Page 2 of Bound to the Heartless Duke (Regency Beasts #4)
His sigh should have alarmed her, but surprisingly, the storm inside her had died down. There was nothing he could say that would surprise her anymore.
“Blackmore. I lost the house to the Duke of Blackmore.”
She gasped and clapped a hand over her mouth in shock.
She had been wrong to assume that her brother couldn’t surprise her anymore, but it seemed he hadn’t yet hit the bottom of whatever pit he intended to drag them into.
Her lips quivered, and she gulped.
“The Duke of Blackmore,” she mumbled, casting an anxious glance at Summer.
It had to be him, of all people.
Her initial plan probably would not work if she had to deal with the Duke of Blackmore. There was no way the prim and proper man would understand when she explained how Nathan was only being young and reckless by betting the townhouse.
Everyone who knew the Duke knew what kind of person he was. He had no empathy for anyone except his sister, Cecilia, who happened to be a friend of hers. Yet her brother just had to gamble and lose the house to the man.
How was she going to convince a heartless man to overlook her brother’s foolish behavior and give them back the house?
She gulped and turned away from Nathan to resume her pacing, hating how she couldn’t even dissolve into hysterics at this point. The only way forward was with wisdom and practicality—the two things the Duke was known to like.
If she were to ask Cecilia to talk to him…
No way! That would only make her family’s financial troubles known to the world.
She could not have that, not after everything she had done to keep it secret. Not to mention that the Duke would respect them even less. It would do more harm than good.
She paused and turned to Summer. “Prepare my outdoor clothes at once. I have to go out after breakfast,” she instructed.
She turned to the dining room as the maid went up the staircase. Her hands itched to do something to rid her mind of the thoughts plaguing them.
“Where are you going?” Nathan asked.
She paused and glanced back at him. “Where do you think? To the dining room.”
“And after?”
“Where do you think?”
“Are you perhaps going to speak to the Duke about this?” he asked, his mouth dropping open.
Angry tears pricked her eyes, but she blinked them back. “What do you think, Nathan? Wouldn’t that be a better course of action than gambling?”
He shook his head. “You shouldn’t.”
“And what should I do? Sit back and watch while we lose everything we own? I am going to see the Duke of Blackmore, and I am going to beg him to overlook your recklessness last night and give back the townhouse. Then, we can worry about paying off Father’s debts and the new ones you heaped upon us.
So, unless you have some brilliant plan to get us out of debt, do not try to stop me! ”
He followed her as she resumed her walk to the kitchen, clearly unaffected by her words.
“But Lily, why would you do that?” he pressed. “Why would you go beg the Duke on my behalf?”
Ignoring him, she began setting the table.
“Lily, answer me, please.”
She turned and looked at her brother with an unreadable expression.
“You are my brother, Nathan, and you are the Earl of Medlin. It would be quite humiliating to go to the Duke after making a fool of yourself in front of him last night. Did you not think about that? I will go to the Duke as your sister and explain the situation to him. If we have to pay him in cash to keep the house, then so be it. We cannot lose this house, and you know it.”
“It’s always been this way,” Nathan muttered, leaning against the dining table.
Lily knew full well what he meant, but she wanted him to say it nonetheless.
“What?”
“You always have my back or take the blame for my actions.”
She tilted her head and scoffed at him. “I am not taking the blame for your careless actions, Nathan. They are yours. But both of us will suffer the consequences. And this is not about me having your back, either. It is about being able to have a roof over our heads and food in our bellies, no matter what it takes. So, whatever happens, I hope you learn to never gamble again.”
“I should be the one taking care of you, as your brother and the Earl. It’s my duty.”
“Unfortunately, you have failed at being the Earl and my brother.”
She felt the sharpness of her words and saw that they had hit their mark, but her brother seemed determined to sap the last of her strength because he had an answer ready without skipping a breath.
“What if I order you not to go? I could send a letter instead, and we could talk it out man-to-man,” he rambled.
She pushed down the laugh bubbling up her chest and scoffed.
“You think it’s that easy, don’t you? A letter? If that would work on the Duke of Blackmore, I would be done writing it right now, ready to be sent out. And what makes you think you can order me around?”
“You said it yourself. I’m the Earl of Medlin; I should handle something like this. I should speak to him.”
“After what you pulled last night? You are not the Earl of Medlin to him anymore; you are only an inexperienced gambler who just lost a whole house while trying to win some money. That is who the Duke is going to see.” She moved to sit down.
“I just wish I could do something,” he mumbled, looking crestfallen.
“Do you still not get it? If people learn how deep in debt you are, your position will be at stake. A bankrupt earl is unheard of.” She gulped and took a deep breath. “I think it’s best you let me handle this, Nathan.”
“My Lord? My Lady?” Summer’s voice broke past the tension in the room.
They both turned to the girl.
“Breakfast is ready now. Shall I begin serving?”
She nodded.They ate breakfast in silence, and when she was done, she went up to change, steeling her resolve as she prepared to face the Duke.
Even if she had spent most of her time avoiding him, cowardice was no longer an option.