, I suppose.”

Gerald breathed a sigh of relief. I need this matter with Lady Hawkins dealt with at once! As to how he was going to help her – if such a thing was possible! That was why he had come here tonight, to try and puzzle out a course of action.

How to find a suitor for Lady Hawkins and as quickly as possible. How to tame her for long enough so the first man I find for her won’t turn and run screaming? An impossible take, it felt like, but one that Gerald had no choice in.