Page 14 of The Dark Duke’s Cinderella (The Untamed Ladies #1)

CHAPTER 14

F rom what little Anna had read about kisses, they were supposed to be chaste and private things. The way Philip’s lips crashed into hers was violent and public, in full view of her father and the Ratleys’ guests—among whom, she was sure, were her friends.

At first, she squealed in surprise, pressing against his chest. His hand cupped the nape of her neck to pull her closer. His free hand clamped around her waist, holding her steady. In response, her body quivered with shock, then desire—then fear, when she realized what had happened. She could still taste Philip on her lips as he drew back breathlessly, a dark longing for more mixing with the terror in her gut.

“What did you…” she mumbled, her face burning with embarrassment. “Why did you…”

Philip leaned away, shaking his head in apology. He turned to her father before she could stop him, as the crowd stood silently watching. A display like this was unheard of—the stuff of nightmares. Anna’s fall from grace, publicized for the whole world to see.

The earl’s lips formed a tight white line, his body vibrating. Beside him, all the blood had drained from Ashwicken’s face.

“You have ruined her,” the earl stammered, his eyes widening. He pointed a trembling finger at Philip. “You have ruined her, and I will demand satisfaction!”

“If that is what you desire,” Philip said. His boots echoed with every step as he crossed the terrace to him, while Anna watched on in horror.

He whispered something in her father’s ear, his voice too low for her to hear. Her fingers drifted over her lips, and she fought the urge to cry. She wanted to run or hide, rage bubbling up inside her. She had wanted Philip to help, but not like this.

Never like this.

Philip stepped back, and Anna feared her father would attack him—he had every right.

The earl restrained himself long enough for Philip to take his leave, pushing through the crowd and disappearing into the ballroom, where chaos ensued.

Instinctively, Anna tried to follow him, fearing that he had just signed his own death warrant. A slight of that magnitude on her family’s honor would not go unpunished. She saw George shoving past the guests after him and heard him calling Philip’s name. The next thing she knew, someone grabbed her from behind, pulling her out of the fray of heavily perfumed bodies.

Her mother turned her around, dragging her across the terrace and down the steps to the gardens. Anna could barely keep up with Rosamund as she raced into the darkness. She cast a glance back toward the house. Her father and Ashwicken were raging on the terrace, other lords swarming around them as if they were gathering for a hunt.

“Stupid, stupid girl,” her mother hissed, yanking harder on her arm. “Do you have any idea what you have done? The shame you have brought upon us?”

Anna’s mouth was dry, her heart racing. The bottom of her gown was wet from the grass. Her stockings were saturated with dew by the time they reached the edge of the house, where her mother directed her toward the parade of carriages out front.

“We can’t leave,” Anna said, once she realized Rosamund’s plan. She struggled against her mother’s grip, slipping her wrist out of her hand so abruptly that her skin chafed. “Father will—They’ll kill Philip!”

Rosamund turned and grabbed Anna by the shoulders, shaking her hard. “You will not speak that man’s name before me, Anna! Your father will not allow us to be scandalized further—and he will secure our future by any means he sees fit. Has this been your plan all along? To disgrace yourself so thoroughly that Ashwicken would cast you aside? Don’t be so surprised. I was a girl once, too. Well, you’ve made your bed, Anna. Ashwicken will forsake you now. They all will.”

Her voice rose to a shout. She let go of Anna and dropped her head in her hands.

Anna watched her mother start to cry, too guilty and confused to comfort her, let alone relish her victory.

The sudden jingle of Rosamund’s jewelry caught her attention. Her mother had turned on her heel and carved a path toward the main drive, not bothering to check if she was following.

Rosamund didn’t have to check. What else could Anna do?

Her mother found their driver smoking his pipe by their carriage. Anna waited a distance away, checking the other carriages for signs of Philip and George.

Once the horses were readied and the lanterns fixed, Rosamund scrambled into their carriage. She pursed her lips and looked down into the footwell. Her light blonde hair had frizzed around her temples. She looked so much younger when she was worried—and it was worry that prevailed on her face. Not anger. Not disappointment.

“It would be wise to leave as soon as possible, but we cannot depart without your father, and it’s anyone’s guess how long he will be.” She adjusted the lantern inside, turning it toward Anna. The light burned into her eyes. “I must hear the truth from you before he finds us, so we can decide on our next move. Did the duke take advantage of you, or are you involved with him more than I know?”

“I…” Anna closed the carriage door softly behind her, shying away from the harsh light of the lantern.

How could she begin to explain things to her mother? They weren’t two strangers—a rake and his target—but they weren’t courting either.

“I don’t know.”

“How could you not know?” Rosamund leaned in close, lowering her voice. “Did you or did you not persuade that scoundrel to ruin you in front of your father?”

“I never asked him to kiss me, but…” Anna couldn’t blame Philip for her fall from grace. In some twisted way, she suspected he had been trying to help. “It’s not his fault. He is a good man.”

