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LUKE BEAUCHAMP, DUKE of Ashcott, absolutely knew he was not welcome. It was something a duke always knew, partly becauseitwassorare.
Theinvitationwasclammyinhishands Orwasithishandsthatweresweaty?Werehisnervessovisible,hisfear No, not fear. Anticipation. Fearful anticipation.
Luke cleared his throat as he entered. He needed to pull himself together before he actually saw anyone, he thought firmly,straighteninguptohis full heightwhichwas notinconsiderable.He pulledatthe corners ofhis jacketandwishedto goodnessthehotweatherhadcomeanyotherday.
Notatawedding
Itwasascandalouswedding,ofcourse.Lukehadreadall aboutitinthegossipsheets,curiositypiqued.Scandal or not, however,itwasaprestigiousaffair,andsurely,shewouldbeinvitedtosuchanevent Shewouldbethere hewouldseeher
“Ihaven’tseenyouinpolite companyinmonths,” Martocksaid happily “Or inimpolite companyeither, ifitcomes to that!”
Heguffawed
Lukeglared.Thehandonhisshoulder,asexpected,wasnowadornedwithagoldband. Was every duke in this place getting married off? Was he the only one miserable and alone? Luketriedtotakeadeepbreath.Hewas whathadoldPenshawcalledit? Seeing shadows.Hewasseeingshadows.Just because,ashisdarkgazeflickeredaroundtheroom,acertainsomeonewasn’there “AndIthoughtyouweremarriedbynow!”continuedMartock,clearlycompletelyoblivioustothegloweronLuke’sbrow “Comenow,amanlikeyou,charming,rich ”
“Oh,gottogo,”saidMartock,rapidlyreleasinghim “Lookslikethewifewantstoleaveand Imean,dutycalls” WithawinkLuketriedtoignore,Martockrushedofftowardapretty-lookingwomanwithamischievouslookinhereye. Dear God, did they have to be so blatant!Why, everyone in the place could clearly guess what they were about to “Nora,”coughedsomeonebehindhim.
“Ibegyourpardon?”
Luke turned. He wasn’taware ofhavingoffended anyone atleast, notsufficientlyto require anyone to beghis pardon.
If he was going to be anything different than his father Thenhesawthelookofgenuinerespectanddeferenceinthebridegroom’seyes,andhisheartsank. Oh, yes HehadforgottenoldThornfalconehadn’tbeenborntoinheritthetitle Therehadbeenthatbrotherofhis,wasn’t there alout,byallaccounts.Lukehadneverencounteredhim.
But he had died, and now the younger brother had the title That would explainthe awe, the lookof wonder at Luke’s presence.Themanrespectedhimmerelybecausehehadbeenbornaduke.
Well,Lukethoughtbitterly, that didn’t mean anything He’dbeenthebiggestrogueinthe ton He’dlosteverything
Still, he had to putonthe show. Everyone expected Luke Beauchamp, Duke ofAshcottto be a certainway, didn’tthey? Speakacertainway,standinthatimperious manner,treatpeopleliketheywerenothing.Itwas aneasyenoughhabittoslip backinto,evenifLukehatedit Hehadtoperform Hecouldn’tletanyoneseethepain Heshruggedaslazilyashecouldmanage.“Iwasinthearea,andthoughtImightsee butthen,youdonotknowher.Ifyou hadknownher,youwouldhaveinvitedher” Oh, damn.
Lukecursedhimself,butitwas toolate Hehadmadehimselfatalkingpoint Again Hadtherenotbeenenoughscandal whentheengagementhadbeenbroken?
The Duke ofThornfalcone, onthe other hand, clearlyknew whathe was talkingabout Luke watched as embarrassment tingedhischeeks.“Iamafraid well,intruth,YourGrace,Ididinviteher.”
Christ on a stick, that blackguard was here? Heshouldhavebroughtapistol no,Lukehadpromisedhimselflastyearhe wouldnotholdthebrotheraccountableforhisownmistakes
HisstomachtwistedpainfullyashebeheldHenryEverleigh,DukeofDulverton It was most unfair,Lukethoughtdarkly, that the brother should have the same hair as the sister. And the same nose. Differenteyes,though NoonehadeyeslikePeggy Why,whenviewedunderneaththestars “Ididnotthinkyouwouldbeboldenoughtocomehere,”saidHenryinclipped,plainlyfurioustones. Lukechewedtheinsideofhischeektopreventhimselffromrespondingimmediately. Whatthedevil wasthemantalkingabout?Itwasafreecountry,andthiswasaweddingreception Hehadbeeninvited Theoutrage,suggestinghewasnotwelcomehere!
Trying his best, however, to keep control of his growing temper, Luke bowed low Far lower than he ever bowed to anyone.AnythingtoshowHenryhehadchanged,thathecouldrespectagentlemanaslongasheearnedit. “Dulverton,”hesaidquietly.
