Page 37 of Wedded to the Duke of Seduction (Dukes of Passion #3)
CHAPTER 37
“ I s anyone here?” Marina called into the darkness, her voice echoing through the abandoned theater.
The silence that greeted her was unnerving. Moonlight filtered through broken windows casting ghostly patterns across the decaying stage. Marina clutched her purse tighter, the weight of five hundred pounds suddenly seeming trivial compared to the growing dread in her stomach.
She took another hesitant step forward, the floorboards creaking beneath her feet. The blackmail note had said midnight at the old theater on Drury Lane, yet the appointed hour had come and gone with no sign of her blackmailer.
A soft laugh broke the silence and stopped Marina in her tracks.
“How dutiful you are, Your Grace.” A woman’s voice, cultured and melodious, drifted from the shadows. “Arriving precisely on time with your little bag of coins.”
A slender figure emerged into a shaft of moonlight. She was beautiful—golden-haired and elegant with a face that might have seemed angelic were it not for the cold calculation in her eyes.
“I’ve brought what you asked for,” Marina said, keeping her voice steady. “Take it and let this be the end of it.”
“The end?” The woman stepped closer, her smile sharp as a blade. “Oh no, my dear. We’re just beginning.”
Marina studied the woman’s face, a terrible suspicion forming. “You’re not simply a blackmailer, are you?”
“Very perceptive.” The woman circled Marina slowly, appraising her like a buyer at a horse auction. “Tell me, does Leo appreciate that intelligence? Or did he marry you merely for your other… attributes?”
The casual use of Leo’s name confirmed Marina’s suspicion. “You’re Felicity.”
The woman paused, surprise flickering across her face before her smile widened. “Clever girl. Has Leo been telling tales about me? So unlike him to discuss the past.”
“He told me enough.” Marina turned to keep Felicity in view, unwilling to show her back to this predator. “What do you want from me?”
“Want?” Felicity laughed again, the sound brittle in the empty theater. “I want what’s mine. Leo took my future when he refused to defy his father for me. He drove me to desperate measures.”
“You stole from him.” Marina kept her voice level despite the anger building inside her. “You seduced his brother and disappeared with his family’s money.”
Felicity’s eyes hardened. “Is that what he told you? How convenient for him to paint himself as the victim.”
“And is that not what happened?”
“Life is rarely so simple, Duchess.” Felicity spat the title like a curse. “Leo was always so dutiful, so concerned with what others thought. His brother, William, understood passion, understood sacrifice for love.”
Marina took a step back, not liking the manic gleam in Felicity’s eyes. “If you loved William so much, why blackmail me? Why not simply stay away?”
“Because money runs out, my dear. And Leo—” Felicity’s smile turned cruel. “Leo is so predictable. Always running in circles, repeating the past. He chased us across Europe for years, never catching us, never giving up. And now, he’s done the same with you.”
Marina froze. “What do you mean?”
“The pattern, of course. Leo finds a woman, becomes infatuated, then pulls away when things become too real.” Felicity studied her manicured nails in the moonlight. “I’m guessing he’s already withdrawn from you. Stopped sharing your bed, perhaps? Begun finding excuses to avoid your company?”
The accuracy of her words struck Marina like a physical blow. Her silence was answer enough.
“You see?” Felicity continued, satisfaction evident in her voice. “He cannot help himself. The moment he cares, he retreats. It happened with me, and now, it’s happening with you.”
“You know nothing about our marriage,” Marina said though doubt crept into her voice.
“Don’t I?” Felicity circled closer. “Let me guess. He married you for some practical reason. I’m guessing to protect you, perhaps? He was attentive at first, even passionate. Then something changed. He grew distant, cold. And when you confronted him, he claimed he couldn’t give you what you wanted.”
Each word hit its mark, leaving Marina breathless. How could this woman know so precisely what had transpired between them?
“It’s little wonder he was drawn to you,” Felicity continued, her gaze sweeping over Marina. “You’re nothing like me physically, but there’s something similar in your spirit. Too independent for your own good. Too clever by half.”
“What do you want?” Marina demanded again, desperate to regain control of the conversation.
Felicity glanced pointedly at the purse Marina clutched. “Five hundred pounds is a pittance. The Duke of Blackmere can afford far more to keep his duchess’ little secret.”
“So this is just about money after all.”
“Do you truly believe that?” Felicity tilted her head, her smile turning predatory. “How naive you are.”
The realization came too late. This wasn’t just blackmail. This was revenge. Felicity wanted to hurt Leo through her, to wound him as she believed he had wounded her.
Marina took a step backward, preparing to flee, but collided with something solid. Strong hands grasped her shoulders, steadying her.
“Careful now,” a man’s voice hissed close to her ear.
Marina spun around and stared into a face that was hauntingly familiar. The same chiseled features as Leo, the same hazel eyes though lacking the intensity she associated with her husband. His hair was lighter, his build somewhat slighter, but the resemblance was unmistakable.
“William,” she breathed, her heart pounding against her ribs.