Page 5 of Ravished by the Beastly Duke (Regency Beasts #1)

CHAPTER 5

“ I leave you alone for a brief second and you are caught in a snare by a vixen.” Theo laughed, slapping his thigh. “That sounds so pitiful, I almost feel terrible for laughing.”

He, Magnus, and Edwin had rushed over to William’s estate, arriving less than an hour after he had, following his exit from the Yardley ball. The news apparently traveled fast, and considering it was most probably the biggest scandal of the year—since a duke was involved—he knew most of the families in England would be abuzz with excitement.

William had relayed everything that had happened leading up to their discovery, and his friends had not reacted well to the lady’s role in it.

He wondered how she handling all of this.

Her reputation was shredded by now, and any hope she had of securing a match would be non-existent come morning, when even more families would be abreast of the situation.

Even he would have a hard time handling the attention that came with such a scandal even if they had not been caught in a state of undress or a lovers’ embrace, but by then, the tale would have passed through different ears, and the truth of what had been seen would be lost amid the twists added to it.

“She was not exactly a vixen,” William clarified, knowing he would get odd looks from his friends. “She would have attempted much subtler seduction or asked for more than a kiss.”

“Yet she just happened to be wandering in the same wing of the manor and step into the room you were in?” Edwin asked. “She must have followed you to trap you and has no doubt succeeded if you choose to do the honorable thing.”

The truth sounded even more like a lie than their assumptions did, but he felt hard-pressed to assert the truth of the encounter. They had not seen the look on her face when she had been led outside by her sister. She had looked so devastated that he had almost told her it wasn’t her fault. But if he had spoken to her, more fodder would have been added to the flame of gossip.

“That sounds flattering, but I highly doubt anyone would be so desperate to marry that she would consider trapping me in a scandal,” he argued.

“You are a duke, Mayfield,” Edwin reminded him. “You are an eligible bachelor in the eyes of desperate females.”

“Yet I have served in the army and shunned Society for months on end,” William countered. “No one knows anything about my character or fortune, so it would take a bold gamble to attempt to snare me.”

“Yet she has done it,” Edwin went on. “Which goes further to show her desperation.”

William raised an eyebrow at Edwin’s knowing tone, wanting to know what his friend had discovered about the lady to make him sound as insulting as he did.

“What do you know?” he asked grimly.

“Her name is Eveline Jennings. She is the second daughter of Reginald Jennings, the Viscount Notley, who has three daughters and no sons. The first daughter is unmarried and is already a spinster. Miss Eveline is twenty-one years old, and considering that this is her third Season, it is no surprise that she would go to such desperate lengths to secure a match,” Magnus reported.

Even though William wasn’t unaware of how far his friends’ network of spies extended, he was still surprised by how quickly they were able to gather information on someone who was otherwise unremarkable. Magnus must have discussed his findings with Edwin as they had arrived together.

William frowned, turning the information over in his mind and trying to reconcile his friends’ assumptions with the lady he had met. She did not seem as conniving as Edwin had described, but could he really claim to know her character after just one meeting or vouch for her when she had behaved so improperly with someone she barely knew?

Could she really just be an innocent whose first attempt at adventure ended in such a scandal?

“I still do not think she is so conniving as to concoct such a scheme,” William declared. “After all, no one had expected me to attend. You all were more likely targets if she had a duke in her sights.”

“Yet you were the bird caught in the snare,” Theo mused. “It is almost unfortunate for your first night out. Were you really attempting to take my advice and bed the woman?”

“Not everyone lacks principles as you do, Emerton,” Magnus sneered.

“I was only asking a question, Blackmore.” Theo shrugged, unbothered by the insult. “You really should learn not to take things too seriously.”

Another argument was about to begin—these two were always at each other’s throats.

“An unnecessary inquiry, as always,” Magnus continued. “You should be suggesting solutions and learning to take things a little more seriously.”

“And stop yours and Edwin’s attempts to defame the character of the woman? Whyever would I?”

“You’re—”

“Can we focus on the matter at hand, gentlemen?” Edwin interjected in a tone that left no room for argument.

The two men glared at each other and turned away from each other.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen, but now that it has, there is only one solution going forward,” Magnus stated with a frown. “You have to marry her.”

“What? Why?” Theo asked, sitting up.

“Because it is what is customary to do in cases like this.”

“But her virtue is intact. Nothing happened,” Theo argued.

“It doesn’t matter what happened or not,” Edwin interjected. “Society will expect a marriage soon. If he doesn’t marry her, her reputation will be tarnished beyond repair, and if he attempts to defend her, it will be even worse for her.”

“What a terrible fate, indeed,” Theo muttered.

William thought back to the frightened look in the lady’s eyes when they had been caught and how she attempted to convey her apology. She did not have the triumphant expression of one who had gotten a prize they strived for, or was she appealing to his honorable side to get him to marry her?

It would not be the first time a woman had manipulated a man into marrying her only to show him the vixen that lay underneath right after.

But would marrying her be such a grievous fate?

When he remembered how she had felt in his arms, the notion seemed almost worth it. But marriage needed more than just passion in the bedroom. He did not know anything of her mind or any other virtues she might possess.

