Page 6 of Bound to the Heartless Duke (Regency Beasts #4)

F rom the day the Duke had moved in with them, the atmosphere in the manor had become much more tense, especially when he was in the same room as Nathan.

During their first breakfast together, Nathan didn’t touch his food, even though it was one of his favorites; a rich tomato soup seasoned with herbs and fresh bread.

He and Lily were seated on either side of the Duke, across from each other.

Lily tried to get his attention by stepping on his foot under the table, but he kept looking down.

“Is the food not to your liking, Lord Medlin?” the Duke asked, breaking the awkward silence.

Nathan looked up at him, his eyes wide with surprise and fear.

“You are not eating,” the Duke remarked.

Lily noted the quiver in her brother’s lips and suppressed a smile.

“I…” Nathan trailed off, glancing at her as though asking for help. “I just… do not have an appetite, Your Grace.”

The Duke took a sip of his tea, frowning. “And why is that? I don’t suppose you are ill. Or are you?”

Nathan shook his head. “I just don’t feel like eating this morning.”

Lily could have spoken up and made it known that that was his favorite meal, but he already looked like he would fold at any moment.

She quickly thought of a way to change the subject.

She swallowed, bracing herself.

“Your Grace,” she began. “You asked me to prepare a room to use as a study during your stay.”

The Duke stared at her for what felt like eternity, his eyes boring into her own. “Hm.” He nodded. “So I did.”

“Well, I have cleared out my father’s study, since it has not been used much since he… passed away. Shall I take you there after breakfast?”

The Duke took another sip of tea before setting his cup on the table and rising from his seat.

“Take your time,” he said, then walked out of the breakfast room.

As soon as the Duke was out, Nathan heaved a breath, as though he had been holding it in. Lily fixed him with a look that said he had her to thank for that.

Nathan glanced at the door, making sure no one was there, then turned to her.

“I do not like him,” he whispered. “What does he even want from us?”

Lily held back a chuckle. “Look who finally found his voice,” she teased.

Nathan placed his fist on the table. “You had better not be plotting to disgrace me, or I will make you pay—you be sure of that!”

Lily waved a dismissive hand and glanced at the chair the Duke had vacated. The cushion was old and almost tattered, but he hadn’t complained about it when he sat down. Staring at it now, she couldn’t help but mull over Nathan’s question.

What did the Duke want from them?

But then Nathan had only asked that because he didn’t like the Duke.

And he didn’t state the reason for that either.

After all, he was the one who went to a gaming hell and lost their house in a bet.

She wouldn’t expect him to like the Duke, of course, but he was the only one who could help them out of the mess they were in.

Lily downed her tea and stood up. “I’m going to take the Duke to Father’s study,” she announced.

“Where am I supposed to work if he’s taking it over?” Nathan grumbled.

He had finally started to eat. He must have gotten his appetite back now that the Duke was gone.

Lily held back a smile at that thought.

“I wasn’t aware that you did any work,” she scoffed, before turning to leave, resisting the urge to see his reaction.

Magnus did not like to admit it, but he found it quite amusing that his sheer presence intimidated the Earl of Medlin.

Nathan had been bold and pompous at the gaming hell a few nights ago, but the man Magnus saw at the manor was a scared little boy who was new to adulthood.

It only took him a day to observe and learn their daily routine by heart.

Lady Lily did some housework and often embroidered with the maid, while Nathan spent most of his day out of the manor.

He was hardly around for dinner, and he ate very little at every breakfast. When he was around, Magnus enjoyed making things difficult for him, even though he didn’t plan it.

One day, Magnus was standing in the bare main hall, looking up at the family portraits, when Nathan walked in. He stopped short when he saw Magnus, and their eyes met. Then, he proceeded to dip his head in a slight bow.

“Your Grace,” he muttered.

Magnus called him back when he turned to leave.

“I am thinking of hosting a ball at my estate very soon. Would you like to attend?” he asked, secretly relishing the confused look on his face.

Nathan swallowed. “I… uh… I am not so sure, Your Grace.”

“Oh, come on now. I’m quite certain that you would be the life of the party.” Magnus smirked as his discomfort showed beneath the bravado.

The man’s shifty eyes darting to and from the door he had just emerged from betrayed his desire to escape any further interactions with Magnus as he usally did and the rigid way he held himself as though preparing for an attack betrayed him.

“Well, in that case, I would be honored, Your… Your Grace,” Nathan stammered.

