Page 35 of A Duchess Bound (Dukes of Dominance #2)

T he walk to Leedway’s study was filled with stony silence, and once they arrived in the room, Leedway still did not speak.

He simply gestured to two armchairs beside the fireplace.

Gerard settled into one, while Leedway produced two crystal-cut glasses and a decanter of brandy.

Leedway filled the glasses, offered Gerard one, and settled into his own armchair, still without saying a word.

Gerard considered speaking, but this situation seemed like one in which he ought to defer to the brother. Doubtlessly, the man was in a state of bewilderment at how events had unfolded. If Gerard thought too deeply about what he had done, he might feel similarly about the turn of events.

“Have you been doing something untoward with my sister?” Leedway asked.

Gerard took a large swallow of brandy. “That is not what has prompted my proposal.”

Leedway’s jaw tightened. “Let me ask it another way. Have you been engaged in an affair with Dorothy? Did you hurt her?”

Gerard frowned. What should he say? Was it better to be honest and admit that he had, or was it better to lie and protest his innocence? Neither option seemed ideal.

“Yes,” he admitted at last. “But you need not worry. No one knows.”

That was not entirely truthful, but Gerard did not have to worry about Lady Everleigh telling anyone. She was an honorable and discreet woman, both good qualities in a lover.

“I do not care if anyone knows!” Leedway snapped.

He clearly did, or this whole affair with Lady Bridget would not have sent him into such a fury. Gerard suspected that it would be best not to draw attention to that little detail.

“You hurt my sister,” he said. “She has been utterly morose for these past few weeks, and I knew that it must be because a man hurt her. And you— you did that!”

“Yes.”

“And now, you want to come into my house and offer your hand to my other sister,” Leedway continued. “What are you doing? What are your motivations for all of this?”

Gerard sighed and sipped his brandy. “Dorothy loves you and Lady Bridget very much. I find it admirable how much you care about one another. It would be shameful to watch such a good, loving family suffer.”

“Do you believe my sister did not suffer when you broke her heart?”

“No, I know she did.”

Leedway finished his drink and poured himself another, giving Gerard a look that seemed equally defiant and angry. “Why did you do it? If you care so much about this family, why did you hurt her?”

Gerard sighed. He set his glass aside and leaned his head back against the chair. “I knew that I could not give her everything she deserved. Your sister is so wonderful. Generous, kind, witty, beautiful…”

“And you hurt her,” Leedway said.

“I had to. How could I possibly be worthy of a woman like that?” Gerard asked.

“I cannot give her everything that she wants or deserves, so I have resolved to give her what I can. If I marry Lady Bridget, all Dorothy’s efforts to see your sister wed this Season will not be in vain.

I know that I am not the man you would wish to choose, but I will protect your sister’s reputation. I will treat her well.”

“You have proven that you do not know how to treat a woman well,” Leedway said.

“Dorothy deserves better. I cannot believe that you would disagree,” Gerard said, sighing.

“So does Lady Bridget, truth be told. But we both know that neither of them are likely to receive better offers. Let me marry Lady Bridget, so she will have a husband—even if he is not the one you might have hoped for. That will be how I make amends to Dorothy. If I cannot be the man she deserves, I can be the man who saves her sister.”

Leedway furrowed his brow, confusion obvious in his face. “I see.”

“So do you accept?” Gerard asked.

“You do not wish to marry Bridget, but you will do so…for Dorothy?” Leedway asked. “Is that what you are saying?”

“Yes.”

Leedway pinched the bridge of his nose. “That is the most ridiculous explanation for a proposal I have ever heard in my life.”

Gerard sighed deeply. “I know it sounds strange, but it is what I truly want. I wish for Dorothy to be happy, and I know that ensuring Lady Bridget is married to a man who can give her a good life will do just that.”

“I suppose that I accept, even if your logic is strange,” Leedway said. “You believe yourself unworthy of my sister, Dorothy, who you have deeply hurt with your rejection, yet you think yourself a suitable husband for Bridget?”

“But you accept,” Gerard said.

It did not matter if Leedway understood his explanations; only that the man accepted them.

“I do,” Leedway said, raising his glass of brandy in a mockery of a toast. “You have sealed your fate by agreeing to marry my sister. See that you do not make a mess of things. If you do, I will kill you.”

Leedway did not sound as though he was entirely jesting, but Gerard could muster no real concern for the threat.

“Of course,” Gerard said. “I suppose I shall take my leave now. There will be much for all of you to discuss.”

Leedway smiled thinly. “Indeed.”

They stood and shook hands. To Gerard, it seemed as though he had sold away his life and freedom with the gesture.

A lump rose in his throat as the enormity of what he had been granted fell upon him.

Even as he had devised this plan and enacted it, he had considered the possibility of Leedway refusing to accept his proposal.

There were even moments when he hoped that it was rejected, for he would then be secure in the knowledge that he had tried to help, and his assistance was rejected.

But now, he was soon to be wed, and there was no escape.

