Page 37 of The Duke’s Sworn Spinster (A Duel and a Wedding #1)

Chapter Five

“ W inston—finally, there you are,” Leo greeted, standing up from the armchair he had been occupying by the fire and striding across the room to where Winston stood in the doorway. “Here, let us get you a scotch. You must need it.”

Only once they were both seated and Winston had a scotch in hand did Leo lean forward and ask, his voice lowered and eager, “Well? How did it go? Are you engaged to the lady?”

Slowly, Winston nodded. “We are to be married,” he confirmed.

Leo let out a long, low whistle. “I can hardly believe it. I thought you would be the last man to ever marry.”

“I did not plan to,” Winston agreed. “For most women, marriage is a prison sentence, and I would not be a jailer for any young lady. But in this instance, I believe my marriage to Lady Vanessa will actually result in a much better life for her.”

Leo watched him curiously. “It is very chivalrous of you to sacrifice yourself for her happiness,” he said at last. “Especially seeing as how you did not even know her before two nights ago.”

“I still do not know her,” Winston pointed out.

“But it matters not. She would have been terrorized in a marriage to Lord Langdon. And I object to the idea that I shall be sacrificing my own happiness. Something tells me that the Lady and I will not see much of each other after we are wed. I imagine that we will both be free to go about our own pursuits without much input or interaction from the other.”

“I see,” Leo said, slowly circling a finger around the rim of his glass. “So that means our… nighttime pursuits… will continue?”

Winston hesitated. As much as he wanted to carry on with his mission to rid the ton of men who abused women, it would be harder to do so when he was married.

“It will be hard to sneak out at all hours of the night when you have a duchess watching over you,” Leo pointed out, as if reading Winston’s mind.

And if I am caught and sent to prison, who will protect her then? Langdon did say he would have her one way or another.

Far from being afraid of Langdon, Winston did not want to make the mistake of underestimating him. It was often the most pathetic, desperate men who were the most dangerous.

“Let us see,” he said at last. “I cannot make any promises at this time as to whether our nighttime activities will be able to continue as they currently have.”

“Well, we cannot give it up entirely,” Leo said, sitting back in his chair. “It is not as if you can marry every young lady who is in need of help, and this may be the only other recourse.”

Winston nodded darkly. He would have to think about all this. It had not occurred to him when he had decided to marry Lady Vanessa that it could come at the price of helping other ladies whose husbands or fathers needed to be taught a lesson.

Winston’s mind went again to the blazing look on her face as she had confronted him in the hallway of her home. She had looked so fierce and so radiant that for a moment that he had almost believed she wasn’t in need of protection.

But over the course of their conversation, he had seen her fear begin to seep through the cracks. This was a woman who had been made to be terrified of everything—her parents, her future husband, and especially her own desires.

It is worth it, a powerful voice in the back of his head said. Even if you have to give everything else up, it will have been worth it to save her. “So, was the girl pleased?” Leo prompted. “Was she thankful for your rescuing her?”

At this, Winston couldn’t help but smile, recalling again the blazing look of defiance in her eyes.

“Not exactly,” he said. “Not at first. But I believe she sees the benefits of the marriage.”

Leo looked amused. “Well. I shall be interested to meet the woman who did not simply grovel and thank you as I am sure you were expecting.”

Winston knew his friend was teasing him, but he still frowned at him. “I am not doing this in order for her to grovel and thank me. I am not so motivated by self-serving interests or to reify my pride.”

Leo sighed. “I know, it is just…” He hesitated then sat forward again. “Why are you doing this, Winston?”

“I told you,” Winston growled. “I am doing this to help save her from a marriage that would have caused her great physical and spiritual harm.”

Leo’s eyes narrowed. “Is she very beautiful, then?”

“What?” Winston stared at him. “What are you talking about?”

“Is she beautiful?” Leo prompted, his lips beginning to twitch up at the corners. “Is that why you were so quick to ask for her hand? Are you just as weak as all other men in front of a beautiful woman?”

Winston glowered at his friend. “As you very well know, I had never even seen Lady Vanessa’s face when I decided to marry her. So no, this has nothing to do with her looks.”

Leo grinned. “So, she is beautiful?”

Winston rolled his eyes and looked away. When he glanced back at his friend, Leo had grown more serious.

“There is more to this, though, is there not?” His voice was softer and gentler, and there was a seriousness to his voice that Winston did not like. “This is about Clementine.”

