Page 36 of The Duke’s Replacement Bride (The Wild Brides #6)

“ W ell, if it isn’t my cousin!” Charles said. “What brings you this way today, Levi? I wasn’t expecting guests.”

“You have a guest all the same. May I come inside, please?”

Perhaps something in Levi’s tone alerted Charles to the fact that this was not purely a social call, for he looked suddenly uncomfortable, even guarded.

His eyebrows pulled together in concern, and a frown crossed his face.

“I’m not sure this is the best time,” he said.

“I wish I had known you were eager for a visit before you traveled all the way out here. I might have let you know that it would be better to schedule something—some time we could meet without having to worry about impinging on my other commitments.”

“Your other commitments are going to have to wait, I’m afraid,” Levi said. “This wasn’t really a request.”

“What do you mean, not a request?” There was no mistaking it now—Charles was most definitely aware that something was the matter. His frown deepened, and he even tried to push the door closed a bit, as though to prevent Levi from entering.

Levi was having none of that. He placed a hand on the door so that it couldn’t be closed in his face. “I will speak with you, Charles,” he said firmly. “I won’t be dismissed so easily.”

“Well, I see no reason for the dramatics! Very well, then, come inside if you wish, but I warn you that I don’t have the time for a very long visit today. I have a great many things to do, things which must be dealt with…business affairs…I am a busy man, as I’m sure you are aware, Levi.”

“What I have to say won’t take long.” That was certainly true. Levi had no intention of remaining in his cousin’s company any longer than was strictly necessary—he would be on his way as soon as he had said what he needed to and ensured that Charles would trouble him no further.

Charles seemed to realize that there was no avoiding the inevitable.

He stepped back and pulled the door open, allowing Levi to come inside.

Levi strode past him and walked directly into Charles’ sitting room, where he usually received guests.

Though Charles’ home was modest, he took excellent care of it, and this particular room, with its fine furnishings and tidy decorations, would not have been out of place in a small manor.

“Will you sit?” Charles asked.

“No. I won’t be here that long.” Levi cleared his throat. “Charles, I have come to let you know that I’ve been to visit your solicitor. I have purchased all your lands.”

“What—my lands were not for sale,” Charles sputtered.

“You were deeply in debt. I might have suspected it by the way you acted from the moment I received my title. Your solicitor didn’t want to confirm my suspicions.

He tried to protect your privacy. But he understood in the end that he was dealing with a significant authority and that it was in his best interests to tell me the truth.

And, of course, when I made the offer for your lands, he was very glad to have done so, I think, for now the debts can be paid. You are free of that burden.”

“I can’t believe you would meddle in my affairs!”

“You ought to be thanking me,” Levi said coldly. “I’m sure you are aware that I could have done much worse, given what I now know.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“It was you. It was you from the beginning. You have been spreading vile rumors about me—rumors that impact my ability to do business effectively. And I can only assume your reason for doing such a thing is to make people view me as unfit for my station—to make me fail. You still hope to ascend to the dukedom. But how could you think that it would work? What was the plan?”

Charles’ eyes were wide. He shook his head mutely.

“Don’t bother to deny it,” Levi said. “I already know what you did. There is nothing you can do or say now to convince me otherwise. I know.”

He met his cousin’s gaze. Slowly, Charles’ wide-eyed expression faded, to be replaced by one far more shrewd.

“All right,” he said. “So, you know I was behind it.”

Even though Levi had been sure, he was slightly shocked to hear Charles admit so openly to his misdeeds. “You aren’t even trying to hide it.”

“And why should I do that? You just told me not to deny it. Don’t you think honesty is our best course of action now? I have no desire to waste your time or mine, Levi. Yes, I endeavored to destroy your reputation.”

“I can’t believe you would do such a thing. I’m your cousin. I considered you to be like a brother to me.”

“I once felt that way too. But how could I go on nurturing such feelings when life has been so generous to you and so cruel to me? When I am forced into debt and lavish things are handed to you?”

“You weren’t forced into debt, Charles. You are a gambler and a profligate spender, and your debts are altogether your own fault.”

“So heartless. It shouldn’t surprise me. You always have been. Only a very selfish man could accept an inheritance like the one you’ve been given and not share the spoils with his family.”

“Well, you have nothing to complain about now, because you are free of your debt thanks to my inheritance.”

“Free of my debt—I’m free of all my land! What kind of a gift is that?”

“You know perfectly well that your holdings were not worth anywhere near what you owed,” Levi said calmly. “You know that I’ve done you a great service. You should be thanking me on bended knee, not complaining.”