After leaving Leedway’s townhouse, Gerard had neglected to call for a carriage.

For a while, he had simply stared at the townhouse and wondered where Dorothy was.

Would she be with Lady Bridget, comforting her sister over her unwanted husband?

Would she be alone, cursing his name and hot with fury over his decision?

He could not speak to her. That would not be wise, for he might lose his resolve entirely if he confronted her. Gerard was uncertain if he would ever be able to speak to her in confidence again, for the weight of his passions had not diminished since their last encounter.

After marriage, maybe he and Lady Bridget ought to spend some time on his country estate, so as to remove the source of temptation and pain from his path. He could not be tempted by Dorothy if she was not with him.

Gerard forced his feet to move, walking down the familiar streets of Mayfair.

He clenched his jaw, trying to force away the image of Dorothy’s soft face, her sister’s wounded cries, and the sharp intensity in Leedway’s stares.

Gerard did not succeed. Perhaps, he ought to confide in someone?

Pontoun and Lady Everleigh would both listen to him.

But he did not know what either might say.

He was not certain that he wanted to hear what anyone had to say about the matter. Instead of seeking them out, Leedway continued his walk until he reached his own house. He hurried to the door, which Halls promptly opened.

“Your Grace,” Halls said, bowing.

“Halls.” Gerard paused. “I am to have a wife soon. The proposal was made and has been accepted.”

Halls straightened, shock sweeping across his face. The man made a valiant effort to hide his emotion, but didn’t entirely succeed.

“Yes, I anticipate that is how everyone will receive the news,” Gerard said. “But a duke must have heirs, right? It is not so startling that I might choose to take a wife.”

“Shall I congratulate you, Your Grace?” Halls asked.

“What an odd response,” Gerard said, handing over his coat and hat. “I should think it apparent that congratulations are in order.”

Halls cleared his throat. “Of course.”

Gerard paused. “You sound doubtful.”

“Not at all, Your Grace.”

Gerard scowled. “Perhaps I am mistaken, but if you have some misgivings, you are welcome to express them.”

“I was only going to say that you do not sound as if you are entirely happy with the match, Your Grace. That is all.”

Gerard forced a sharp smile. “You are more astute than I thought. I am not happy with the match, but why should that matter? Truth be told, the most frustrating aspect of all is that I am actually being good . I am being selfless for the first time in my life, and it is producing entirely undesirable results!”

Halls’s eyes flickered with something that might have been sympathy. “I wish that it were not so, Your Grace. Men should never be punished for doing good.”

“What a world that would be,” Gerard said. “I will spend the day in my study. If anyone arrives, tell them I am away for the day.”

“Doing what?”

Gerard crossed the floor, pausing by the stairs. “Tell them that I am engaged in serious business or some such. Make it sound arduous and time-consuming.”

“Tell everyone that, even—even the lady?”

Gerard paused, his hand curled over the banister. “Which lady?”

“The one you are to marry. Lady Dorothy, I presume?”

“You presume incorrectly. But—” Gerard hesitated. “No—I mean, yes. You must tell her that I am away, and if she comes, do not tell me about it. I do not wish to know.”

“Very well, Your Grace.”

Gerard darted up the stairs. He had not considered that Dorothy might come to see him, but that sounded just like something she would do. Had she not come to his townhouse again and again? His throat tightened. Never again would she come to his townhouse. If she did, he must send her away.

They could not be alone together anymore. Gerard clenched his jaw and tore open the door to his study. He had once pushed her against the wall of his study and pleasured her with his hands. Never again.

Instead, it would be Lady Bridget, who he…

Gerard stared at the wall, silently imagining what it would be like to hold her there instead of Dorothy. Lady Bridget was a beautiful, young miss. He clenched his jaw, a fissure of discomfort blooming in his chest when he imagined it all.

There was nothing wrong with Lady Bridget. No man would ever find a flaw in either her body or character, but Gerard could not forget and could not ignore that Lady Bridget would never be Dorothy.

There was a light knock at the door. “Enter,” Gerard said.

Halls opened the door and offered a decanter of amber-brown liquid. “Pardon the interruption, Your Grace, but I thought that you might wish for something stronger than usual.”

Gerard laughed bitterly. “You are right.”

Halls placed the decanter on Gerard’s desk and dutifully retrieved a glass.

“Pour yourself one also,” Gerard said, “if you have the inclination to hear me brood.”

“As you wish, Your Grace.”

Halls retrieved another glass and filled them both with the spirit. Gerard flung himself into the chair behind his desk and seized his glass. “To my marriage,” he said, lifting the drink.

Leedway had congratulated Gerard in the same manner, with a wry smile and a mocking toast.

“To your marriage,” Halls said.

They clinked their glasses together, and Gerard took a small sip from his. How dreadful the arrangement was! He had saved Lady Bridget’s reputation in a manner that none of them wanted.

But at least, Dorothy would be able to rest easy at night, knowing that Bridget was safely wed to a man with a fortune sufficient to maintain the life she deserved. That was better than nothing, was it not?