Page 12 of The Duke’s Sworn Spinster (A Duel and a Wedding #1)

Chapter Ten

M r. Lyall knocked on the door. “Apologies for the interruption, Your Grace, but Lord Nittinghill is here to see you.”

Lydia looked up from the resumes for the new maids that she had been looking through and found her heart beating faster. She had not seen her brother since the wedding, and though she had written to him, his responses had been short.

“Send him in, Mr. Lyall, and ask cook to have some refreshments prepared.” Lydia straightened her dress.

“And will His Lordship be staying with us, Your Gace?” Mr. Lyall asked.

“I am not sure. I doubt it. I think even Landon would have the good sense to let me know of that in advance.” She smiled at the butler.

Her brother’s familiar face peered round the door, his dark hair a messy mop atop his head as he grinned at her. “And what’s that I hear about good sense? It cannot be my sister using my name and the phrase in a sentence.”

“Land! It is so good to see you!” She moved towards him and hugged him. “I swear you have grown.”

“Or you have shrunk.” He laughed at her, stroking a hand across his face.

Lydia frowned at the stubble. “Please tell me you are not trying to grow a beard.”

“Maybe. I am a proper bachelor now after all.” He shook his head and pulled her into another hug. “Goodness, it is good to see you, sister. I have missed you. The estate is not the same without you.”

“I have missed you too, brother.” Lydia gestured for him to take a seat next to her, and he did, catching her hand in his and giving it a squeeze.

“I am sorry it has taken me so long to visit.” He gave her an apologetic look. “But better late than never.”

“Indeed. How are you, Land?” Lydia asked at the same time as her brother said, “How are you holding up?”

They both laughed, and Landon gestured towards her. “Please, you go first. I am sure whatever you’ve been up to is far more interesting than anything I have to say. How is married life?”

“It has… It has not been what I expected.” She flushed, thinking of her dance with the Duke and the cold facade that seemed to slip into place at a moment’s notice. But that is not who he is.

“Is the Duke mistreating you?” Landon’s jaw tensed.

“What? No! He… No… Things have been a little rocky between us, but I suppose that is to be expected when you marry a perfect stranger.” She was surprised to find herself feeling so protective over her husband. “He has been a perfect gentleman.”

The memory of him holding her during the storm filled her mind, and she ran a hand along her upper arm. Landon nodded. “Good, that will save me having to thump him in your name.”

“As though you could. He is at least twice your size.” She shook her head.

“Yes, but I am twice as wily.” He waggled his eyebrows.

“I see the time has done nothing to dent your ego, little brother.” She punched him playfully.

“Of course not, and the rest of the family? They treat you well?” he looked around as though expecting them to materialize at any moment.

“They do.” Lydia smiled. “His sisters are a delight, and his niece is a little ball of sunshine.”

“It makes you wonder how they have such a grumpy git for a brother.”

“He is not grumpy, and he is not a git.”

“I thought that would be better than a cold arse?—”

“He is none of those things, brother. He may seem cold, but that is not who he is. Not really. Besides, it is not like he has had a particularly easy time of things.”

“Who has? That doesn’t excuse bad behaviour.”

“The same could be said of you brother,” Lydia pointed out. “Whatever else you may think of him, the Duke is my husband. And he is a good man.”

“If you say so.” Landon tugged at his collar. “He did try to shoot me though.”

“You tried to shoot him as well—I’d say you’re even.”

At that moment, a servant entered with snacks and coffee. Landon’s eyes widened as he took the cup from her. “Goodness, if I’d known you were living such a high life, I wouldn’t have worried about you marrying the Duke.”

“You’ll want to put some milk in that. Archer insists that it is an abomination to put three sugars in it, but it’s the only thing that makes it taste decent.” She smiled fondly and caught sight of her brother looking at her, hastily tucking away a strand of hair.

“Archer? You seem rather familiar.” Her brother gave her a knowing smile.

“I could hardly keep calling him Your Grace.” She made a dismissive gesture as she helped herself to a scone. “Now, tell me what has been going on with you?”

“Oh, nothing really. A little of this, a little of that.” He made a vague gesture with his hand.

“You’re staying out of trouble I hope?” Lydia asked, watching as her brother ate another scone. “You’re looking rather skinny, brother. Are you eating enough?”

“Lydia, you needn’t fuss over me. I am capable of looking after myself you know.” He shook his head and sighed, the irritation replaced by his easy smile. “If you keep on nagging me, I’ll have to demote you from my favorite sister.”

“I’m your only sister,” Lydia laughed and crossed her arms. “You can hardly demote me, Land.”

He shrugged. “Regardless, I am fine.”

A door slammed shut, and her brother jumped, upsetting his coffee cup and spilling it over himself and the carpet. “Damn. Damn. Damn and Bother. I’m sorry Lydia.”