“Thanking you for interfering in my affairs?”

“Well, you certainly saw fit to interfere in mine! Do you understand the shame you might have brought to my wife if your little scheme had been successful?”

“Oh, she doesn’t need any assistance from me.

That whole family is a disgrace,” Charles hissed.

“Everyone already knows about the father’s gambling addiction and the fact that the elder daughter had to save them from ruin by marrying well.

Then the younger daughter runs away from marriage, leaving you stuck with the unfortunate one in the middle—the one who sneaks into pubs wearing men’s clothing!

Did you think I didn’t know that was a habit of hers?

You worry about your reputation as a rake—I would worry more about her reputation for scandalous behavior, Levi.

She is the one who makes a true mockery of herself.

And if you don’t remove your hands from my business, I will make sure everyone hears about it. ”

The anger that surged through Levi was so powerful that for a moment, he couldn’t see straight.

The next thing he was aware of was a pain in his knuckles and the sight of his cousin reeling away from him. He’d lashed out, he realized, punched Charles in the face. He flexed and unflexed his hand, mildly surprised at himself, but glad for what he had decided to do—or rather, for the impulse.

“What in damnation ?” Charles spat a bit of blood onto the floor. “What’s the matter with you?”

“You do not threaten my wife,” Levi said darkly. “You’ve done horrible things to me and to her, but if you try to issue threats against her, you will live to regret it. I promise you that.”

“Levi, for God’s sake, whatever’s the matter with you, you need to have it seen to. Perhaps a physician can cure this madness.”

“Madness? You confessed to this, Charles. Do not try to persuade me now that I’m mad for thinking you’re a villain.”

“Mad for striking out at your own cousin! Are you so eager to defend a woman you never even cared for? A woman who meant nothing to you? I know you don’t care for her. This is about your pride. I got the better of you with that rumor and you want to punish me for it.”

“I have no interest in punishing you,” Levi said coldly. “You don’t mean enough to me to be worth punishing, Charles. I simply want you out of my life, and away from me and from Caroline. Your debts are paid. You no longer have anything tying you to London. Take what resources you have and go.”

“Where would you have me go?”

“I don’t care. Know only that should you decide to defy me and stay here, I will devote myself to your ruin. I will not rest until the ton sees you for the vile reprobate you are.”

“You wouldn’t do that,” Charles said, but even as he smiled at Levi, there was a flicker of doubt in his eyes.

“At the end of the day, Levi, you care too much for your reputation to do anything to me, and we both know it. You know that any shame to my name would bring shame to yours by association.”

“I can overcome it. I can weather whatever you may try to visit upon me. But you won’t.

I’ll see to it that you are ruined, both socially and financially.

I will make it my only goal.” It occurred to him, sharply and painfully, that with Caroline gone, he now had nothing but time to focus on the ruination of his cousin.

That he could spend all day, every day doing nothing but trying to make sure that Charles never recovered from this moment.

He knew he would be successful if it came to that. He had complete faith in his own ability to control this narrative.

He also knew that it would be nothing but a chore. That he would loathe every minute of it, and his life would be nothing but misery.

I shouldn’t have let Caroline get away. Gregory was right.

“What are you asking me to do?” Charles seemed resigned.

His hand came up to rest on the side of his face where he had been struck, and Levi found himself wondering whether his cousin was just as worried about being hit again as he was about the type of ruin Levi had promised that he would suffer if he didn’t comply.

“Leave London,” Levi said firmly. “Never show your face among society again. Never trouble us with your presence again. I don’t want to see you for the rest of our lives, and I never want my wife to have to think about you again.

If you leave us alone, I will leave you alone.

My investment in your lands should give you everything you need to make a fresh start for yourself somewhere else.

Go to the countryside, go to Paris—go to America, for all I care.

But Leave London behind and never come back. ”

“You can’t do this,” Charles hissed. “You think, just because you are a duke…but you have no right to do this to me, Levi. You have no right to ruin my life.”

“It’s too late for that. You had no right to ruin my life, but that didn’t stop you from making the attempt.

So these are the consequences, and you must pay them.

I’ll give you a week’s time to make the arrangements,” Levi said.

“After that, I want you gone. And if I ever hear of you in the city again, I won’t hesitate to do whatever I have to do to make sure you see fit to leave. ”

He turned on his heel and strode from the room, leaving his cousin sputtering behind him in shock, and finding to his immense pleasure that he didn’t care about that one bit.