Page 4 of Seven Nights with the Wicked Duke (Regency Beasts #3)

" M ight I ask the purpose of this visit, Emerton?" Magnus, the Duke of Blackmore, asked as soon as Theo was shown into his study.

"You are one of my friends are you not?" Theo asked sliding into an armchair. "I do not need a reason or an invitation to see a friend."

Magnus scoffed, staring at him in a way that made him know he was being scrutinized. Until Cuthbert, he had not visited the Blackmore estate so often and without reason. It was no wonder the man's suspicion was piqued.

He wished he had an answer that was worthwhile but while he had hastily made his way to his friend's estate, he had done naught but attempt to come up with a logical reason that the man wouldn't see through.

While Magnus was indeed one of his closest friends, the two of them had a strange dynamic where they tolerated each other mostly for the other members' sakes.

Theo was not to be blamed, however. Magnus was a stickler for propriety and rules, while he preferred to toss those damn rules in the bin. For someone who much needed a reprieve from the demands of his title, the man chose to adhere to them, almost reveling in it.

Their other friends had tried to make them come to a compromise in their beliefs but neither party seemed ready to accept the other.

"If you have come to ask me to consider your uncle's proposal, you can save the talk," Magnus said finally. "I will have to consider all possible risks and ensure he is aware of them before I accept it."

If that was what he thought the visit was for, Theo didn't see any reason to consider anything otherwise.

"I would never circumvent your principle on business, Blackmore," he answered. "It is not why I am here. I happen to have news worth sharing."

"Oh?" Magnus said, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "Are you finally announcing your nuptials?"

Theo laughed at the joke he had not been expecting from his friend. He had thought Magnus felt such frivolity too far beneath him as such he was caught unguarded.

"You and I both know my thoughts on the matter, Blackmore," he rebutted. "The Duke and Duchess of Gillingham have welcomed their firstborn and as such we are visiting his estate on the morrow to celebrate with them."

"And you travelled all the way here to tell me, so late at night when you would usually be tangled up with a mistress or two," Magnus stated calmly. "You have been acting out of sorts recently, Emerton. Is there something we should know? Are you in trouble? Are you in debt?"

Theo scoffed.

Of course he would be suspected of being in trouble.

He had been the only one whose estate had been in good condition when he had inherited thanks to his uncle's management and even though the coffers had been smaller than he had imagined, he had since multiplied it.

The fact that he visited gambling dens didn't mean he was frivolous.

Theo liked knowing things particularly the dark underbelly of the aristocracy. He liked seeing prim and proper men come undone and what better place to do so than where they gambled away family fortunes and properties, some of which he had claimed for himself.

"Just because you know I have a gambling habit doesn't mean I lose, Blackmore," he chided. "I am no fool and I sure as hell know when to cede. You taught me that remember?"

Magnus gave a wolfish grin that was so unlike the proper duke the rest of the ton thought him to be. Even their friends had yet to see this side to the man and he intended to keep it that way.

If his proclivity for darkness was widely known, it would be difficult for Theo to poke at it when he needed a weapon against the man who usually seemed impenetrable.

"I do, yet I cannot help but wonder if you have improved since we last played," Magnus teased. "I do enjoy seeing you beg."

He had lost a hand of cards when the bastard had made it a condition to give an audience to Cuthbert.

He had only humored him because his next best option would have been pummeled him and he had sworn he would never raise his hands to his friends, no matter how badly they deserved a sound thrashing.

"You do not know if I let you win."

Magnus scoffed.

It was obvious he had moved past his initial suspicion of Theo's presence in his home and he was happy for it. He couldn't think up any further excuse to hide his true purpose for his visit.

"I suppose drinks are in order then," Magnus finally said heading to the sideboard. "We are the last two to be wed."

"Do not remind me," Theo groaned. "If I had my way I would delay the task much longer."

Magnus chuckled, handing him a glass.

"I feel much the same," he answered. "Our friends are lucky to have found their wives the way they did. William's case might have been distasteful but I am envious that he didn't have to go through the rigors of navigating the ton in search of a bride."

