Page 10 of The Duke Who Stole Me (Stolen by the Duke #4)

Chapter Ten

“ W hat in the heavens is going on in here?”

Both Juliana and the duke froze, his lips still pressed to her neck.

Juliana instantly became acutely aware of her surroundings, the haze of the kiss clearing as the shock of discovery hit her full force.

They had been discovered.

Oh no.

It wouldn’t take much before the entire ton found out what they’d been doing while others danced and gossiped below them.

She heard the duke’s sharp intake of breath before he pulled back from her and brushed imaginary dust from her dress. Then, he raised his head, a small smile tugging at his lips as he adjusted his coat.

“Lady Montford, Lady Russel. A pleasure to see you.”

Juliana felt as though she would die.

With a deep breath, she moved away from the desk, her eyes squeezed shut, before turning toward the open door.

“What an…uncomfortable circumstance,” Lady Montford remarked, narrowing her eyes at Juliana as though to get a better view of her face.

Juliana’s stomach sank. The whole of London would find out about her kiss with the Duke of Blackmoor before she could even return home. Lady Montford would never let such a delicious piece of gossip go to waste. Not when her precious son had expressed his interest in Juliana.

Juliana opened her mouth. She wasn’t sure what she would say, but she knew she would begin with an apology and plead with the older woman to spare her until she could leave London.

However, before she could get a word out, the duke spoke.

“You must forgive me for using a private space in your home, Lady Montford,” he began, stepping forward as though to block the older woman’s view of Juliana. “But I needed a private moment with my beloved before we announced our engagement tonight.”

For a moment, Juliana stood there, amazed and very shaken, her mind blank. Both women’s eyes widened in shock. She was too surprised to do anything other than breathe. In fact, she feared that if she moved, she would crumble.

“What?” Lady Montford gasped.

But the duke was not done.

He clasped his hands together and continued, “It was love at first sight, and for the life of me, I could hardly keep my eyes or mind off of her. So, I spoke with Lord Norfield, who graciously stepped back in the name of love. As you can imagine, it was not an easy feat, seeing as she is so lovely.”

He spoke so smoothly, so effortlessly, as though lying was second nature to him.

“I only needed to fetch a book for Lady Russel from my chambers. Who knew we’d be met with the exclusive news of your union, Your Grace?” Lady Montford smiled sheepishly, then elbowed Lady Russel in the ribs.

“We must go and prepare ourselves for the announcement,” Lady Russel blurted out, before grabbing their host’s arm and dragging her out of the study.

“Your Grace, what have you—” Juliana broke off as the duke led her out of the study, his expression the epitome of determination.

They passed the footman, who was now back up on his feet with the help of other servants. The servants stared at both of them, wide-eyed.

Juliana had no idea if this was a dream or a nightmare. She had followed the duke to get answers about Geoffrey, but now…

Now, she was engaged? To the Duke of Blackmoor?

“Your Grace, wait.” Juliana tried to slow him down, but he was unrelenting.

“Vincent,” he simply said.

“What?” Juliana blinked, unsure what he meant.

“From now on, you will accidentally call me by my given name in front of others, then correct yourself,” he declared.

Vincent . His name was Vincent.

It rather suited him.

Juliana did not have the liberty of testing out the name, as they were right where they’d begun—the ballroom.

She held her breath, the cogs in her mind turning madly as she tried to calm the nerves in the pit of her stomach. No one seemed to notice that something was wrong between them, as everyone was engrossed in their dancing, eating, and talking.

Not even her mother or uncle.

“Your Grace, we must think this through,” she pressed.

But even as she said the words, she knew he’d already made up his mind.

“There is nothing to think through, My Lady. Unless you wish to be ruined, stay put and follow my lead,” he hissed.

He cleared his throat and briefly let go of her hand to grab a glass and a fork. Juliana watched, as though in slow motion, as he tapped the fork against the glass, commanding the attention of the entire ballroom.

“Ladies and gentlemen, if I may have your attention.”