Luke flushed The lastthinghe needed for this conversationwas anaudience, butthe Thornfalcones were clearlyagog, unabletoturnawayfromthespectacle.
Dear God, that this was their next meeting! Hehadn’tseenHenrysincethatfateful night,whenthemanhadcomehome earlyanddiscoveredhissisterandLuke
Mary,theDuchessofDulverton,placedahandonhisarm “Henry,Ithink ” “IthinkIshouldbegoing,”saidLukestiffly.Thishadbeenafoolishidea Godknewwhathadgotintohim. He needed to leave, now “Goodday,YourGraces.”
And thenhe was out inthe street inthe bakinghot sun, still holdingthe crumpled invitationand wishinghe had never botheredtogo Lukebreathedoutalongsigh Wouldthathecouldremovethetensionfromhisshouldersasswiftlyashecould thetensioninhislungs.
“W-When we ’ re apart I feel like I’m falling apart, literally disintegrating, like you were the only thing keeping me whole.”
Lukerolledhiseyesasheturnedacornerathighspeed Hewouldhavesoundedlikeacompletedolt,andheknewit No, better to avoid all that nonsense. Better to avoid baringhis soul, breakinghis mind, and completelyberatingthose aroundhimforevenconsideringbeinghappy.
The sunbeatdownrelentlessly, and Luke hardlyknew where the warmthfromhis ownembarrassmentand shame ended andwheretheheatfromthesunbegan.
He was not going to think about her, hethoughtandshookhimselfmentally Thatwasonlygoingtoleadtoheartache,and he’dhadplentyofthatalready.HewasnotgoingtothinkaboutPeggy...
It was the same old thing anyway, he could almost recite it. If he were a particularly suspicious man, he would have wonderedwhetherhisfriendswereganginguponhim,allreadingfromthesamescript Theywere worried abouthim. Theyhadn’tseenhimoutand about. Theyhadn’theard anyoutrageous stories abouthim, andtheyallknewhewasarake,ascoundrel,aseducer,sowhyhadn’thebeenrakingandscoundrelingandseducing?
And Luke would always smile and laugh, tryto hintatdastardlydeeds theyhadn’theard about. All the while he would thinkabouthistimeinFrance,andtheloveofawomanhehadlostwhichhadsenthimthere...
Atleast,ofcoursetheyknew about her.LadyMargaretEverleighwasoneofthemosteligibleladiesinthe ton.Everyone soughtherhandatdances,everyonewishedtositbesideheratdinner,everyonewishedtoplayheratcards
Hispulsethrobbedathistemple. Of course they did. How could they not?
“Her?”heaskedvaguely
“Whoever it is that youare seducing,” Winchamsaid quite happily. “Idon’t bother attemptingto keep up withall your scandals,therearesimplytoomany.Youneedtosettledown,man,getyourselfawife!”
Get himself a wife, indeed Asthoughitwerethatsimple!Asthoughonesinglebrokenengagementhadnotruinedhimfor allotherwomen.AsthoughhedidnotcompareeveryyoungMisshewasintroducedtoagainsttheperfectionofPeg. Asthoughamancouldkisssuchabeautyandthenforgether
“Yes, she shouted at me most furiously when we first met,” Wincham continued blithely, as though that were entirely normal.“Andthesecondtimeshewaswearingbreeches,andIshoutedather ” Lukeblinked.Hemusthavemisheard.SurelyWinchamhadnotsaid “Infact,Idon’tthinkI’vecursedsomuchinfrontofawoman,youknow,”saidhisfriendwithawrysmile.“Whatawife, eh?”
Dear God, when had he got so sentimental? Lukesighed.Heknewpreciselywhen.
He had played withPeggy’s heartthinkinghis ownimmune, and whenher brother had returned and thrownhimout well,itwasonlywhenhehadlostherthatLukerealizedjustwhatajewelPeggywas.
Lukesighed,pullingahandthroughhishairashewatchedthemango Christ, they had been dependent on each other for a time in France. IthadbeenWinchamwhohadhelpedhimoutthattimehewaswithoutahorse,andhehadhelpedbringthe brutehomewhenWinchamhadinjuredhisleg Andnowhecouldtreathimthus?
Increasinghis pace and wonderingwhyhe had nothailed a hansomcab to relieve himfromthis burdensome heat, Luke triedtothinkofnothingthathadhappenedsofarthatday.
“Peggy,”Lukebreathed Peggyswallowed and tooka step back. Unfortunately, thanks to her rather unexpected collisionwiththe handsome duke whichhadquiteliterallyknockedherbreathoutofher,shewasdisorientated.Shedidnotstepbackalongthepavement.She steppedintothewall.
“Ashcott,”Peggysaid,hermouthdry.
Oh,how she hadhopedthatifshe were ever facedwithsucha dilemma her words wouldnotfail her She’dhopedshe wouldbeimperious,aloof,andmostofall,quickwitted.