Winston stared at his friend. He felt as if someone had just punched him in the throat. He was unable to speak, unable even to breathe. This was the last thing he had expected Leo to bring up.

Usually, they had an unspoken yet firm understanding that they were not to mention Clementine. It was enough that she hovered over everything that they did, like a ghost that would not rest.

Winston set his jaw and felt a vein in his temple throb. Anger was the best way to deal with this situation. Anger was the best way to tamp down every other emotion.

“It is not,” he snapped, taking a large sip of his scotch. “And I would ask you not to mention her to me again.”

Leo grimaced then sighed. “My apologies,” he said, leaning away again. “I spoke out of turn.”

But before Winston could respond, the door to White’s opened, and he turned, instinctually, to see the newcomer.

He wasn’t sure if he was surprised or not to see Lord Samuel Langdon standing in the doorway, staring right at him.

The two men gazed at each other for a long moment.

Winston kept his face controlled and neutral.

He wasn’t afraid of this man, but he was interested in what his next move would be.

Langdon, for his part, looked as if he had gotten the worst of his anger under control.

In fact, as he stepped into the room, a cold smile slid across his lips, and he strode over to Winston, holding out his hand.

“Your Grace,” Langdon said, his voice smooth and free of any sign of displeasure, “I am glad to find you here.”

“What do you want, Langdon?” Winston grunted.

“To congratulate you,” Langdon said, a small sneer beginning to curl his lips, “on your forthcoming nuptials.”

Winston said nothing. He would wait to let the man reveal why he was really here.

“I admit, I was a bit peeved earlier when you first announced your engagement,” Langdon continued. “But now that I have had a few hours to think upon it, I believe this is for the best. A girl like that, who is so willful and disobedient, I am lucky to have you take her off of my hands.”

“This is the terrorizer himself?” Leo asked Winston, not bothering to lower his voice. Winston nodded, too enraged to speak, and Langdon flushed at the insult—especially because it had been said in public when there were so many people within earshot.

“Lady Vanessa will be better off with you,” Langdon went on doggedly, despite the put-down.

“Ever since we were children, she has shown a remarkable lack of obedience to her betters. I thought I could be the one to teach her how to behave, but a man like you, known for always getting his way, will be better at breaking her.”

“Careful, Langdon,” Winston growled. The man was pushing Winston’s patience to the limit, and he was about to snap.

Langdon spread his arms wide, as if in surrender. “My apologies, Your Grace. I just thought it was important that you know the kind of woman you are marrying. She will not be easy to tame, but I am sure that you will learn how to put her in her place. If I do not first.”

Winston’s body reacted before his mind had even caught up with it. All of a sudden, he was on his feet. He towered over Langdon, whose eyes went wide as he stared up in fear at Winston.

“Say that again,” Winston murmured.

But Langdon rose to the bait. Furiously, he drew himself up and said, “I will teach her her place.”

Winston didn’t hesitate. He seized Langdon by the throat and squeezed.

“You would do well to heed me, Langdon,” he said, calm and measured even as he choked the man. All around him the club had gone silent as heads turned in their direction. He was aware, too, that Leo had leapt to his feet as well and that his friend was saying his name, but he ignored him.

“Take it back,” he murmured, “or I swear to God, I will not hesitate to end you.”

“I—I—” Langdon was choking. His eyes bugged out of his face, which was very red. He was spluttering, maybe too choked to speak, and Winston eased his grip just enough to let him talk.

“She is mine,” Winston said, slow and deliberate. He raised his voice so that the rest of the room could hear him, so that the rest of these gentlemen would know what was at stake if they defied him. “And I will not share her. You will let her go and never come near her again. Do you understand?”

“Winston, let him go!” he heard Leo say behind him, quiet but firm, but he would not let him go until he got the answer he wanted.

“ Do you understand? ” Winston snarled.

“I u-understand!” Langdon sputtered, and Winston released him, thrusting him away as he did so that Langdon tripped and fell backward, hitting an armchair against which he steadied himself. His hand went to his throat, massaging it tentatively as he looked up at Winston, tears in his eyes.

Winston came to stand over him, and Langdon shrank back against the armchair, sliding down it until he was all the way on the ground.

“Do not forget this,” Winston said, as he stared down into the man’s eyes, which were full of hate and humiliation. And then, with a swish of his cloak, he turned and left White’s, Leo hurrying after him.