“It’s fine, Land. Most of it has gone on you, and that will be easy enough to clean.” She waved a hand. “But why are you so jumpy anyway? I haven’t seen you this on edge since you broke father’s favourite desk lamp. Oh God, you haven’t broken something else?”

“Not exactly.” Spots of colour appeared on his cheeks, and he rubbed his neck.

“What have you done?” Lydia tensed.

“Now before I tell you, you have to promise not to get angry.” He gave her the same look he had given her so many times, right before he told her something that would make her incandescent with rage.

“Land, you know full well that if you are making me promise that, I am going to be angry with you.” She shook her head. “Now tell me what is wrong.”

Landon looked like a fish out of water, spluttering and huffing like he should be offended. Lydia stood her ground and stared him down. That was all it took for Landon to slump forward in defeat.

He murmured begrudgingly. “Fine, but really Lydia, it’s almost funny.”

“Somehow I doubt that.” She folded her arms across her chest.

He swallowed. “You remember how I told you that it was not just the Duke I owed money? Well, since you have gotten married, people seem to think that his wealth is my wealth. And of course, I’ve tried to tell them that it’s not the case, but well… you know how people are.”

“No, Land. I don’t.”

“They are demanding I pay them what I owe.” He sagged even further. “Actually, they are demanding I pay them what I owe with interest. And if I don’t, they… Well, suffice to say what they have said they will do to me is not fit to be shared in polite company. Or impolite company for that matter.”

“I should have known this visit was a facade. Of course, you wanted something from me.” Lydia shook her head. It was too much to hope that he would actually wanted to see me.

“Now, that is not true,” Landon said with a desperate look in his eye. “I was trying to keep you out of it, to not come to you with this at all, but you were the one who asked?—”

“Because you are more skittish than a startled deer!” Lydia shook her head. “Honestly, I’m fed-up, Land; I have half a mind not to help you.”

Land opened his mouth to speak, but Lydia waved him into silence.

“How much do you owe? What more do I have to give to make sure you stay in a warm bed and off the streets? I’m married now which means you are on your own.

What worries me most is someone taking you for all your worth or worst, you get yourself in another duel. ”

He pulled out a sheet of paper and looked at it with a sickening expression. “four-hundred-fifty-two pounds, eleven shillings and fifty-two pence.

“Well, I suppose that is less than you owed the Duke, but it is hardly a small sum.”

“That is only what I owe the bank. I owe Lord Davis another three-hundred pounds. Baron Matthews six-hundred pounds and Lady Emiline two-hundred-thirty-two pounds, four shillings, and four pence—though I think she may be willing to cut me a little slack.” He flashed her a winning smile. “She thinks I’m rather charming.”

Lydia bit her tongue, many unladylike words threatening to spill from her mouth. Ripping the hide off Landon with a string of profanities was not going to do either of them any favors.

“Fine,” Lydia whispered. “I can only give you my dowry. The Duke said he had no need for it, so you can take that to pay off what you can, but I do not have that great a sum. That will be enough to pay off your debts and to hopefully keep you from destitution. The allowance I get is for the house, so I am afraid you will have to do without it.”

Landon’s eyes lit up in feverish desperation, and before the words could even come out of his mouth, Lydia struck him down.

“Do not even think about asking the Duke for money.” Lydia shook her finger at him. “Where was your humility when you were in Hyde Park, moments away from getting shot? Honestly, Land, get your priorities straight.”

“I wouldn’t have asked him.” Land swallowed.

“You would have. But that is the last thing we need. He will not be as willing to help as I am.” Lydia shook her head. “But for goodness’ sake Land, we cannot keep doing this. You have squandered thousands, Land! What on earth could have possibly possessed you to rack up such massive debts?”

“I don’t know how it happened. I started owing money to merchants and business associates, so I took out loans to pay off my debts and build new businesses.

Only they never panned out. So, I borrowed more money to pay off those debts and attempted to regain the losses from gambling. ” He wrung his hands.

“What on God’s green earth did they teach you in that school? I have half a mind to sue them for neglect to properly educate.”

“Um, I did not finish school.” Landon’s face was stark red with shame. “I had to come home and take care of you,” he mumbled.

Lydia’s anger died as she looked at her little brother. He was only eighteen, barely old enough to look after himself let alone her. He had been the child in need of care, not her. And she felt it was all her fault; she had failed to teach him properly.

“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall,” Lydia quoted from the bible. “If father were here, that is what he would tell you. He may not have been a religious man, but he found many of their teachings to be virtuous. I wish you could have spent more time together.”

Landon only nodded solemnly.

“If I ask His Grace’s accountant if I can start investing a sum of my money, we cannot pay off all of your debts immediately, but it will be enough to keep you out of prison, I hope. In time, the profits should remove all your debts. But you need to get your act together.”

“Thank you, Lydia.” Landon pulled his sister into a big hug, squeezing her fiercely. “Thank you.”

Lydia said nothing, wondering if this would be the rest of her life.