“MargaretEverleigh,youtellmerightthismoment,”Henryhadsaid,pointingawarningfingerather And Peggyhad leaptto her feet, unable to stop herself. She was a grownwoman, and she was inlove. Amere brother wasn’tgoingtostopher!“YouhavenorighttotellmewhatIshouldandshouldn’tdo You’vegaddedaboutwithyourmistress nodoubtforweeksand ”
Inthatmoment,Peggyhadbeensure she couldtalkher brother around After all,he was hardlya paragonofvirtue,and Luke hadthatveryeveningofferedher somethingshe hadnever believedpossible: his hand.Alife withhim,notjuststolen kisseswhennooneelsewaswatching,buthiswholeheart
ItwasallPeggycoulddonottolookatthecurtain.WasthistherighttimeforLukeandHenrytomeet?Couldtherebeany other?Why,injustafew moments,Henrycouldbecelebratingwiththem.Itwasanexcitingnew expansionoftheEverleigh family
Peggy had smiled, fingers itching to slip between his own Well, it wasn’t what she had planned, but there it was Sometimesyoucouldn’tplanforcompletehappiness.Sometimeshappinessfoundyou. “Sorry!”
“Iwasn’tactuallyapologizingtoyou,” Luke hadsaidstiffly.Peggyalways lovedthatabouthim how formal he was to othersandhowdeliciouslyinformalhewastoher.“ToPeg ”
“Don’tyoudaretalktomysisterinthat thattone!”Henryhadspat,steppingforward Peggy had swallowed. This was not how things were supposed to go. Henry was supposed to be surprised, yes, and perhapsevenalittleindignanthehadnotbeenconsultedwhenitcametofindinghissister’sbetrothed Buttherewasreal,genuineangerinherbrother’seyes.
She had to do something preciselywhat, Peggywas not sure Oh, ifonlyshe’d had some warningHenrywas coming home,shecouldhavepreparedLuke,preparedherself!Asitwas “Yousir,arecontemptible,”Henryhadgrowled.“Andafterdishonoringmysister ” “Henry!”Peggyhadgrabbedhisarm,tryingtopullhimback Thiswasallgoingwrong whatdidherbrotherthinkhewasdoing? Besides,shewashardlydishonored Societywouldbeastonishedtoknowshehadbeenkissed,andquitethoroughly,too butjustbythemanshewastomarry.Theyhaddonenothingmore.
And only because Luke had been too much of a gentleman, PeggyhadthoughtwrylyasshetriedtopullHenryawayfrom her beloved.She hadbeenquite willingtoallow Luke more,andshe hadbeenrather surprisedtofindhe was far more old fashionedthanshe’drealized.
Andinjustafewweeks,theywouldmeetatthealtarandbetogetherfortherestoftheirlives “Youchallengeme,sir?”Lukehadsaidthen,expressionblackening. Peggy’sgazehadsnappedfromherbrothertothemansheloved What did Luke think he was saying? Challenge? Aduel?
Peggyhad looked instinctivelyat Luke. He would understand her, evenwithout her speakingthe words theywere so attuned He would know she wanted himto fightfor her needed himto, expected himto He would notsimplydisappear Theyhadmadepromisestoeachother.Thisveryevening,hehadaskedhertobehiswifeandshehadsaidyes. True,theyhadnottoldanyoneofthesepromises ButwouldnotHenrybethemostsuitablepersontohearthenews?
Onlyonethoughtresoundedinhermind He was leaving “No Ashcott,no!”Peggysteppedafterhim,butLukehadalreadybeenclosetothedoorandashewalkedthroughit,he hadslammeditbehindhim.
Peggy’sarmhadfallenfromHenry’s,fallinglistlesslytoherside “He’s he’sgone” And thathad beenthe lasttime she had seenhim until now. Until this moment, ona streetinBath, whenshe had least expectedit.
Hopefully,shethought, Luke could not see how rapidly her heart was thundering as she stepped around him and kept walking Yes,thatwasallshehadtodo keepwalking.Themanwouldsoongetthehintand “Peggy!”
Peggy’s pulse fluttered atthe sound. She was notgoingto permitherselfto evenconsider talkingto him. Whatwould it achieve?Apologiesformakingherlovehim?Apologiesfornotevenattemptingtowinherbrotherover?No,shehadputall thatbehindherand Ahandonherarm.Itburned.
Because of the heat of the day, Peggythought,wrenchingherarmfromaman’stouchwhichshehadgladlywelcomedlast year.
“No,”saidLuke,thathandsomesmilesheknewsowellslippingacrosshislips.“You’rePeg ” “You have me confused with someone who wishes to speak with you,” said Peggy crisply, almost relishing the instant impactherwordshad.