“The main hall at Blackmore is being renovated as we speak. As soon as it is ready, I shall send out invitations,” Magnus said, turning back to observe the portraits.

“Right…” Nathan muttered.

Magnus almost didn’t hear him.

“Ah, now that I remember—you weren’t in for dinner last night.” He turned around slowly and pinned him with a look. “Where were you?”

Nathan’s eyes flitted about the hall. “I… I had business to take care of. It was… of the utmost importance.”

Magnus frowned. “Every night?”

Nathan paled, and the air around them shifted.

Just then, Lady Lily walked into the hall. Magnus turned around at the sound of her footsteps and found her standing there, watching them.

“I was just… passing by,” she offered.

Of all the things she wanted to do that day, joining their conversation wasn’t one of them.

Magnus held back a smile. “I was just asking the Earl why he is always away from home,” he said. “It seems that he is a very busy man.”

Lips pressed tightly together, Lady Lily looked between him and her brother, who was still avoiding eye contact. Her lips parted, and the sight sent a shiver down Magnus’s spine.

“Yes, it seems so,” she said with a forced chuckle, then turned to look at Nathan.

“I should go,” he blurted, before turning on his heel and making a beeline for the door.

No one stopped him; Magnus was busy staring at Lady Lily while she watched her brother leave.

How could one be so effortlessly beautiful? How on earth did she manage to stay unmarried until that age, despite her breathtaking beauty? Were her suitors blind, or did she simply reject all of them?

Lady Lily turned to him suddenly, as though she could hear his thoughts.

He looked away and cleared his throat, collecting himself.

What should I say now?

“The Earl doesn’t seem to be very comfortable with my presence, Lady Lily,” he said. “Perhaps I am not welcome here. Is that it?”

Lady Lily shook her head. “Of course you are, Your Grace. Always,” she assured. “I believe my brother is only still trying to grasp the situation and get used to someone… new in the house.”

Magnus nodded, before turning back to the portrait he had been studying earlier.

He didn’t need to be told that it was Lady Lily. He could tell from the light blonde hair, the icy blue eyes that had darkened as she grew up, and the smattering of freckles on her face. She was holding the stalk of a tulip, which just happened to match her wide juvenile eyes.

He didn’t know who the painter was, but they certainly did a remarkable job.

Magnus could still feel her standing behind him; he didn’t need to look back to confirm. The air felt hot and heavy as he breathed it in, but holding his breath wasn’t an option.

He wanted to look away from the portrait, but he hadn’t figured out what to say yet.

Right! Her search for a husband.

“Lady Lily,” he said, turning to look at her. “Have you found a match?”

Her chest rose and fell with a long breath. “Not yet, Your Grace,” she replied. “I still haven’t heard from the matchmaker.”

He took a step closer to her.Even though his mind screamed at him not to, his body wanted to be near her warmth and breathing in her lovely scent just to see if the unfamiliar feelings plaguing him were something he could easily overcome.

“You are slowly running out of time, My Lady,” he said slowly with a mischievous smirk.

Lady Lily looked away, visibly not knowing what to say, and he took that as a hint to leave her be.

“I shall leave you to it, then.”

He left her standing there and went up to his study.

Lily had not considered how arduous it would be to live in the same house as the Duke of Blackmore when she had agreed to his condition and now it was increasingly clear with each day that passed that before their debt was finally paid to him, her sanity would be in shmables.

It was alarmingly impossible to escape him even in the large house, almost like he was everywhere at once.

He was there when she was embroidering with Summer in the drawing room. He walked in on them while she was helping Summer prepare dinner—and didn’t ask why she was doing that, which she was thankful for.

However, despite her anxiety around him, Nathan was doing a lot worse, as he wasn’t used to having his authority challenged. But deep down, Lily knew it was more than that. Nathan hated the Duke— and feared him.

When she had stumbled upon a conversation between the two men, her brother had looked like a deer caught in a hunter’s snare with the duke being the said hunter. Fear had oozed from her brother in waves that seeped into her while the duke had maintained his cool confidence.

“I know I’m not in a position to ask this, Lord Medlin,” the Duke said, his baritone sending a shiver down Lily’s spine, “but do you have any plans to redecorate the manor?”

“I couldn’t, even… even if I wanted to, Your Grace,” was the response Nathan gave. It was barely audible, and, to Lily, it almost sounded like the Duke was speaking to himself.