Their friend's marriage sparked no endless source of amusement for them. It had been on his first night re-entering society on returning from the war front after six months of being a recluse and he had fallen victim to a scandal that saw him married quicker than any of them could have imagined.

The man had eventually fallen irrevocably in love with his wife but Theo wished to never experience the same dynamic that had led to them sharing the marital bliss they currently were enjoying.

"Lady Cecilia has returned, Your Grace," the butler informed them, which unwittingly caused a smirk to spread across Theo's face.

She had returned much later than he'd expected her to.

He wondered if she had changed into a prim proper evening dress or if she had hidden her costume beneath a cloak.

The desire to see which she had done burned beneath his blood but he tamped it and schooled his face into a blank mask.

"Thank you, Willoughby," Magnus dismissed his butler, then added to Theo, "She is later than usual. I shouldn't have allowed her this outing without a chaperone."

No. You shouldn't have, Theo thought.

He wondered briefly if he should inform Magnus about what his sister had truly been doing that evening for her to return so late.

It would stop her at least undertaking such a dangerous adventure but somehow the words didn't leave his mouth.

"You should allow her freedom on some occasion," Theo found himself suggesting instead. "You will not have her with you much longer. You should try to bond with her instead and know what she likes."

"Do not try to advise me on how to handle my sister, Emerton," Magnus said with a frown. "She is my responsibility and I will treat her as I deem fit."

"She is a person and not property," he argued not knowing why he even cared. "She will hardly sit still and agree with all your choices."

"She doesn't have to agree with my choices. What matters is she obey them."

"If that is what you believe."

"Indeed it is," Magnus answered. "She is hardly old enough to make sound decisions for herself. I know what is best for her."

Yet she was considered old enough to be married, he thought.

It was wonderful how society reasoned but he didn't want to begin to argue social construct with his stubborn friend. It wouldn't end well and he didn't want to spark any suspicion as to why he was suddenly interested in anything other than his happiness.

"I must take my leave now," he announced, rising to his feet. "I bid you a good evening."

Magnus nodded and he stepped out into the corridor, letting out the breath he hadn't known he had been holding.

He was thankful he had said nothing to his friend or he would have resigned Cecilia to even more sheltering by her oaf of a brother.

He loved his sister and was concerned for her future, that much was obvious but his execution left much to be desired.

He let out another sigh and turned into the next corridor wondering how he could return Cecilia's list to her without it sparking curious eyes when hands suddenly shot out of the darkness, pulling him through a set of doors he hadn't noticed.

Irritation bubbled under his skin, as well as curiosity.

Who would dare treat a duke so casually?

"What are you doing here?" a familiar voice hissed, causing a grin to spread across his face.

"If it isn't the Lady Cecilia, or should I say, kitten,” he teased and she slapped a hand over his mouth.

His eyes adjusted to the dim lighting in the room and he saw she had indeed returned to a more respectable gown that befit her station.

What a shame really, he thought. She had rather nice cleavage.

He silenced the errant thought and raised a brow in question.

"Be quiet," she hissed not taking her hand off his mouth. "You will not speak anything of this evening. Do you understand?"

He raised a brow as if to ask her how she expected him to answer when he couldn't speak and when she realized her error, she moved her hand from his mouth.

"I have your list."

"I have your list."

Never had words instilled so much fear in Cecilia like the words the duke had just spoken to her.

When she hadn't found her list upon her return to Lily's house, she assumed she had lost it and while she mourned the loss, she had been thankful that she hadn't written her name on it.

She had never expected that it would find its way back to her or be found by the last person she wanted to see in her home.

Hadn't she suffered enough mortification for one day?

When the butler had informed her that her brother wasn't alone upon her return, she had an inkling who it would be but hoped she was wrong but when she had seen his annoying smile, she didn't think before pulling him into the room.

Now that they were alone, she saw the error of her ways.

The heat that she had felt pressed up against him in the Solstice ball returned in full force.

"This feels vaguely familiar," he noted.

"Please do not speak," she groaned. "I am trying to think this a terrible dream I'm having."

He grinned, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and she hissed, hating how she still reacted to his touch.

"Do not touch me," she hissed.