“Don’tcallmethat!”Peggysaid,roundingonhimandtryingtocatchherbreath. She had barelylooked where she was goingbutthathardlymattered She was staringup into the darkeyes ofthe most handsomemaninEngland.Atleast,that’swhatshehadthoughtwhenshehadfirstlaideyesonhim. Oh, to go back and warn herself not to get involved with this treacherous duke!
“I-Iamsorry.LadyMargaret,”Lukesaidquietly. Peggyblinked. Now that, she had not expected. Where was the bold and brashduke who had so winninglysecured her affections?Wherewasthearrogantdukewhohadsoproudlyannounced,onlythethirdtimetheyhadmet,hewasgoingto Well.Her cheeks pinkedatthemerememoryofwhathehadsuggestedhewas goingtodo.Ladies didnotspeakofsuch things Ladieswerenot,asfarasPeggywasaware,supposedtoeventhinksuchthings IthadbeendifficultnottothinkofsuchthingsonceLukehadmentionedthem.Itwasdifficultnottothinkofthemnow. Peggyliftedherchinindefiance. She was not going to allow this duke to get the best of her! “Idon’twanttotalktoyou,”shesaidbluntly. Therewasalookofshock,ofrealhurtintheduke’seyes.ItwassosurprisingPeggyalmosttookastepback.
Whywas he shocked? Had Luke not made his feelings abundantlyclear whenhe had left, ignoringher completelyand slammingthedoorbehindhim?Hadnotthesilencewhichhadgrownbetweenthemoverthemonthsbeensufficientenougha sign?
“Y-Youdon’t?”Lukestammered.
Peggycouldnothelpbutstare Wherewasthedetermined,arrogantmansheknew?Themanwhohadbeensocertainabout everything, who would simply inform someone if their opinion was incorrect? Where was the Luke Beauchamp, Duke of Ashcott,sheknew?
Yetagainshe was unable to step away Notbecause ofanylingeringfeelings They, Peggythoughtseverely, were over Gone. Dead. Butbecauseonceagain,themanhadtheaudacitytograbherarm.Andinpublic!
Notthatithad She was almost completely past it, Peggythoughtas she tried to take a deep breath She hardlythought abouthimatall.Shehadalmostreturnedtonormallife.Almost.
Shehadnotmeanttocallhimbyhisfirstname,andshesawaflickerofsomethingcrosstheduke’sfaceasshedidso. Theyhad beenso open, once So unafraid to share their thoughts, so eager to embrace eachother’s feelings Theyhad sharedabondalmostascloseasthatofmanandwife,andifHenryhadnotturnedupsounexpectedly,whoknew?Maybeit wouldhavebeenso
Peggytookadeep,steadyingbreath.
But they had not And worst of all, she was gettingthe exact same response to her questionnow as she had all those monthsago Inshort:nothing
Butas she looked up into Luke’s face, she saw nothing, no passion, no apology, no desire to make things right. And she wasn’tgoingtowaitanymore.She’ddoneherwaiting.
As she turned onher heel and keptwalkinginthe directionofhome, a partofher a verysmall partofher hoped he wouldfollow ThatLukewoulddisregardherwishes,ashehadsooftendoneinsuchacharmingwaybefore,andfollowher Butnofootstepsechoedbehindher.Nohandsomegentlemancameupbesideher,matchingherpace.Novoicecalledher name,nohandappearedonherarm
This was a mistake. Hehadknownitwouldbebeforehe’devenlefthisownhouse.Butthatdidnotseemtomatter.The momenthehaddecidedonthisplanofaction,hehaddonewhathehadalwaysdone:barreledtowarditwithnoconsideration ofconsequences.
Doingeverythinghecouldtogatherhiswits,Lukestaredatthetallman Hehimselfwashardlyshort,butthisindividual wasatleastthreeinchestaller.HewasdressedintheDulvertonliveryandhadthepresenceofamanwhowasincharge. The butler, then?
Ifso,hewasadifferentmantothatwhichLukeremembered. But then,hethought, that had been over a year ago.Maybe theoldonehadretired
Or maybe,mutteredanexasperatedlittlevoiceinhishead, the Dulvertons have different staff in each of their homes. You wooed almost seduced Peggy in London. This is Bath. Try to keep up!
Luke’s mouthactuallyfell openat this retort as the butler continued to glower downat him. How dare a mere servant address him in this way?
If only it weren’t so hot, he thoughtas he wipedsweatfromhis brow witha handkerchiefbefore stuffingitina pocket. Thenhe’dbethinkingclearly,andnotkeepstrainingtolookpastthebutlerintothehall JustincasePeggywasthere “Howdareyou,man!”Lukemanaged.“Speakingtomeinthatuncouthmanner,whatwouldyourmastersay?” “Ithinkmymasterwouldgivemeasovereign,”cametheoutrageousreply.