He needed a woman who could also manage his home and alleviate his burden. She wasn’t so young that she was clueless about her duties, but she did not have a mother who would have educated her on such matters. It would be a risk on his part to marry such a woman, yet he wasn’t fully averse to it as he should have been.

“But it is still convenient,” Theo joked. “You needed a wife not so young that she would be frightened by you, without the rigors of courtship, and Providence dropped one in your lap.”

“While I do not appreciate Emerton’s humor, I must admit he is correct.” Magnus nodded.

Eyebrows rose around the room. Surely hell must be freezing over if Magnus agreed with something Theo had said.

“Well, I’ll be damned.”

“Do not ruin this truce, Emerton,” Magnus warned. “I am almost jealous of how nearly perfect your bride is, Mayfield. Her dowry is sufficient, and her father is not drowning in debts or a drunkard, although he hasn’t been the same since his wife did. You might never have found her if this incident had not happened. You are most fortunate.”

“Would you be willing to marry her?” William asked snidely.

“I would,” Theo piped up. “But it wasn’t me she asked to kiss her. My pride is definitely wounded because she considered you for her first kiss.”

“You do realize she might not have planned this.”

“Yet here we are.”

“Is there anything more to know about her?” William asked.

Magnus shook his head. “We have told you everything my spies could glean in such a short time frame. Perhaps on the morrow, we shall know more.”

“I still am not comfortable with the fact that I left home this evening strongly against the institution, and now I might be stuck with a wife I do not know.”

“Yes, but a wife you need,” Magnus argued. “She could help you become better acquainted with Society once the shame of what she has done is forgotten. Besides, if it were my sister in such a situation, I would no doubt have asked you to pick your seconds by now.”

“I also would have done the same if I had a sister,” William admitted grimly.

“It might not be so bad to be married,” Edwin spoke up. “At least this one doesn’t seem intimidated so easily.”

“She hasn’t seen me without the mask,” William pointed out.

“Nonetheless, she is not so innocent as to fear you when it is time to make heirs.”

“But marriage?” William sighed, going to pour himself a drink. “It requires more than just producing heirs. What if she were to require us to spend time with each other? To engage in conversations? What shall I speak of? Frills and feathers? I am used to blood and gore and death. Nothing I can speak of would interest her. She would probably be frightened off.”

“You think too much of these things, Mayfield.” Theo laughed. “There might be more to her than frills and feathers.”

“Emerton is right,” Edwin added. “Not much of your current life has to change if you do not want it to.”

“That would be unfair to her,” Williams retorted as he returned to his seat.

“And the circumstances under which you’re marrying her aren’t exactly fair to you either,” he argued. “You do not have to force yourself to change for her. You are entitled to your privacy.”

The mood turned somber as they all debated whether to permit William to make such a life-altering decision. Although he knew his friends were not wrong to advise him to marry, he couldn’t help but worry he would ultimately be ruining the lady’s life by choosing to tie her to himself in marriage.

He would never mention it to his friends, but he had seen what marriage had done to his father, who had been cruel to him because his mother had died while birthing him. They only knew his father had been cruel but never the reason for it.

He feared he would become quite the same, as the men in his family loved fiercely, and that fierceness led them to often hurt their offspring. He never wanted to have a child who would grow to resent him. The thought did not appeal to him, yet…

“Even if I end up resigning myself to what might be a loveless marriage, I would at least want this one moment of happiness for myself.”

Her words haunted him even now. If he were to marry her, he would be dooming her to the loveless marriage she had dreaded having, and yet, if he did not, her life would ultimately be ruined.

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.

“Have you come to a decision?” Magnus asked.

William nodded. “I shall marry her. It is the honorable thing to do, even though I do not fancy bringing someone into my life.”

“It is the right thing to do, my friend,” Magnus said, nodding. “When will you meet her father?”

“Tomorrow morning,” William replied, rising from his seat. “On that note, are you going to stay here or return to your estates?”

Since his return, he had had chambers prepared for his friends, which had seen frequent use, as they all had in their own homes. Their meetings sometimes lasted well late into the night, when it would not be safe for them to return to their neighboring estates.

“In a hurry to see us off, Mayfield?” Theo joked, coming to slap him on the shoulder.

“On the contrary,” William said. “I intend to drown my sorrows in drink.”

“We shall do the same with you, although we shall be much happier.” Magnus smiled. “Our friend is getting married soon. It calls for a celebration.”

“Indeed,” Edwin agreed, rising to pour himself a drink.

“What did I do to deserve such wonderful friends?” William asked, feigning despair even though he was grateful for their company.

His estate was sometimes too quiet for his liking, and he found himself craving company. Perhaps when he married, he might feel less alone.

Eveline.

Such a pretty and innocent name for one who looked as tempting as she did.

“Thinking of your wife already, Mayfield?” Theo teased.

William glared at him.

“Do not worry, I will not tease you too much.” Theo smiled. “I cannot wait to meet the woman who convinced you to kiss her on your first meeting.”

“She must indeed possess some special charm that made you behave the way you did,” Magnus commented.

William wondered what his friends would make of the unconventional beauty that was to be his wife. He remembered her body again and took a long sip of his drink. It was going to be hard resisting her, but he would do so even if it killed him.