Page 34 of Seven Nights with the Wicked Duke (Regency Beasts #3)

T he ride to Blackmore's was a blur. The pain from his wounds faded to the back of his mind as he reeled under the weight of what he had discovered.

It was inconceivable that the villain behind their troubles was someone so close.

It was ridiculous. While he was ready to call Hector's bluff, something about his expression when he revealed the name of his father told him that he was telling the truth.

There was only one way to confirm his worst suspicions, he was going to ask the supposed villain. Good thing he knew where exactly the bastard was at this moment.

When the coach came to a stop at the Blackmore residence, he wasted no time jumping down, ignoring the twinge of pain in his injured side at the rough movement. In seconds, he climbed up the stairs, pushing his injured legs till he was at the door, banging loudly, panting with pain and exertion.

He was frantic. He had to tell them, let them know the danger they were in.

When the butler opened, the elderly man had a murderous look on his face, most likely disapproving his unrefined way of knocking.

Now he was staring down at him like he was some creature he had never seen before.

Theo didn't care at the moment, he had no time to entertain the man's penchant for inspecting his guests like insects under microscope.

He simply pushed past him, ignoring the choking sound coming from behind him as the butler protested his rude entry.

"Sir, you cannot -"

Good thing that the old man could not give chase with his weak knees, because he had no intention of stopping. Time was of the essence and he had no time to waste explaining the purpose of his visit to the stuffy butler.

Theo found his way to the dining room, pushing the doors open, and sure enough Blackmore and Cecilia were having dinner with their guest, his Uncle Cuthbert.

He had introduced him to Magnus earlier, since he had been interested in some of Magnus's business plans.

Perhaps he had come for that meeting to discuss about it.

His loud entrance got their attention, because in the next moment they all turned towards him with varying expressions. Blackmore raised a brow in surprise. Cecilia looked horrified at his appearance, while his uncle just looked mildly concerned.

"Emerton," Blackmore spoke up. "What is this? Did you have a duel with a tiger? You look terrible."

"My apologies for interrupting your dinner, Blackmore. I just need to speak to my uncle."

"You cannot just come and summon guests from my table without a proper explanation. You need to have someone tend to you. You look terrible," Blackmore replied. Cecilia was already standing up and approaching Theo, her eyes filled with concern.

"I will clean your wounds, Your Grace," she said when she stood beside him, she was studiously avoiding his eyes, her gaze turned to the ground.

"Yes, go with her, Theo. I am sure whatever we are to discuss could wait for your wounds to be tended," his uncle intoned.

That statement was the last straw that broke his self-control. In the next moment he exploded in anger.

"Everyone stop! Do not treat me like I am a child. I will have my wound tended when I wish to and not a moment before," he said, shooting a warning look at Magnus and Cecilia.

Cecilia promptly shifted away, giving him the space to think.

"Uncle," he said turning to face his uncle squarely. "Thank you for your concern."

"It is no matter, Theo," his uncle replied with a gracious smile, barely sparing him a glance.

“Why, then, didn't you tell me I had a cousin? You know how happy I would be to have an extra member of the family."

His statement wiped the smile off his uncle's face. The man fixed him with a confused stare, one he would have believed, if he had not just recently realized how skilled at deception this man really was.

"I do not understand what you speak of."

"Of course you know what I speak of. Your Son. Lord Hickling, is it?" he asked.

Cecilia jerked up at that name. Blackmore's gaze darkening.

Good. They were paying attention.

"I do not know what you mean," Cuthbert denied with a nervous laugh.

Of course Theo had expected that. With a nod, he signaled the footmen and in no time Hector was dragged in, head bowed, falling down onto his knees when the footmen let him go. He was avoiding everyone's gaze while Cuthbert stared at him with absolute disgust.

"Did you really think that you could get away with passing off your illegitimate son as a titled viscount with fake documentation? For what? So you can hurt me and my friends?. Ruin us, take our money? For what, Uncle? Why would you do this?"