“All the Dulvertonservants have beengivenstrictinstructions notto permityouinto the house,” said the butler blithely, lookingLukeupanddownasthoughhehadcommittedagreatcrime “Ihaveyourfeaturesmemorized,YourGrace,andIwill notpermityouinside.”
All theDulvertonservants?Taughtwhathelookedlike,perhapsgivenasketchtomemorize,alltopreventhimfromgoing throughthedoor?ThethoughtrushedaroundLuke’shead,butitmadelesssensethelongerhethoughtaboutit Washetrulyso repugnantthattheentirehousewasbarredtohim?
No,thiswasridiculous Hewasaduke!SurelyDulvertonwouldunderstand He may not like me, Lukethoughtfeverishly, but he was a gentleman.Hewouldnotbesouncouthastocompletelydenyhimentry. Wouldhe?
Blast.HehadnotexpectedDulvertontobehome whichwasridiculous,nowhecametothinkaboutit.Thedaywasso hot,manyofthe ton haddecidedtostayintheirhomesuntiltheaircleared.LadyRomerilwaseventhreatening...promising to hold a gardenpartythatdid notstartuntil nine o’clockinthe evening!The idea thatDulvertonwould notbe inhis own house,whenitwassointolerabletogoelsewhere,hadbeenfoolish.
Hisfingerstightenedaroundthebouquetofroses “Listen,Dulverton,I ” “I have no interest in what you wish to say,” said Dulverton airily, though his cheeks were reddening. “Do you think anythingaloutlikeyoucouldsaywouldbemeaningfultoamanofhonorlikemyself?” Luke’s jaw tightened. He was nota lout well, no more thananyother rake inSociety. He hadn’tleftanywomanwith child,andhehadpaidoffallhismistresseswithgoodcointhemomenthehadtiredofthem.Notallgentlemencouldsaythe same
Damn it all to hell, but he knew his tongue would get him into trouble again. Wheneverhegrew nervous,wheneverhe knewanimportantmomentwasapproaching,whatdidhedo?
Dulvertonglared.“How howdareyou ” “Idare,”snappedLuke. Well, in for a penny, in for a pound “Idarebecausetheonlythingthatmatterstomeintheworld rightnowisyoursister.”
Luke turned toward the sound ofthe voice, and his spirits rose as the sunsomehow poured downwarmer onto his skin, becausetherestood Peggy.
She had notbeenathome then. The butler had notbeenlying. Wearinga beautiful lightblue gowndesigned for visiting, LadyMargaretEverleighstoodonthepavement,handsonhips,glaringatthetwomen Lukeswallowed,buthisthroatwasdryanditwasimpossibleforhimtomakeasound. How didtherestoftheworldcontinueasnormal whilePeggywasinit?How couldall thesepeoplepassher byonthe pavementwithoutbeingcaughtbytheradianceofherbeauty?Howdideverygentlemanwhosawhernotgetdownonbended knee?
You didn’t, thetreacherousvoiceatthebackofhismindmuttered.
That was because I was an idiot, Lukeattemptedtoreply,hisgazeunwaveringfromPeggy’sglare. I was a complete idiot, and it’s only now I realize just what I’ve lost Everything.
This couldn’t be it this couldn’t be over He had thought, time and time again, of how carefully he would reveal his affections to her. Inprivacy, incalm, ina drawingroomsomewhere, he would unfold his affections and she would finally understandhowdeeplyhecared
“Idon’tacceptroses oranyotherflower fromrakes,”shesaidsoftly Herfierceglaredidnotwaver Lukeswallowed. Ah. Fine, so he had a little further to go with his apology but he was here now, wasn’t he? “Youhavetounderstand ”hebegan “No, you havetounderstand,”Peggysaid.“No,it’sallright,Henry.” LukeglancedoverhisshouldertoseeDulvertonapproachinghimwith wasthataraisedpokerinhishand? Thedukeloweredhisarmwithaglower “Getonwithit,Peg” “I’mnearlydone,”shesaidlightly.
FearrushedthroughLuke “No,ourconversationhasonlyjustbegun ” “I think you’ll find it’s almost finished,” Peggy said blithely. “For I am finished with you. Understand me, Ashcott. There therewassomething,once ” Luke’s spirits rose.She couldnotdenyit,then,evenwithher brother lookingon.Oh,the Peggyhe knew andlovedwas stillintheresomewhere!Whycouldshenotjustacceptthatwhathadbeenbetweenthemwasafirewhichblazedtoohottobe extinguished?
Done with him? She couldn’t be done with him!“I-Iwon’tallowyouto ” Alltoolate again Lukerealizedhehadtransgressedaline Furyflashed inPeggy’s eyes, and as she tooka menacingstep toward him, Luke could do nothingbuttake a hastystep backward.
“Youwon’tallow me?Oh,LukeBeauchamp,youcredityourselfwithfartoomuchpower andprestige Youarenothing! Nothingto me now,” Peggysaid, still advancingas Luke almost stumbled inhis retreat. “And Ithinkit is pathetic that you believeyoucancomehere Thatyoubelieveasinglebouquetofrosescanmakeupforwhatyoudid!”