The music and dancing stopped, and the guests turned in their direction, curiosity written all over their faces.

Juliana could tell that no one had an idea of what he was about to say, save Lady Montford and Lady Russel. They had sneaky smiles on their faces, their shoulders vibrating as they whispered to the women around them to pay attention to the duke.

Vincent cleared his throat again. “It is not often that I find myself inclined to make speeches at an event like this. But on this occasion, I find it not only necessary but also an honor. This evening, I wish to share news of great importance.”

Not a sound was heard in the entire room, everyone waiting in anticipation.

“After much consideration—and dare I say a stroke of good fortune—I am pleased to announce my impending marriage to the most remarkable lady in attendance tonight.”

His voice was velvety once more, like it had been when he’d lied back in the study. The same smooth, effortless deception.

It should have been reassuring—his words, his tone—but instead, a shiver ran through her.

How could anyone be so convincing, so utterly composed as if the truth and falsehood were one and the same?

Gasps followed his words, but Vincent, unbothered by the noise, turned to Juliana. He offered his hand to her, his gaze steady and unwavering.

“Lady Juliana has agreed to be my wife, and for that reason, I count myself the most fortunate man,” he finished with a smile, without a care for the silence that followed.

Had he always been this skilled at pretense?

The silence lasted for all of ten seconds before cheers erupted, filling the entire ballroom.

Juliana merely stared back at him, tongue-tied as guests approached them in droves, all relaying how happy they were for the couple and how excited they were that Vincent was finally taking a bride.

The music resumed, and so did the dancing, but people danced with more fervor now that an engagement was announced. Juliana wanted nothing but to hide where no one would find her no matter how long they searched.

What was she going to say to her family? Her mother, her sisters, and her uncle? Would she tell them the truth, that she’d been discovered in a compromising position with the duke, which had led to the announcement, or would she smile and pretend to be the happiest lady on earth as she had during her first engagement ball?

She wasn’t sure, but she knew she had to make up her mind quickly, as her uncle and mother were heading toward her, both utterly confused if their expressions were anything to go by.

“Forgive my intrusion,” Francis called, drawing the attention of the guests who had gathered around them. “If I may have a word with my niece and His Grace.”

Vincent nodded before he took Juliana’s hand and pulled her away from the guests, to a less crowded part of the grand ballroom.

“Juliana, what is the meaning of this blatant display of disrespect?” Francis hissed. “And Your Grace.” His eyes flicked to Vincent. “With all due respect, I believe you are well-versed on the matters of marriage and the steps that should be followed before entering a union.”

Vincent nodded. “Lord Ridgewell, I?—”

“If you were courting Juliana, you should have done so with the knowledge of her family. It is quite an embarrassment to me, as the head of the family, to find out about my niece’s engagement at the same time as others, especially as prior preparations were being made.”

Vincent nodded, lifting their intertwined hands to his chest as if deliberately showing them off. “Your concerns are valid, Lord Ridgewell, and I fully take the blame for the lack of communication between our families. I spoke to Juliana about marriage once, but she told me that it was out of her hands.”

He shook his head dramatically as if he were heartbroken.

“Because of prior engagements—to which she is privy—I could not call on her, hence her conclusion that a union between us would not happen. However, when I returned and heard rumors about her engagement tonight, I could not wait any longer,” he added with such effortless conviction that, for a fleeting moment, Juliana nearly believed him.

She couldn’t fathom how easily Vincent spun tales, each one laced with the perfect amount of emotion as if he’d lived them.

“I simply could not bear to see the love of my life married to another man. However, since the damage has been done,” he continued, letting go of her hand and taking her uncle’s, “I am delighted that our families will unite. I admire your work and passion for your family, and I have always wished to do business with you. Uniting our families will only make it easier.”

Juliana watched in awe as the scowl on her uncle’s face disappeared, morphing into a pleasant smile she had never seen before.

Oh, he is good .

