Page 6 of A Duchess in Ten Days (Icy Dukes #2)

CHAPTER THREE

A ndrew had experienced his fair share of moments where things had gotten.

..complicated. But this? This was something else entirely.

In all his years dodging meddlesome mamas and scheming papas eager to secure their daughters' futures, this was the first time what seemed like a ploy to trap him had left him flabbergasted.

Here he was, standing in the middle of what could only be described as a farcical disaster. The man with fire in his eyes strolled into the room, and on seeing him, the fire tripled. Andrew could feel the storm brewing.

The man's gaze flicked over to Lavinia, then to Andrew, his expression a mixture of fury and confusion. When Andrew's eyes locked on him, he instantly squinted, recognizing the familiar face in an instant. David Webbs.

It seemed as though David had seen enough to draw his own conclusions, and there was no mistaking the anger that flashed across his face. It was the kind of fury Andrew was all too familiar with. Primal, instinctive, and difficult to reason with.

Andrew stood silently, watching as David's fury grew. The tension in the room was palpable, the anger practically crackling in the air. David's eyes never left Lavinia, his jaw clenched tightly as he crossed the room in long strides.

"David, hold on. There is a good explanation for this," the lady stuttered, visibly panicked.

"Good explanation?" David spat, his face darkening with fury. "Good? Explanation? What in blazes is going on here, Lavinia?"

Lavinia, pale and visibly shaken, seemed frozen under her brother's wrath. Her hands trembled at her sides, and her wide eyes darted between David and Andrew, searching for a way out of the storm. But no words came.

Andrew remained still, leaning casually against the wall as though this were all a minor inconvenience to him. His sharp eyes, however, missed nothing.

David's voice cut through the silence like a whip. "Don't you dare lie to me, Lavinia. I know exactly what this looks like." His tone was sharp with accusation. "Have you truly stooped this low? Has it come to this?"

"I— I didn't—" she began, but David cut her off.

"Don't insult me by denying it!" he thundered. "Do you think I'm blind? That I don't know how desperate you've been?"

Lavinia flinched as though struck, her cheeks burning with humiliation. "You don't understand?—"

"No, Lavinia, you don't understand!" David barked.

Finally, Andrew straightened, his arms uncrossing as he stepped forward. His deep voice sliced through David's tirade like a blade. "Perhaps you should temper your tone, David. You seem to have forgotten where you are—and more importantly, who you're speaking to."

David turned on him, his face red with anger. "Don't you dare lecture me, Hargrave! This is your doing. I don't know what debauched game you're playing, but?—"

Andrew's icy laugh interrupted him. "My doing?

" His voice dropped, laced with unmistakable menace.

"David, I have never had to compromise a woman.

They come willingly...and quite eagerly, I might add.

If I had decided to seduce your sister, you wouldn't have found us in such a compromising position. "

The room seemed to shrink under the weight of Andrew's words. He took a deliberate step forward, his towering frame and sharp gaze making David falter slightly.

"And let me remind you," Andrew continued, his voice like steel, "who you're speaking to. Watch your tone."

"David, stop," Lavinia said softly, her voice trembling.

Both of them turned to her, Andrew with frustration, and David with curiosity mixed with anger.

"It wasn't him," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "This was...it was my plan. My foolish, thoughtless plan."

David stared at her, his anger twisting into disbelief. "What?"

Lavinia took a shaky breath, her hands clutching the fabric of her gown. "Papa has been relentless, David. He won't stop. Every day, he pushes harder. I...I couldn't take it anymore."

"So you thought sneaking into a man's room was the solution?" David's voice rose again, though some of the fire had dimmed.

David turned sharply to Lavinia, his expression as dark as thunderclouds. His jaw worked as though he was trying to force himself to stay composed, but he just couldn't control himself. "This...this was your desperate act, wasn't it?"

"It was a mistake," Lavinia said, her voice trembling as she clutched her hands tightly in front of her.

"I...I wasn't thinking. I just—I spoke to Edwina, and Papa has just been.

.." She trailed off, her gaze dropping to the floor as her cheek flushed crimson.