“I’ll send youmore bouquets,” Luke said quickly, hope springingas his backfootmetthe threshold. “Hundreds ofthem, thousands ”
“ absolutely disgraceful,” came her sister-in-law’s voice, hushed but not hushed enough, from the other side of the drawingroom “Whyonearthdidyoulethiminthehouse?”
“Ididn’tlethimin!”ThatwasPeggy’sbrother.Hisvoicesoundedsharp,upset.“TheverylastthingIwantedwasfor this tohappen!”
Itwasactuallyoneofthethingsshehadlikedthemostabouthernewsister-in-law ShehadjoinedmostofSocietyinbeing suspicious of Minny Banfield, the woman turning up at her home on the armof Henry Everleigh, one of the most eligible bachelorsofthe ton Atfirst,PeggyhadwonderedjustwhatkindofpowerthisMinnywomanhadoverherbrother
You are not going to think about him, Peggyscolded herselfunder Minny’s chatter. Youare not goingto give a single thoughttothemanwhohadnorealinterestinyouuntilhecouldnothaveyou.
IfthatdidnotproveLukeBeauchamp,DukeofAshcotttobearake,shedidn’tknowwhatdid! “ exertingherselfbyfacingthatbrute,”Minnywassayingseverely.“Howcouldyou,Henry?” “Itwasn’tmyfault!”Peggy’sbrotherprotested “Themanpushedpastme ” “You should have shut the door in his face the moment he appeared,” Minny declared as she dropped heavily into an armchair.“It’soutrageous!”
What was more outrageous, Peggythoughtwithgrowingconcern, was just how flushed her sister-in-law was looking.It wasahotday,andanywomancouldbeforgivenforbeingalittlepink,butMinnyEverleighlookedasthoughshewereabout toburst!Orattheveryleast,asthoughshewerestandinginherboilingforge Peggyhadvisitedherthereonceinthegrounds ofDulvertonManor,andithadbeensweltering,eveninthedepthsofwinter. Butthedrawingroomwasnorthfacing Unfashionableinthewinter,butalifesaverinthesummer SowhydidMinnylook so...soflustered?
Tofindsomeone toshare affectionwithlike that itwas somethingshe haddreamtofalmostall her life.Once,she had thoughtshe’d found it Ashcott had known how to whisper sweet nothings, Peggythoughtbitterly He had far exceeded her expectationsonthatscore.Butithadbeentrulynothing.Notruepromise,nocommitment,nomatrimony.
Well, perhaps love wasn’t goingto be her lot inlife. There were plentyofspinsters unmarried ladies, she corrected herself.Manyofthemlivedperfectlyhappylives,fromwhatshecouldsee.Andshewasalady.Aduke’ssister. One day,she thoughtwithatwingeofpain, a duke’s aunt Maiden aunt Oh, Lord “ carefulwithyourself,atalltimesbutespeciallynow,”herbrotherwassaying.
Peggy tried to smile and comfort the sobbing woman at the same time, though in truth, she was unsure whether Minny neededcomforting.She’dbeenlikethis thefirsttime,too.Anything simplyanything couldsetthewomanoff.Henrysaid therecordforthemostridiculousthingMinnyhadcriedatwasseeingakittenfalloverwithtiredness Peggymaintaineditwas lookingataballofwool.
“Congratulations!”shesaidaloudtothehappycouple.
Henry beamed and Minny sobbed harder than ever, a smile breaking through her tears, and Peggy did all she could to ensureasmilewasplasteredonherface.
So, Minny was once again with child Her brother hadn’t waited long, she couldn’t help but think, before shuddering ThankfullyHenrywassopreoccupiedwithhiswife,hehadn’tnoticed.
Another Everleigh Another child somethingto absorb all Henryand Minny’s attention, whenitwasn’tbeingspenton littleHenry.
And their lives moved on, Peggycouldnothelpbutthinkwithasinkingheart.Theymovedforward,theirliveschangedand expanded Andhers hersstayedthesame Sadnessmingledwithherhappinessforherbrotherandsister-in-law Infact,her lifewaspreciselythesameasitwasfiveyearsago,nowshecametothinkaboutit.Itwasnotaveryhappythought.
“S-Sorry,” sniffed Minny. She appeared to have drenched her handkerchief and was now dabbing her eyes with her husband’s “It’sjust theemotions,Icannotexpress ”
Still Ifhecouldatleastpretendtobedevastatedthatshewouldbeleavingtheirtownhouseforafew weeks,thatwould notgoamiss.
