Page 60 of A Secret Desire

Tobias shrugged. “As long as you wed Lady Willow, nothing untoward will occur.”

“Bloody hell, Tobias! I love your sister, and she loves me. I refuse to marry Lady Willow, but I also refuse to let Henrietta or her family suffer for our happiness.”

“She could never be truly happy if we suffered because of her actions.”

“Exactly.”

“She could find another man to make her happy.”

“Would you like your right eye to match your left?”

“Down, boy.”

“Help me. Help Henrietta.”

Tobias sighed. “Fine. But only because I do love a good intrigue, and even more, if you can believe it, I love my sister. Come on, then.” He left the room, pulling loose stockings off his feet as he hopped down the hall and up the stairs. “I must be properly dressed for plotting. We’ll talk while Crofton works his magic. Do you have anything in mind?”

“The Duke of Valingford is not a man to be easily intimidated.”

“So, no, then.” He shook his head sadly and opened a door.

“I was hoping you’d know what to do next.” Grayson followed Tobias into his bedroom and eased into a seat by fireplace. “You were always the brain behind our intrigues.”

“And it was always good to have your brawn on board with our schemes. I wouldn’t have been able to get a sheep into Lady Ewings’s ballroom on my own.”

“I would have never thought of it on my own.”

“You’re a straightforward type of man, lacking in creativity and finesse. You would have simply challenged Stubly to a duel.”

“Stubly? The man you dueled the night I met Henrietta? Youdidchallenge him to a duel. I was your second. I think I—”

“I didn’t challenge him.”

“Excuse me?” Grayson leaned forward.

“Couldn’t. Didn’t want to show him too much respect.”

Grayson frowned. “How’d we end up in a field in Green Park before dawn, then?”

Tobias smiled, wide and real, the first true point of joy he’d shown all day. “I taunted him, insulted his father, grandfather, widowed uncle. You name it. I threw words at it. Didn’t insult the ladies though. Of course. In the end, he challenged me.” His smile stretched wider. “Yes. Do you know how some fellows use a glove to issue a challenge?”

“Did he slap you with one?”

“No. But I was ready to respond likewise. Just in case.”

“You didn’t slap him with a glove, did you?”

“Yes, I did. It was the first time I’d been challenged to a duel, instead of doing the challenging, and I wanted to do it right.”

“How very romantic.”

“I put rocks in it first. Plotting is all in the details, dear viscount.”

It felt foreign to laugh, but good. Cleansing.

“Ah, there you are Crofton. The pink satin, I think.” Tobias looked at Grayson in the mirror, holding a pale-blue cravat up to his neck. “We’ll fight gossip with gossip.”

“Do you know any gossip about the duke?”