Page 1 of Ravished by the Beastly Duke (Regency Beasts #1)

CHAPTER 1

“ I s this not your third Season, Miss Eveline?” Lady Sarah, daughter of the Earl of Barnes, asked, taking a delicate bite of her strawberry tart.

She and her group of loyal followers—because calling them friends would be greatly overestimating the bond between the five ladies—had accosted Eveline at the refreshments table following the dance she had just had with Lord Salsbury. She had known that dancing with him would cause nothing but trouble for her, but her sister had been adamant that she accept his hand.

He was currently one of the most eligible bachelors in England simply because he was handsome. Most of the unmarried ladies of the ton dreamt of becoming the wife of the Adonis, and after one dance with him, she understood why.

He had been charming and well-versed in history and poetry, with a smile that made every woman blush, but she felt nothing more towards him than simple appreciation. There was no spark of attraction or burning desire as she had read described in novels, so she politely declined his request for a second dance and scurried off to the refreshments table, claiming the need for a respite.

It was then that Lady Sarah and her cronies had accosted her. Apparently, the girl also had her eyes on him.

“Indeed,” Eveline answered, eyeing the odd group standing menacingly before her.

She recognized a few of them from the past two Seasons and wondered how they felt no shame deferring to Lady Sarah, who had only just had her debut.

Miss Emily and Fiona Hemsworth, daughters of the Viscount Hemsworth, had good prospects, what with the beauty they possessed. If only they were more confident when speaking to gentlemen. Lady Helen, sister to the Earl of Mallory, was not handsome by all standards, but she had a dowry that more than made up for it. Then, there was the daughter of the Baron Featherington, Miss Patricia. She had fewer prospects, seeing her father’s lower rank, but her beautiful face and skill with the pianoforte had earned her praise among some of the upper echelons of Society.

Eveline could understand their desperation in trying to share in the light of the lady who had been declared the belle of the ton, but still, a certain inkling of pride would never have allowed her to stoop so low even if she was desperate.

Lady Sarah was beautiful, with light blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes that gave her an innocent look. Her smooth, pale complexion drew men to her like bees to a flower, and her famed charm and wit had her on the lips of many a gentleman, undeterred by the rejection she faced at the hand of Lord Caldwell a few weeks prior.

But Eveline had seen nothing but an acid personality from the young lady and did not think she could stand to spend longer than a few polite minutes with her. The fox mask dangling from her delicate hand was a perfect testament to her character.

“And yet you still have no prospects?” Lady Sarah asked with a mocking smile. “What a shame. Your family must be disappointed.”

The other ladies tittered, hiding their smiles behind their fans.

Eveline tried hard to mask her frown, not wanting to feed the flame of whatever the lady was trying to do, but it was hard to, considering how pretty Lady Sarah was and how disappointed Eveline was in her education on polite conversation.

“It’s almost the end of the Season, and you are also yet to be claimed, Lady Sarah,” Eveline retorted. “I believe you should be putting your time to good use, so you do not end up like me.”

Lady Sarah sneered and stepped closer. “You are right, Miss Eveline,” she sneered. “I should not want to end up like you or your sister, who is already a spinster.”

Her posse giggled.

“At least she has a better chance of securing a match. You, on the other hand, should reduce the amount of sweets you consume. Your voluptuous figure is not very becoming,” she continued. “I do not think it will help your chances in the least bit.”

Eveline couldn’t hide her frown now because they had struck a sore spot. It had always been a bone of contention for her how she did not meet Society’s beauty standards.

From a young age, she had not thought it an issue, until, close to her debut, the seamstresses that were hired to make her dresses talked about how they would have to add extra fabric to accommodate her curves, and rakish gentlemen hinted at it.

The other ladies, seeing the attention she was getting for it, used it as a weapon to try to put her down, but it had never bothered her until now.

Recently, she had begun to fear that she would remain unwed because of her curves. Her sister, a conventional beauty, had not married even at the age of twenty-four, so what hopes did she have when she did not fit into that mold?

“You, on the other hand, should consume more sweets, seeing how waif-thin you’ve become,” a familiar voice said. “Do you think that is why you are yet unspoken for? Perhaps the gentlemen think you have some life-threatening disease, or maybe their mothers presume your hips aren’t that sufficient for bearing heirs.”

“Lady Lily, you speak abhorrently!” Lady Sarah snapped, stomping her foot. “I now see why you’re also a spinster.”

Lily, daughter of the Earl of Brightwater, stepped closer to her, eyeing her.

Lady Sarah cowered, knowing her words held no weight with Lily, who did not care if she remained unwed.

Lily had always been vocal about her views on marriage and how it was only a fancy cage for women, but that did not stop her from helping other ladies escape ill-fated relationships with rakes. She had earned the respect of the ladies of the ton because of it.

“I only take a step in your shoes, Lady Sarah,” Lily said in a playful tone, smiling sweetly. “If you cannot take such comments, then you should not serve it, no? I wonder about the education of young ladies today. It is so… lacking.”

“I was only stating the obvious, Lady Lily,” Lady Sarah said, undeterred.