“We’ll sorely feel your absence,” Minny was saying. “Are you certain you wish to go? I never thought you liked the Sedleysthatmuch”
It was unflattering of her sister-in-law to point that out, Peggythoughtdryly, but then she had been raised in an entirely different world Forgesandblacksmiths,asfarasshecouldmakeout,rarelyneededtact “Ibarelyknowthem,”Peggysaidaloud.“Andwhatanexcellentchancetorectifythaterror.I’llleavetomorrow.” “Tomorrow?”
Andthe carriage was roastinghot.Nobreeze enteredthe carriage windows,evenafter she triedtopull themdown,and Peggywaspresentedwithmileaftermileoffieldswithnothinginthewaytoentertain
BythetimethecarriagewasrattlingalongashadowyavenuethatapproachedtheSedleys’home,givingherafewmoments ofcool,Peggywasdeterminedtogetoutofthecarriage,drinkthelargestglassoflemonadeshehadeverseen,andspendthe nexttwo weeks doingnothingbutenjoyingthe countryair. And, ofcourse, speakingnonsense to the other guests, whomever theywere.NotthinkingofLukeBeauchamp,DukeofAshcott,atall.
Which was why it was so astonishingly provoking, upon descending from her carriage, to see a very familiar figure standingintheshadowofthehousewithher.
“You!”Peggyblurtedout
LukeBeauchamp,DukeofAshcott,turned.Hewasgrinning.
“Hello!”hesaidcheerfully
Peggystared,hardlyabletobelievehereyes.
This was no, she must be dreaming It must have grownso warminher carriage that she had drifted off. This was a dream anightmare Lukecouldn’tbehere!HewasinBath Shehadcomeheretogetawayfromtherake! Butasthecrunchofgravelconfirmedwhathereyesweretellingher,thattheblackguardwassteppingtowardher,Peggy coulddonothingbutstareatthehandsome attheirritatingman
“Theywerehappytimes,Peg,andIknew,ifwecouldbealone ” Peggyclosedhereyes,justforamoment,inanattempttogainherequilibrium ShehadcometotheSedleys’toescape to removeherselffromLuke’spresenceinBath.Andnowhewashere.Herluggagewasalreadyinside,shecouldn’tretreatnow. Hereyessnappedopen Lukewasstilllookingather,anervousgrinonhisface
Retreat? She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. Withanyluck,therewereafewothersalsoinvitedwhosecompanyshe wouldrelishandshecouldavoidhavingcausetoevenspeaktohimfortheentiretyofherstay.
“And youwere the one who dragged me around the side of the house, to be alone,” he remarked, his second eyebrow rising.“Why,onewouldalmostthinkyouwanted ” “Oh,bequiet,”snappedPeggy.
Discomfortwascirclinginsideher,comingtonestleinhertwistingstomach.Themansimplydidnotseemtounderstand andthatwasbecause,perhaps,shehadalwaysagreedwithhimwhentheyhadbeen before Whentheyweresomethingto eachotherthattheycouldneverbeagain.
“I’mhereforyou,ofcourse,”Lukeinterruptedwithaswallow.“I’mfollowingyou.I’dfollowyouanywhere.” The blatantlie, cruel and heartless, tipped Peggyover the edge she was barelybalancingon. Until thatmomentshe had beencertainshewouldberestrained,polite,andaloof.Thatwasallhedeserved,afterall. Butafterthat?
Peggyturnedonherheel,hardlyknowingwhereshewasgoingbutknowingshehadtowalkaway Luke Hewasso so intoxicating. Evenwhenstandingthere, beratinghim, there was somethinginher thatwanted to tip forward and fall into his arms Becaughtbyhim,heldbyhim,kissedbyhim
“Ihavenothingmoretosaytoyou,”Peggysaidasgrandlyasshecouldmanage,holdingherheadhigh.“Stayawayfrom me ApproachmeafterthishousepartyandIshallgiveyoutheCut” Luke’slopsidedgrinwasnervous.“Notwithasword,Ihope?” Peggyglowered “Don’ttemptme”
Chapter Five
19 August, 1811
L
UKE ALMOST TRIPPED down the last step but then, he had done so every other time he walked down the Sedleys’large, sweepingstaircase, as well. Itwas twice as deep as the others, and caughthimwitheverydescent. He supposed he should attempttolearntolunge
Thatwas the pleasantthingaboutbeingone ofthe earliestto rise ina large house party. Oh, the other guests were fine enough.Someofthemwereevencharming.Perhapsifhisaffectionsalreadyhadn’tbeenstolenbyaratherdashinglybeautiful, raven-hairedwomanwhohadn’tstoppedglaringsincehehadarrived,hewouldpursueoneofthem.
