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A ilis was going about her business on the morning of Christmas Eve and had just finished reviewing the church tithes and balancing the ledgers when Edward barged into her uncle’s office, where she had been working. “Miss Temple, you must come straight away!”

She leaped to her feet, her heart plunging into her toes upon her noting his expression. “What’s happened?”

“It’s my brother,” he said, appearing not merely worried but frantic.

Her head began to spin. “Is he hurt?” How could he be? Jonas appeared so strong, seemingly invincible.

“No, but he is in a rage and everyone is frightened. I have never seen him like this before.”

“What happened? Never mind, you’ll explain it to me along the way.” She called for Mrs. Curtis to fetch her cloak and gloves, thanking her when she hastily assisted Ailis in donning them.

The ducal carriage was waiting out front for them, so she hurried to it.

Edward helped her climb in and then took the seat opposite hers as the driver snapped the reins and the team made a hasty return to Langford Hall.

Ailis’s heart was still in her throat as they raced closer, every minute seeming to count. “Tell me what happened.”

“You know what a private person he is…”

“Yes, and?”

“These diamonds are constantly clamoring for his attention.”

“He has complained to me about it,” she replied, trying not to sound impatient.

“Lady Viola entered his chamber while he was getting dressed. She saw him without his shirt on. When she shrieked, the other young ladies rushed in, too.”

Ailis gasped. “And they all saw his scars?”

Edward regarded her with some surprise. “You know about them? Have you seen him…er… I am not passing judgment…er.”

“Nothing of the sort. He rolled up one sleeve and showed me his forearm the other day. He was trying to explain to me why he was so angry with your mother for bringing these unwanted guests to Langford Hall. He honored me by showing me his scars that he has kept hidden all these years, knowing I would never betray his secret agony. Those scars are the reason he will never marry, he explained to me.”

“And now everyone knows just how hideous they are,” Edward said with a groan.

“Of all the people to walk in on him, why did it have to be Lady Viola? Her shrieks brought in those other peahens, their parents, and my friends. The entire household has now seen the body he has kept hidden all these years.”

Viola was the worst of this group of diamonds, scheming, manipulative, determined to win at all costs. She must have been lurking in the hallway, waiting for her chance to sneak into his bedchamber in the hope of entrapping him.

Instead, she found herself looking at a man whose body reflected the terrible toll the war had taken on him.

Viola could have run out and said nothing, but she was just the sort to make a dramatic scene and bring everyone rushing in.

Edward groaned again. “She will ridicule and revile him purely out of malice, because he certainly won’t choose her as his wife now.”

“He was never going to choose her,” Ailis remarked, although there was no triumph in her statement, since Viola’s loss did not clear the field of play for anyone. If anything, her behavior had reinforced the duke’s belief that no one could endure the sight of a man riddled with scars.

Which meant he was more resolved than ever not to marry.

Ailis ached for him, felt awful that he had to endure this humiliating incident.

Edward lolled his head back and groaned. “She will do her best to make him a laughingstock among the ton .”

“A laughingstock? Because he was injured in combat? Because he was braver than any of his peers who avoided serving in the military and now walk around showing off their smooth hands and peacock silks? Anyone with an ounce of honor will think her the fool and dismiss her , never him .”

“Likely you are right, Miss Temple. But the damage has already been done. No one was ever meant to know his secret torment. Those scars are his pain. Only he ever had the right to disclose them to the world.”

“And he had chosen not to.”

Edward nodded. “But his privacy is shot to hell now. Soon, all of Society will hear about this.”

“Oh, Lord Langford. This is awful. What a betrayal. But why send for me? Did he ask you to do this?”

“No, I took it upon myself. He will not speak to anyone, not even me or our mother. I’m sure he blames us for bringing this nightmare about. I suppose we are to blame, but you must believe we only wished to see him happy.”

“I know you love him,” Ailis said, although she did not agree with the high-handed manner in which they had gone about encouraging his happiness.

Perhaps if they had chosen better, selected ladies more suitable for him…

Surely there had to be attractive, thoughtful ladies in their mid-twenties who could provide intelligent conversation and see the fine man beyond the superficial damage to his body.