"He is determined to send me away, David.

You know this. He gives me no space, and he wouldn't leave me alone.

I am suffocating! I cannot even breathe properly these days. I had to do something."

David's face hardened, his anger unwavering despite her trembling voice. "Do you hear yourself, Lavinia?" he demanded.

"I didn't know this was the duke's room," she said and let out a frustrated sigh. "I thought it was someone else's. I told you, I wasn't thinking."

"You thought sneaking into a man's room—any man's room—was a solution? Have you completely lost your mind?"

"David," Andrew instinctively chimed in, noticing how Lavinia flinched at her brother's harsh tone. Her pale face and trembling hands told him she was already punishing herself far more than David's words could. "That's enough."

David turned to him. "Enough? Andrew, this is my sister. Do you have any idea what she has just risked?"

"Yes, I do. And you don't need to make it worse by tearing her to pieces. She's already upset. Can't you see that?"

"She should be upset," David snapped. "This is a disaster! Do you know what people will say if they find out? If Father found out?"

"I am so sorry!" Lavinia said. "I was desperate and it was a stupid attempt. I have apologized to the duke. I already admitted that I made a mistake. Can you just let it be, please?"

"Let it be?" David retorted. "Are you saying that because you truly don't know what you just did? People must have seen you come here. Staff, guests...people will see you leave this room as well. How stupid can you truly be?"

"David, calm down," Andrew said again. "People will hear you if you keep yelling."

"I don't care who hears me," David snapped, his voice still thick with rage.

"What I care about is what people will say when they find out my sister was alone with a man, in his room, with no good reason for it.

" His eyes turned back to Lavinia, and a flicker of concern mixed with the anger.

"And what I care about is that you've completely lost your senses, Lavinia.

Do you know how reckless this was? How it could ruin everything? "

He immediately turned to Andrew and took a deep breath. "Andrew, this situation, whatever it is...cannot just end like this. You're a man of standing, and she's my sister. I can't just let this go."

Andrew squinted his eyes. "What are you suggesting?"

David's jaw tightened as he brought both hands to his hips. "You should at least consider marrying her."

Andrew's lips curled into a slight, bemused smile as he processed David's words. "Marry her?" he repeated, his tone rich with amusement. He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning slightly back as if he were surveying an unexpected spectacle. "David, surely you jest."

"That's absurd, David. He's a..." Lavinia paused and looked to Andrew, as if stopping herself from speaking her mind.

"You can say it," Andrew said to her, meeting her eyes. "I am exactly that."

His gaze lingered on Lavinia, longer than necessary.

She couldn't even meet his eyes. She looked so helpless, he felt a nudge in him to do something about it.

There was a weariness in her expression, yes, but also something deeper.

..something that twisted his gut like a haunting nightmare he couldn't shake.

It stirred a memory he had buried long ago, raw and unwelcome.

She wasn't just a woman in a compromising situation, she was someone who had been backed into a corner, someone who reminded him of the parts of his past that he had tried to forget.

He had no interest in becoming her savior, but in that brief moment, he couldn't help but feel a tug of sympathy, a desire to help her.

Because of that buried part of his past, he found it hard to remain detached, despite the fact that he didn't want to get involved.

He had seen this before. But he didn't want to think about that now. It hurt too much to think about.

"I cannot marry her," Andrew said. "I will not. But, I can help."

David's gaze turned cold, his arms crossing tightly over his chest. "How?"

"It would be best if she is married before rumors start to spread, will it not?" Andrew asked. "I can help her secure a match. I know enough eligible men. I'll find her a husband within ten days."

David frowned, clearly skeptical but caught off guard by the sudden offer. "You're certain of this?"

Despite his flirtations, his charm, and the countless women he had met over the years, Andrew had never once crossed the line into scandal.

He knew where the line was drawn, and he respected it.

His reputation, carefully crafted over the years, was a shield, one that protected him from the more destructive consequences of his often careless behavior.

He was a gentleman, despite what some might assume based on his habits.

And though he would have never given much thought to marriage before, he understood the weight it carried, especially for women.