“So was I,” Lily responded. “Wasn’t that the reason Lord Caldwell decided to propose to Miss Gwendolyn? What did he say was his reason again? Oh yes, he did not want someone so sickly as a wife.”

“I will not stand for this insult!” Lady Sarah cried. “I’m telling my mother.”

“I do hope so,” Lily said with a pitying look. “Perhaps she’ll get a better doctor to diagnose you. And you should put on your mask to hide your sickly pallor.”

She waited until Lady Sarah had scurried off to laugh, holding her belly as she did so.

Usually, Eveline would have found her laughter contagious, but she was unable to do so, considering she was still reeling from the conversation they just had.

“Join me in celebrating my victory, Evie.” Lily smiled, holding out a hand. Noticing her friend’s expression, she frowned. “What is it, Evie? Do not tell me you’re bothered by her comments. Normally, you would have returned her words with more ferocity. What has happened to you?”

“Should I not be bothered, Lily?” Eveline answered, sulking. “They’re not wrong in their assessment.”

“It is not indulging in sweets that gave you your figure, Evie,” Lily rebutted. “If it was, then you would resemble Lady Portsmouth.”

Even that joke wasn’t enough to get Eveline out of the somber mood she was in. In recent times, she had begun to fear for her own prospects, especially since Ava, her sister, had become even more irrational in her choice of suitors.

“Still, Lily,” she sighed. “I have begun to fear I shall remain unwed, and while I understand it is not exactly a fate worse than death, I… I really had hoped to have a love story that would be one for the books, you know. Something I would tell my future daughters and such. Is that too much to ask for?”

“In this vain society, where everyone’s worth is judged by superficial standards? Then yes.”

“Lily!” Eveline chided.

“You expect too much from a Society match,” Lily said with a frown.

“I know that, but still.” Eveline pouted. “I just want a burning romance, you know. The type where he cannot help but steal a kiss before we’re even wed. Something exciting.”

“You could just ask any gentleman, and he would be more than willing,” Lily suggested.

“That is an utterly scandalous suggestion, Lily,” Eveline scolded, her eyes darting around, hoping no one overheard them.

“No less scandalous than you wanting a kiss from someone who is not yet your husband.”

She shot her friend a look that caused her to roll her eyes.

“I understand what you mean, dear girl, but you must understand that there’s not much to pick from here. Reality is rather boring,” Lily explained. “You could just take a risk and ask a gentleman. Who knows? It just might give you the fairytale ending you seek.”

Eveline sighed and cast a glance around the room. Even if she decided to take her friend’s suggestion, which gentleman would do?

She spotted Lord Salsbury, who she danced with earlier, and cocked her head as she considered him. He was handsome and stood almost a head taller than everyone else, an earl with an estate in good condition, so he would not be marrying for a large dowry. He had a good sense of humor, going by the conversation they had while they danced, but he seemed too proper for her to consider him.

Who else was there?

Her eyes landed on her sister, Ava, who was making her way to the refreshments table, apparently looking for her, and panic flared in her chest. If Ava was seeking her out, it only meant she had found another potential suitor she wanted her to converse with.

While she appreciated her sister’s effort, Eveline did not really understand her reasoning behind the men she had attempted to introduce her to over the past week. There had been the polite Lord Worthingham, who was old enough to be her father, and then the touchy Lord Yardley, who had been unable to keep his hands to himself, and then Lord Keith, who was uninterested in her and was rudely vocal about it.

But none of that deterred her sister, who was more determined than ever to see her wed.

She understood her sister’s desperation, as it was the only thing Ava had lived for since their mother passed when they had been young. She knew Ava felt guilty sometimes that she wasn’t trying hard enough, but lately, Eveline only wanted to escape her matchmaking attempts.

“Lily, I need you to help me escape Ava,” Eveline hissed, going to hide behind her friend. “She has been introducing me to gentlemen all evening, and I am exhausted. I cannot endure another boring conversation in my current mood.”

“What shall I even say to her?” Lily asked.

“You can think of something. You’ve been friends with her for as long as I have.”

“It doesn’t mean I can just think of something so quickly.”

“Please, Lily. I’ll do anything you say if you help me,” Eveline begged.

“Alright. I’ll help you.”

“Thank you.” She scurried off quickly before her sister reached them.

She stepped through a side door leading into a hallway and decided to escape for a bit, since the party was still in full swing and would not be ending any time soon. Spotting a door, she opened it and stepped inside quickly, before shutting it behind her, taking care to keep it as silent as she could.

When the noise in the hallway faded, she let out a sigh and looked around the room. It was a bedroom. Although it did not appear occupied, she cast another cautious glance all the same. It was possible the chamber had been prepared for any guest who would be too inebriated to return home.

Seeing no one, she took off her mask and headed towards the balcony, grateful for the clean, crisp air filtering in. She would have a respite from Ava’s matchmaking attempts at least until she heard the strains of the violin announcing the final dance. Hopefully, she’d be able to see into the courtyard to know when guests began to depart.

She moved quickly towards the balcony, but she stopped halfway when she heard the sound of someone clearing his throat. She started, stumbling back in shock when a large gentleman came into view.

How had she not sensed she wasn’t alone?

“What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice full of apprehension.

Oh God!