"Is this true, Cuthbert?" Blackmore asked quietly. He was standing now. Theo recognized the tone as the calm before the storm, but he was too concerned about his uncle's response to care about his friend's possible descent into rage-fueled madness.

The tension in the room was stretched so thin, Theo didn't know what would come first, his uncle's answer or chaos.

Cuthbert laughed, a terrible sound that shook his body with its force.

"Uncle?" he said between chuckles as his laughter died down. "Did you truly think of me as your uncle? You have no respect for me, just like your father.”

“What do you mean I had no respect for you, Cuthbert?” Theo asked with a frown. “I allowed you to continue running the estate until you deemed me ready. I gave you the estate you live in now. What more did you want?”

"What more do I want? Everything. The dukedom, the estate, the lands.

Everything was supposed to be mine. I alone have what it takes to run this whole thing.

I am several times more intelligent than your useless father.

I was the more social person. I was the one born with the ability to make the connections necessary to make this dukedom succeed, but it went to your father because he had the accidental fortune of being born first.

"Eugene was everything cruel and bad about this world.

As typical of monsters, soon he was no longer content to torture his animals, he turned to me, burning my skin with candle waxes and sometimes the open flame of the candles.

He relished the sound of my screams. I complained to my parents but they were loath to discipline him, he was after all their golden child, the one that was to inherit the dukedom.

"My parents had no other choice than to send him away to quieten the scandal when he killed a servant boy for failing to polish his precious shoes. I was happy then, I was the only child at home. I did everything to impress them and make them see me as the better person to inherit the dukedom. I excelled in my studies, studied my etiquette religiously, allowing myself no room for mistake. I was the perfect duke. Father even said it himself. I would make a perfect duke.”

Theo looked on with horror and pity as his uncle continued his tirade. The man had a crazed look in his eyes as though he was reliving every bit of torture he had suffered in his brother’s hands. It amazed him to think the man had not just ruined one life.

"I was so sure that I was to be duke. Apparently Father didn't believe I was qualified, after his death, to my greatest shock Eugene returned to take his place as the duke.

Apparently Father had sent off his solicitor to bring him back home when he realized his health was taking a turn for the worse.

"He had never considered me to be the heir. In the blink of an eye, all my labor of a decade went down the drain. As expected, Eugene made sure I left the family castle as soon as the funeral proceedings were concluded. I was lucky that Father left me a small portion of money and lands in the countryside. Perhaps the old bastard had a conscience after all but it wasn’t enough to satisfy me.

“It became quite clear what I must do to get what I wanted.

Eugene had to die. Unfortunately, when I made that vow, I never realized just how difficult it would be to kill a monster.

They have far too strong survival instincts.

Trying to cause a horse-riding accident failed.

I sneaked into the stables and planted a nail just underneath the saddle of his favorite horse.

He changed his mind about using the horse the next morning, bringing all my plans to naught.

Trying to poison him just meant that his servant boy suffered, since he made sure the boy tasted all his food.

Perhaps being evil made one wary of attacks.

"He was always suspicious of his staff, perhaps with how badly he treated them, he thought they had enough motivation to kill him.

He never suspected that I might want to harm him.

How could he? I was his weaker brother who lived several miles away from London, there was no reason I would come to London simply to harm him.

It didn't matter the sacrifices I made in devotion to my cause. It never worked.

"My hope was stirred once again, when Eugene finally got struck down by consumption, there was an opportunity once again for me to be duke. After all, it was almost certain that Eugene would not survive his illness.

"I visited him, staying for months to play the role of the caring brother. With every day that passed I made small alterations to the decor of the house in preparation for me to take my rightful place. After all, you, my nephew, was faraway fighting some war. For all I knew, you were dead.

"While I did not agree with the plan to send you off to danger, I didn't complain since it helped my cause.

Eugene had sent you off because he feared that you would become too soft and useless.

He did not want a weak son. Watching you grow up, I always felt pity for you, because even though my brother might have matured beyond his childish petty tortures, he still had a mean streak that I had no doubt was directed at you.

I pitied you, but I was in no position to help, I had myself to think about first.