Rosamund laughed. “A good man would not ruin your life—likely ruin his own, too. I should not be surprised. I know as much about his family as the rest of the ton. The things they used to say about his father… George was foolish to befriend him. But I did not think you were at risk of meeting him and being compromised by him, too. He is a colonel, for heaven’s sake! Does he have no honor, no shame? They will be speaking about this for years to come.”

Anna clenched her jaw. “Philip is nothing like his father.”

“You don’t know anything about either of them! The moral decay that has infected the Wilmington family cannot be healed. Back in my day, all the young girls were warned about the Duke of Wells— The Duke of Darkness . He was a blight on London society. We should have expected that his heir would assume his own reign of terror. You should be disgusted with him…”

“How do you know that I’m not?” Anna regretted the words as soon as she said them, not sure what to believe. She ignored Rosamund’s glower. “I am angry at him. He should have said something. I don’t know why he kissed me… But that doesn’t mean he is a monster like you say his father was.”

“If I had known that calling on him with that accursed snuffbox would result in this, I would never have allowed you to go. He must have thought you were an easy target and chose tonight to make his move. Do you see now why we have been so strict with you? This is what men do. This is how they treat young ladies with stars in their eyes. You think you know so much about the world, but you know nothing.”

Anna leaned onto her elbows, her head spinning. “I know more than you think.”

“Oh, do enlighten me.”

“I know that you’ve never listened to a word I’ve said. I’ve begged you for enough time to find the right husband, and you ignored me. I know you wish I was more like Rebecca, but I’m not like her, and I never will be.” She straightened in her seat. “I know that I would rather die than marry a man like Lord Ashwicken and that Philip—I will say his name—was only trying to help me cancel the betrothal. He was being a friend to me, and that was all.”

As she said the words, Philip’s kiss, the feel of his hand on hers, ghosted over her skin. Calling him a friend was a lie. They weren’t friends and never had been. That much, Anna now knew for certain.

“You will forgive me if I do not thank him for his help.” Rosamund sighed, clasping her hands in front of her in prayer. “Your father will never forgive you for this. His deal with Ashwicken had been months in the making…”

“What deal?” Anna asked. Her fingernails had left crescents in the palm of her hand. “What exactly did Father stand to gain?”

Her mother dropped her hands, muttering under her breath. “You will not understand even if I explain it to you. Suffice it to say that your father had the connections and Ashwicken the capital for a joint venture in a place called Pennsylvania. Ashwicken would give your father shares in the operation in exchange for your hand—their new fortune would remain in the family when one or the other died first.”

“I was a means to an end. A human bank account they could use to ensure that their wealth was not divided,” Anna murmured, feeling more disgusted with her father than ever. “And you agreed to this?”

“It is my duty as your mother to find you a suitable husband. But you were too irrational to see that Ashwicken was suitable.” Her mother took a moment to calm herself. “I scarcely know what to do with you now. I suppose there is only one thing we can hope for. And it is a vain, hopeless hope.”

Anna gritted her teeth. “I will not beg Ashwicken for his forgiveness.”

“Ashwicken? Your betrothal to Lord Ashwicken is broken beyond repair. He will not accept you after you have shamed him so publicly, not even for the sake of their venture. No, I am not speaking of Lord Ashwicken. I am speaking of the duke.”

Rosamund grabbed Anna’s face, forcing her to look her in the eye.

“You danced with the devil tonight, Anna. Now, you must hope that he is willing to marry you.”

* * *

Philip slammed the door of his carriage and signaled for his driver to leave—and drive fast. He needed to put as much distance between himself and the Ratley house as possible before the Earl of Bristol and his cronies found him.

The carriage rolled forward a few yards before coming to an abrupt halt. Philip tore his hands from his face and yanked open the carriage curtains to see what had happened.

Before he could question his driver, the door opposite him flew open. George appeared behind it, shouting at his footman to keep his distance. His face was red and damp with sweat. How long had he been running after Philip?

“If you are here on the order of your uncle—” Philip began.

“Oh, shut up and let me in.” George cast a dark look at the footman approaching him. “I’ll thank you for not throwing me to the wolves. I am, after all, the only one connecting you and Anna—and my uncle knows it.”

Philip nodded curly and waved his men. “Continue toward Westminster,” he ordered, watching George slip inside.

George settled on the bench beside him, his eyes boring into the side of Philip’s face as he slowed his breathing. The carriage rattled beneath them, each rotation of its wheels ticking like the hands of a clock.

“I assume you intend to marry her,” George said eventually.

Philip felt his brow crease. He knew George would ask him to propose sooner or later, but he had hoped to be dead long before George could confront him.

“You assume wrong. My actions tonight were not the product of a long-standing affair. I intended nothing when I kissed your cousin but to prevent her from marrying Ashwicken—and that much Anna will understand. If a duel must be had for her honor, then so be it. I said as much to Bristol before I left, and he agreed. We are to meet tomorrow at dawn. It remains to be seen whether he was sincere or will take the coward’s way out.”