Even she might have been the right match for him, were he not a duke. But his exalted rank put him out of her reach. Why could he not have been a squire or an accomplished commoner?

“Lord Langford, what makes you think I can be of any help?”

“It is obvious he has a soft spot for you. My mother and I hoped you might be able to calm him down.”

Ailis shook her head. “He indulges me, and perhaps feels a little protective of me because I was hurt on his property.”

“No, Miss Temple. He truly admires you and respects your opinions. You are the only one who can tame his savage anger.”

She doubted it. The duke would not want to hear what she had to say. And yet, did she not have to say what was in her heart? Knowing how proud he was, this incident had demeaned him so badly and given that peahen, Lady Viola, control over him.

But the spiteful girl only had control because he was allowing the incident to affect him.

Just how bad were his scars? Ailis had only seen his forearm. Yes, the damage had been awful. But why could he not see that it did not change the valiant essence of the man he was?

His mother and Grimes met them at the door as the carriage drew up in front of the house.

“Thank goodness you are here, Miss Temple,” the duchess said, guiding Ailis down the hall before she had a moment to remove her cloak and gloves. “He will not speak to any of us.”

“I am surprised he did not toss all of you out.”

The duchess blushed. “He might have said that as he ranted and raged. But I am his mother and refuse to leave him when he is obviously hurting so badly. Unfortunately, being that tomorrow is Christmas, none of our guests can leave, either. Between the bad weather and so many people closing shop early, we simply could not send anyone packing.”

“It will take those peahens a full day to pack, anyway,” Edward remarked. “Dressing to trap a duke takes lots of fashionable clothes that cannot simply be stuffed into a travel pouch.”

“Has Lady Viola attempted to apologize to him?” Ailis asked.

The duchess shook her head. “No, the girl has spent the past hour cruelly talking about the condition of his body to anyone who will listen.”

“The irony of it is,” Edward said, “all of them would still marry my brother because they will endure anything to be a duchess.”

“They would marry him and yet loathe him?” Ailis let out a breath in disgust.

“Well, there’ll be no marriage proposal now. He will never take any of them as his wife. I suppose this will be his fate now, to remain alone and unhappy, renowned throughout the ton as the last Silver Duke.”

Yet another label he detested, Ailis mused.

But this discovered secret about his scars was far worse. He would retreat behind those fortress walls he’d built up over the years. Was it not better to be alone than wake up each morning to a wife who despised him?

They paused outside the study door. Grimes had caught up to them and took her cloak and gloves. “You would make him happy, Miss Ailis.”

She glanced at the duchess. “I am not anyone he would consider marrying. You needn’t worry that I’ll—”

“Ailis,” the duchess said, taking hold of her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze, “you are worthier than a dozen of those diamonds. I was wrong to bring them here.”

Ailis could not believe what she was hearing.

Was the duchess indicating that she, a vicar’s niece, was worthy to be his duchess?

Or merely suggesting acceptance because Ailis was useful to have around at the moment?

Well, it was the duke’s choice alone on whom to marry or whether he even would marry.

No one else had the right to make this decision for him.

She knocked at the study door.

“I warned you to stay out!” the duke roared, sounding angrier than she had ever heard him. In truth, she had never seen him this furious, and had never once seen him lose control.

Her heart went out to him, for he sounded like an enraged lion, wounded and aggressive.

“Do not bellow at me,” she called back with more confidence than she felt. “I am coming in.”

She waited to the count of three, just in case he decided to hurl something at the door. When nothing happened, she walked in and closed the door behind her, purposely closing herself in the lair of an angry lion.

“I might have known they would bring Miss Temple of Virtue to calm me down. What made you agree to be their virgin sacrifice?”

“Good morning, Jonas,” she responded in the face of his insults and his dangerous glower, glad he was seated behind his desk and making no move to rise. “You are ever a delight.”

“Jonas? Are we friends now? Do you feel closer to me because I am a wretched soul and you believe you are my sainted healer?”

She nodded. “I thought it was appropriate to remind you that I am your friend.”

“Well, Ailis ,” he said, rising from his chair in a sleek, predatory movement and stalking closer to her, “you are quite mistaken if you believe I consider you a friend.”

His words stung, but she refused to flinch. “But I am not your enemy.”

Dear heaven.