Page 7 of The Duke’s Cursed Virgin (Cursed Brides #3)

Chapter Six

“ A h, I see why we are here now,” Philip remarked with his usual smirk as he followed Theo’s gaze.

“What are you seeing exactly? Do you need to ease up on the brandy?” Theo asked, not even looking at his friend.

“Anyone with eyes can see that you’ve been staring over there for some time now, my friend,” Philip said.

Theo stiffened at his friend’s words.

Was it that obvious?

His gaze returned to Lady Sophia and the younger woman she seemed to be friends with. The two women were deep in conversation.

Were they talking about him?

Did she tell her friend about what happened in the library?

He shook his head, slightly annoyed that the brown-haired beauty was making him think of things he was not used to. He would have stared at them for the rest of the day if not for Philip.

Theo had left Lady Sophia and her uncle hastily. He didn’t like the man and didn’t want him to see that his niece interested him greatly.

In most instances, he never conversed with women in public, unless it was an elderly dowager or a close enough relative. Even Joanna, the widow whose bed he often visited, had never approached him at gatherings. They both preferred it that way.

He would have left the garden party long ago, but Lady Sophia’s presence kept him there. From gossip and a few carefully placed questions, he discovered that she was the daughter of the late Marquess of Foxmere—and niece of the current one.

She seemed innocent in her interactions with her family and the other guests. And yet, behind closed doors, she had transformed into something else. Theo could wager that nobody else had seen that side of her. It made him feel possessive of her—of the ecstatic look on her face, which would haunt him forever.

“Miss Martin is a charming young woman, certainly,” Philip mused, nodding toward the woman Lady Sophia was conversing with. “A bit on the young side, perhaps, but certainly marriageable. Though I must say, I didn’t think you’d go for such innocent creatures. After all, you’ve always preferred your women with a bit more experience.”

Theo fixed him with a glare. “Too young.” He took a slow drink. “And too cheerful.”

He quickly turned his attention back to the ladies. He knew he needed to stop, but he couldn’t.

Philip made a slight noise, and Theo turned toward his friend, who blinked and looked at Lady Sophia and then back to him.

“So, it is Lady Sophia, the former exile, that you are interested in.”

Theo eyed the rest of his lemonade with some distaste.

What was he doing there, socializing with people he often could not tolerate?

He didn’t respond. But Philip’s words did hit their mark.

A former exile?

Theo recalled her uncle saying that she hadn’t been in Society for some time.

Why?

The lady was becoming even more interesting.

His friend chuckled, and Theo did not appreciate how his interest in Lady Sophia was a source of entertainment.

“You are certainly different from the rest of us, mere mortals,” Philip commented as he, too, started to study Lady Sophia from a distance. Theo did not like the intrigue in his eyes. “You chose a cursed lady, no less. Many women have been trying to catch your attention, even when word has it that you have no plan to marry. Superstition certainly does not bother you.”

Theo turned to him, wanting to know what his friend meant. “You know me, Philip. Superstition is for simpletons.”

“Like the rest of the narrow-minded ton.”

“Yes. So, you had better explain yourself. What does Lady Sophia have to do with superstition?”

Philip raised his eyebrows in surprise. “You don’t know?”

Theo remained silent.

“You have certainly been hiding under your widow’s sheets for too long,” Philip snorted.

Theo fixed him with a glare. “Say that again and see what happens.”

Philip smirked, unfazed. “I would , but I’m rather fond of my ability to chew.”

Theo exhaled sharply through his nose, taking a slow sip of his drink. “Then use your teeth to get to the point, Longford.”

Philip sighed dramatically. “All right, all right. So, about six years ago, Lady Sophia and her father were involved in a tragic accident. She, along with the Duchess of Ravenshire and the Duchess of Oldstone—huh, they’re both duchesses now, what do you?—”

“To the point, Longford,” Philip gritted out.

“Impatience is not a becoming quality in a nobleman, my friend. Anyway, this was when the two Duchesses were unmarried. Their families traveled together. It was a stormy night, and apparently, their carriages veered off the road and crashed. The only survivors were the Duchesses and Lady Sophia. Everyone else perished.”

Theo frowned. He knew Lady Sophia had lost her father, but he hadn’t known the details.

She must have seen him die.

His jaw clenched. Nobody deserved to witness such a thing.

His fingers drummed once against the side of his glass before stilling.

“Terrible story. But what does any of that have to do with Lady Sophia and superstition?” he asked.

Philip arched an eyebrow, tilting his head as if surprised that Theo wasn’t already aware. “Really? You, of all people, don’t know?” He tutted and leaned in conspiratorially. “The ton—being the reasonable, intelligent, and completely level-headed body of thinkers that it is—has long since decided that Lady Sophia and her friends are cursed.”