“Are you mad?” George gave a broken, incredulous laugh. “That was not an empty threat. He will duel you. If not him, then Ashwicken will take up the pistol in his stead. They are old, proud men, and you are the son of a known rake who has ruined their daughter and prospective bride respectfully. So you will not marry Anna, but you will die for her or go down a murderer? Surely you must see the insanity of your plan.”

Philip had tried not to think too deeply about his actions. He still wasn’t sure what had driven him to kiss her. His desire for her, partly. His desire to save her, too. The dark satisfaction of giving the ton exactly what they wanted as they watched him follow in his father’s footsteps.

“If a duel is how it ends, then I will not shirk my duty,” Philip replied. “But you cannot seriously believe that either of them will shoot to kill.”

“I believe you would step into the path of the bullet on purpose, what with the way things have been going. You clearly have no respect for Anna’s well-being. But I at least thought you would have enough respect for your own life not to throw it away so carelessly.”

George sighed. He looked down at his shaking hands and balled them into fists.

“That was unfair—but it was not far from the truth, was it? Elinor and I have spoken. She worries about you. She thinks you are walking down the road to self-destruction and nothing will save you. And though I had my doubts, tonight has convinced me that she was right.”

Philip remained silent, looking out the carriage window as London rushed past. “Elinor sees what she wants to see in me. And so do you.”

“The only thing I see in you at this moment is a craven fool.” George leaned back, knowing that would anger him. “You must marry Anna. You owe it to us both. Whether the duel occurs or not changes nothing about her circumstances. My uncle will never let her forget what happened tonight. She will either marry a man much worse than Ashwicken or be forced to live out the rest of her days however he sees fit. That can’t be what you want for her.”

“Until two weeks ago, I had no idea the woman existed, and now you would have me wed her? Why do you think she would be any happier with me than alone? I could not become a decent husband even if that was my greatest wish—which it has never been. She will want me to love her, and I will break her heart.”

“Do I look like I care one whit whether or not you will love her?” George laughed, but there was no mirth in it. “She is a good person, and her father has spent the last twenty years setting her up for failure. I’ve always feared that he would squash her spirit and ruin her life… but I did not expect you to help.”

“And what of the rest of it? The expectations, the children…” Philip’s stomach tightened. “I won’t do it. I refuse. And though you assume I have no respect for Anna, it is precisely my respect for her that keeps me from agreeing to your proposal. So long as the duel is successful, she will be fine. Either I die, allowing the ton to recognize her for the victim she is, or?—”

“Or you would murder my uncle and set her free? You truly have gone mad.”

Philip sat with his shame. A moment later, George banged on the roof of the carriage, and it came to a stop.

“Where do you intend to go?” Philip asked. “We’re in the middle of nowhere.”

“I am going to make things right,” George declared. He popped open the door and stepped into the darkness beyond. “Anna and I will find our way out of this mess. As for you and me, Philip… you will forgive me for what I must do next.”

The door slammed in Philip’s face before he could ask George what he meant. He sank back against the bench and rubbed a hand over his face. The driver knocked on the door and asked Philip what he wanted to do next.

“Drive for a while,” Philip ordered, ignoring his growing headache. He needed time to think. “Then return to Charleton.”

He closed his eyes as the carriage took the long way home, his thoughts drifting to Anna.

The memory of her made him tense up. Her warm, sweet lips. The shocked gasp that had erupted from them when he had held her, how it had vibrated against his mouth.

If he had been any other man—a man worthy of her—he would have married her outright. But Anna would be more miserable with him than in some convent.

The Wilmington men did not make good husbands. They were made monsters. The best he could do was offer Anna any amount of money she wanted to start over, even if the thought sickened him.

He didn’t want to be her patron. He wanted…

To be born someone who deserved her .

He wasn’t sure how much time passed between his departure from the ball and his arrival home. The carriage slowed to a stop, and Philip sighed at the thought of the coming morning. He would rest while he could. Have a drink, find a second somewhere. Once business was done, the scandal sheets would inform London about the scandal, and Elinor would learn the truth about him once and for all.

Stepping out of the carriage, he looked up at the house. He spotted a strange, large shape in the darkness of the drive. It looked like… an empty hackney cab.

His heart sank into his stomach. He broke into a sprint toward the manor, pain flaring in his body from the effort of running. He took the front stairs two at a time, shoving open the front door. The butler stood in the entrance hall, waiting for him, illuminated by a candle in a brass holder.

“Where is he?” Philip demanded.

The butler led him toward one of the drawing rooms. The fire from inside cast moving shadows on the wall of the corridor. Two voices cut through the silence of the night.

Philip burst inside, breathing hard from the exertion. The door slammed against the wall behind it, causing George to rise from his seat and start backing away. As if Philip could attack him with Elinor watching. And she was watching from her perch by the window.

“Philip. How kind of you to join us,” she said, her face contorted in disappointment.

Philip marched toward George, but Elinor put out a hand to stop him.

“Do not blame him for trying to save you. The only person who must atone for their actions tonight is you.” She stood in front of him, forcing him to reconsider. “And you will atone, by my hand. I will not allow you to forsake that poor girl, no matter what it takes.”