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Page 35 of A Wife for the Beast (Scandals and Second Chances #6)

The question hung in the air between them like a drawn sword, though Lucian suspected he already knew the answer to his inquiry. Only one person possessed both the motivation and the legal standing to initiate such proceedings against him.

"Viscount Pembroke has expressed considerable concern regarding the welfare of the Ravenshollow estates and the stability of the succession," Mr. Blackburn admitted with obvious reluctance.

"As your nearest male relative, he feels some responsibility for ensuring that the family interests are properly protected. "

"How remarkably thoughtful of my cousin," Lucian replied with bitter irony. "And what specific remedies do these concerned parties propose for addressing my alleged incompetence?"

"A formal hearing before the Court of Chancery, Your Grace, where medical experts and character witnesses could provide testimony regarding your current mental state and capacity for managing your affairs.

Should the court determine that your judgment has been compromised by your military service, appropriate guardianship arrangements could be established to protect both your welfare and that of your dependents. "

The euphemistic language could not disguise the true implications of their proposal.

Edmund sought to have him declared legally incompetent, stripped of his right to manage his own estates, and placed under guardianship that would effectively transfer control of the Ravenshollow fortune to his cousin's keeping.

Evangeline would become a pensioner dependent upon Edmund's charity, while he himself would be reduced to the status of a mental invalid whose wishes carried no legal weight.

"And if I refuse to submit to such evaluation?"

"Refusal to cooperate with properly constituted legal proceedings would itself be construed as evidence of impaired judgment, Your Grace. The court possesses sufficient authority to compel attendance and testimony regardless of your personal preferences in the matter."

The trap was elegantly constructed, Lucian realized with grudging admiration for his cousin's tactical skill.

Cooperation would provide Edmund with opportunities to present evidence of his unfitness, while refusal would be interpreted as additional proof of mental deficiency.

Either path led to the same destination—legal proceedings that could result in the destruction of everything he held dear.

"When would such proceedings be initiated?"

"The petition has already been filed with the appropriate court, Your Grace. You should receive formal notification within the week, along with a summons to appear for examination by court appointed physicians and character assessment by qualified witnesses."

The intelligence that his cousin had already set the legal machinery in motion filled him with cold rage at Edmund's presumption, yet he maintained his expression of calm inquiry while his mind raced through possible responses to this devastating attack upon his autonomy.

"I trust you understand," Mr. Norris continued with obvious satisfaction at having delivered his poisonous message successfully, "that such proceedings inevitably attract considerable public attention.

The Times and other publications take particular interest in cases involving members of the nobility, especially when questions arise regarding dramatic changes in behaviour or circumstances. "

The threat was clear enough, Edmund intended to subject him to public humiliation as well as legal assault, ensuring that his alleged incompetence became a matter of general knowledge throughout London society.

The scandal would destroy not only his own reputation but also Evangeline's social standing, reducing her from accepted duchess to object of pity or ridicule.

"How fortunate for the reading public," Lucian observed with acid courtesy. "I am certain they will find great entertainment in such educational proceedings."

After the solicitors departed with their mission of destruction successfully completed, Lucian found himself alone in the blue drawing room contemplating the ruins of what had so recently seemed like a promising future.

The legal challenge itself was serious enough, but the social implications were devastating in their scope and immediacy.

London society, which had only just begun to accept Evangeline as a worthy addition to their exclusive circles, would now view her as either a fortune hunting adventuress who had taken advantage of a damaged man or as an innocent victim trapped in marriage to someone of questionable sanity.

Either characterization would make their continued presence in fashionable society impossible to sustain.

Perhaps, he thought with bitter self-incrimination, Edmund's assessment was fundamentally correct.

Perhaps a man whose appearance frightened children and whose behavior had been marked by years of isolation and social withdrawal was indeed unfit to manage the responsibilities that his position entailed.

The evidence that could be marshaled against him was formidable—visible physical damage, documented behavioral changes, a hasty marriage to a woman whose circumstances made her vulnerable to accusations of opportunism.

The sound of approaching footsteps interrupted his grim contemplation, and he looked up to see Evangeline entering the drawing room with the sort of purposeful stride that suggested she had detected some disturbance requiring her attention.

Her beauty struck him anew, as it always did, though now it served only to emphasize the magnitude of what his cousin's machinations might cost them both.

"Morrison mentioned that you received visitors on legal business," she said without preamble, her direct manner cutting through any possibility of prevarication or polite deflection. "From your expression, I gather the information they brought was not entirely welcome."

"Not entirely, no," he replied with careful understatement, though he suspected that his appearance revealed more about the gravity of their situation than his words conveyed.

"It appears that Edmund has escalated his campaign against our marriage beyond verbal threats into the realm of actual legal action. "

"What manner of legal action?"

The question forced him to confront the necessity of explaining their desperate circumstances to the woman whose life would be destroyed along with his own should Edmund's scheme prove successful.

Yet how could he tell her that their happiness, so recently secured through her social triumph, was about to be shattered by accusations that he was mentally unfit to be her husband?

"Competency proceedings," he said finally, the words emerging with difficulty despite his efforts to maintain composure. "Edmund is seeking to have me declared legally incompetent to manage my affairs, with himself appointed as guardian of both my person and my estates."

The silence that followed his explanation stretched long enough to allow him to observe the progression of emotions that crossed her expressive features—initial shock giving way to comprehension, then to indignation, and finally to the sort of fierce determination that had marked her finest moments since their marriage began.

"On what grounds?" she demanded with the sort of crisp authority that suggested she was already analyzing their tactical situation with military precision.

"My war injuries, primarily, combined with what they characterize as evidence of mental deterioration manifested through social withdrawal and questionable judgment in matters of matrimony."

"Questionable judgment," she repeated with dangerous quiet. "I see. And who provided testimony regarding your alleged incompetence?"

"As I suspected Edmund has been collecting such intelligence for some time. My years of isolation provided ample opportunity for him to document behaviour that could be construed as evidence of diminished capacity."

She began pacing the drawing room with the sort of controlled energy that suggested she was formulating plans for resistance rather than simply processing the implications of their circumstances.

Her refusal to collapse into feminine hysteria or demand impossible reassurances filled him with gratitude, though it also emphasized how much he stood to lose should Edmund's scheme prove successful.

"What evidence do they possess beyond observation of your perfectly understandable desire for privacy following traumatic experiences?"

"Our hasty marriage, primarily. The timeline between your arrival at Ravenshollow and our wedding ceremony will be presented as evidence that I lacked sufficient mental capacity to make rational decisions regarding such momentous commitments."

"How remarkably convenient for your cousin," she observed with acid precision. "Our marriage, which provides the strongest possible refutation of any claim that you are incapable of forming meaningful relationships, is instead presented as evidence of your incompetence."

Her analysis was astute, highlighting the cruel irony of their situation with devastating clarity. The very union that had brought meaning and happiness back into his life was being weaponized against him by a man whose greed made him willing to destroy innocent lives for financial advantage.

"Evangeline," he said quietly, the weight of what he was about to propose making his voice rough with emotion, "you must understand that there may be alternatives available to you should these proceedings prove successful."

"Alternatives?" Her tone had grown ominous in a way that suggested he was treading upon dangerous ground.