Theo’s lips pressed into a flat line. “Cursed,” he repeated dryly.

Philip nodded solemnly, though the glint in his eyes betrayed his amusement. “Three young ladies survive a tragedy that kills everyone else? The gossips didn’t know what to make of it, at first. But as you well know, the ton abhors a mystery—unless they can twist it into something scandalous.”

Theo exhaled through his nose. “Let me guess. They’ve decided the women must have struck some Faustian bargain for survival.”

Philip grinned. “Oh, that’s only one theory. Some claim they bring misfortune to the men around them. Others whisper that the accident was no accident at all—that there was something unnatural about the whole affair.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Some even believe that their husbands will meet an untimely end.”

Theo’s expression didn’t change, but there was a distinct sharpening of his gaze. “Superstitious nonsense.”

Philip sighed dramatically. “Of course it is. But since when has that ever stopped the ton from indulging in a bit of hysteria? And I must say, for a man who doesn’t believe in curses, you look rather interested .”

Theo ignored him, swirling the last of his drink as he considered the information.

Philip smirked. “Careful, my friend. The Wolf Duke chasing after a ‘cursed’ lady? Now that would set the ton abuzz.”

Theo’s glare was answer enough. Philip wisely took a sip of his drink to keep from laughing.

“It seems, though, that Lady Sophia had the worst experience. After the accident, her uncle, the current Marquess of Foxmere, sent her off to Scotland, where she lived with her great-aunt, Lady Rossburn. Now, apparently, she is a companion to the Martins’ oldest daughter.”

Theo returned his attention to Sophia; she was smiling at Miss Martin. A small but genuine smile. It made his chest tingle with warmth.

Despite everything she had been through, her back was straight, and she met people’s eyes when she spoke with them. He felt something more resilient hiding behind her sweet smile.

“And Lady Sophia?”

Philip tilted his head. “What about her?”

“What does she think about all of this?”

Philip chuckled. “What do you think? She ignores it. Pretends it doesn’t bother her.” He paused, glancing at Lady Sophia. “But I’d wager a hundred pounds that it does.”

Theo said nothing, but his jaw ticked slightly.

“Her fortune might still change, seeing as her friends have married dukes,” Philip remarked.

“You would think by this time the superstitious nonsense would be over,” Theo replied. “If the other two young women proved themselves fortunate thus far, the ton should at least give Lady Sophia a chance. Their survival could have been thought of as a blessing in other cultures.”

“You are right,” Philip said, humming thoughtfully. “However, the ton has never been kind to those who don’t fit in their mold. They are cruel to women, especially those who have lost their fortune. Even you, in your position, know that.”

Theo was quiet. He thought about how he prided himself on having his own opinions. He lived his life the way he wanted it. However, he was also the Duke of Wolvesley.

For a brief moment, it seemed as though Lady Sophia had looked at him— really looked at him.

He wanted her. Of course, he wanted her. The thought burned inside him like a quiet but all-consuming fire. He reasoned that perhaps it was her unavailability that attracted him.

She was considered cursed. Men stayed away from her. It explained her sexual frustration—how a passionate woman like her was resigned to pleasuring herself alone.

And oh, how he wanted to help with that.

A thought occurred to him—Lady Sophia could go back to Scotland at any point. And never return.

There was a possibility that at any point, Theo would never see her again.

And that did not sit well with him.

“You will be seeing more of Lady Sophia, my dear friend. Lady Rossburn is sponsoring Miss Anna Martin’s Season. As her aunt’s companion, Lady Sophia will be here, as well.”

“I do not care,” Theo lied, glaring at Philip.

“With the way you were watching her the whole morning, you expect me to believe that? You must think me a fool.” Philip shook his head, laughing.

But Theo didn’t care to listen to his friend’s amusement.

He knew he looked like a predator to anyone who would notice. He was the wolf about to grab his prey—to devour her. To ravish her.

He knew it wasn’t the wisest of his ideas. After all, Sophia Balfour had suffered enough. She did not need someone like him to further complicate her life.

But his need was powerful. It could no longer be ignored.

Right then, he heard Lady Sophia laugh at something Miss Martin told her, and he stiffened.

She had a beautiful laugh. Light, like a summer breeze.

“Again, Philip, I do not care.”

“Oh, please. I know you. You are here for the challenge. The conquest.”

“She is not a conquest.”

“Aha! So you are interested.” Philip smirked triumphantly.

Theo wondered briefly just how Philip would look with all his teeth knocked in.

Philip put his hands up in surrender. “All right, all right! I know that look, and I like my teeth just where they are. I’ll stop.”

Theo rolled his eyes before his gaze drifted back to Lady Sophia.

She was an enigma. A challenge. But a challenge he was willing to undertake.