“It is an honor to hear these words from you, Your Grace,” Francis said, placing his free hand atop Vincent’s and squeezing slightly. “You must forgive my initial aggression. I understand that young love can be impatient, so I shall give you my blessing. Even so, you must understand that these things must be said, as I do not take matters concerning my family lightly.”

Juliana felt the urge to smack those lies off his lips.

Francis was driven by self-interest, never committing to anything unless he was certain there was something he could gain, after carefully weighing every advantage and risk.

And this—doing business with the powerful Duke of Blackmoor—held nothing but advantage for her uncle.

Vincent nodded in response to Francis’s words, his smile unwavering.

“I speak on behalf of the Ridgewell family when I say that it is an honor that you have chosen our dear Juliana as your bride,” Francis added.

Juliana fought the urge to roll her eyes and lost miserably. Thankfully, her uncle’s attention was focused on Vincent.

“I am also honored to be accepted by your family,” Vincent returned, freeing himself from her uncle’s hold to grab her hand. “If I may, I would like to have a moment with my betrothed.”

Juliana’s stomach flipped.

That word sounded different when he said it, like something she’d never heard before, when just weeks ago, she’d been throwing it around.

Francis frowned slightly. He looked between the couple before he nodded. “I shall give you a minute before I return to chaperone my niece,” he relented, smiling widely as he ushered the couple away from view and the noise.

Just what Juliana needed.

She let Vincent lead her to an empty room a couple of doors down from the ballroom before she exploded.

“What on earth have you just done?” she snapped, her suppressed anger bursting out.

“Saved us both from ruin,” Vincent answered dryly, his demeanor differing greatly from the friendly and polite duke he’d been just moments ago.

Juliana scoffed. “Marriage is not a decision one makes on impulse, Your Grace!”

“Vincent,” he corrected, then took a breath. “You should be thanking me for saving both our reputations tonight,” he pointed out.

Juliana’s eyes widened in barely contained annoyance. “Thank you? It would’ve been far better if we told Lady Montford the truth, about how Geoffrey was in her son’s study, about to steal something,” she huffed, throwing her hands above her head in frustration.

“Are you so naive?” Vincent scoffed, his annoyance evident in the lines that marred his forehead. “Fine, let us suppose we confessed the truth to Lady Montford and she believed us. Then, we would be compelled to defend our claim before the authorities, hence risking the exposure of my work for the Crown. Allow me to remind you that she did not find us calling after Norfield, but she found my hands seconds away from going up your skirt.”

Juliana’s face flushed at his bold words, but she ignored it.

The Crown?

“You work for the Crown?” she asked, her eyes wide.

Vincent took a deep breath, slightly turning away from her. “It would be a breach of duty to speak of my affairs with the Crown. I trust you shall not press me further on the matter. The less you know, the safer you’ll be.”

Juliana swallowed. Her curiosity niggled at her, urging her to ask what his work for the Crown involved, but she knew better than to expect an answer.

She gave a resigned nod.

Vincent studied her for a moment as if sensing she wouldn’t easily let the matter drop—which, of course, she wouldn’t. But Juliana quietly reasoned that if she were to marry him, she would uncover the answers she sought in time.

“I do not believe I would be prying if I were to ask what your next step would be,” she said softly after a beat.

“It is prying, but I shall humor you this once. I shall speak to Montford—he should be aware of the situation, as Norfield may return. I will advise him to comb through the study and ensure nothing was stolen. If something was, we would know what it is. We shall proceed with this marriage as announced, and afterward, I shall resume my search for Norfield,” he declared with finality.

“So this is it?” Juliana asked, her eyebrows slightly raised. “We are to be wed?”

Vincent nodded, then paused. “Why? Would you rather be wedded to Lord Robshaw?” he asked back, his teasing tone returning as he took a predatory step toward her.

Juliana blinked and opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, a knock sounded at the door, and it swung open to reveal Francis.

“Time is up, Your Grace. My niece must return to the ball,” he insisted.

With the corners of his lips turned up in a smirk, Vincent nodded.

Juliana curtsied to him, before following her uncle to the ballroom.