Asitwas,however
“Do not think this fortnight will be a chance for you to redeem yourself in my eyes. In my opinion, you are irredeemable Replaceable But not redeemable ”
Luke swepta hand throughhis hair as he opened the door. Yes, reading, that’s whathe needed. The opportunityto lose himselfinabook,insomeoneelse’slife Someoneelse’smisery Nothingelsecoulddistracthimfrom
Blast,itwas takingall his concentrationtoensurehecalledher bythestaid,formal namehehadlongagoabandoned It wasmostunfairthathethereforehadalmostnoself-controllefttopreventhimfromstaringatthebeautywhostoodbeforehim. She was dressed,as one wouldexpect,ina plaindaygown thoughintruth,nothingPeggywore lookedplainfor long. Thisseagreengownfloatedelegantlyoverhershoulders,pastherwaist,tothefloor Covering,Lukewascertain,amultitudeofpleasures.
Heswallowed Notthat that was all he was interested in Thoughhe’d be a liar ifhe said he hadn’twondered how the curvesandswellsthegownsuggestedactuallylooked,oncethemuslingownwasremovedand “Goaway,”saidPeggysternly Luke’sastonishmentathisowngoodfortunefadedaway. Ah. Yes.Shewasn’tparticularlyinthemindtolistentohim,not afteryesterday’sratherhurriedandmortifyingspeech.
“You broke me, Luke You killed the woman I was I’ll never look at you with affection again, and you are fortunate indeed that I can look at you at all.”
Luke was far too proud to admithe had cried himselfto sleep lastnight No one would guess iteither He had beenas debonairashecouldmanageatdinner,fartooquizzicalandcharmingforanyonetothinkhishearthadbeentouched.
But it had Not just touched, but wrenched out of his chest, stomped on, and left lifeless onthe drive whenPeggyhad walkedfromhimyesterdayafternoon.
“I-Iwanttohaveatalk,”saidLuke,hatinghisvoicehadtremoredrightatthemomentwhenhewantedtobecalm Thissortofopportunitywasnotonehewouldfindagain.Manufacturingit,indeed,wouldbeimpossible. Aftershehadbeensoopen,sovulnerablewithhimyesterday,perhapsitwastimetobesimilarlyopenwithher After all, LukethoughtfeverishlyasPeggyfrowned, did she not have the right to know how similarly broken he had become? Howhe regretted,hadregrettedformonths,thewayhehadbehaved?
“Whateveritis,whateveryouthinkisimportanttosay,isbydefinitionsomethinginwhichIhavenointerest,”Peggysaid toabookcase “Ihavebecomesodulledtoyourcharm,Ashcott,whatlittlecharmthereis ” Lukeswallowedhisretortandallowedhertocontinue. Lord knew, the woman had earned the right to vent. “ andamnowentirelyindifferenttoyou,”Peggycontinued.
That got her attention. Peggy turned, cheeks blazing red, hands curled into fists. “I should never have I misspoke yesterday”
AndjustwhenLukethoughthecouldnotbefurtherbruised,shemanagedit. She misspoke? All thosefeelingswhichhadpouredoutofher,theveryreal stinghehadseeninher eyes itwas not true?
“Anyway, I do not understand why you are keeping me here,” said Peggy, lifting her chin in an imperious manner that remindedLukepowerfullyofherbrother.“Youclearlyhavenofeelingsforme,oryouwouldnothavedonewhatyoudid.”
Lukeopenedhismouth,hesitated,thenclosedit.Heshouldhavepreparedthisspeech butthenhehadnotexpectedtofind here in the goddamn library! He had thought himself free from all company for at least an hour, in which he could have
preparedsomething somethingfarmoreeloquentthanwhatthiswasgoingtobe. Hesighedandtriedtopushhisshouldersbackandchestout.Thatwasthebestwaytogenerateconfidence,hisfatherhad always said Whena boywas as shyas Luke, while beingthe heir to the DukedomofAshcott, a father had to teachhis son sometricks.
So, she didn’t mind if he came closer, did she? Interesting
He was sure there was a partofher, thoughhow large a parthe did notknow, thatstill loved him, ached for his touch, wantedanexplanation.Wouldswiftlyflybacktohisarmsifshecouldbeshownthatheknewjusthowmuchofamistakehis abandonmentofherhadbeen.
Itwas a questionLuke was startingto askhimself. He had thought, comingto the Sedleys’house partywould give him abundantopportunitiestohaveasincereanddirectconversationwithPeggy Andinaway,hehadbeenright
The knowledge causedpanic,frustration,andshame toonce againcourse throughLuke.Panic thathe couldbe disturbed before this conversation could be concluded. Frustration that he had wasted so much time. Shame that he had once again
“Strength?”shesaidsoftly,pushingadarkcurl fromher eyes “Youwanttotalkaboutstrength?How aboutholdingyour headuphighinSocietywheneveryoneknows,somehow,thatthegreatestrakeinthe ton proposedmatrimonythenimmediately rescindedthatoffer?”
Luke’sstomachdropped. Surely not he had never heard of such a rumor!
ButhehadleftalmostimmediatelyforFrance,hadn’the?He’dabandonedLondonandthepainitheldandhopedservice to the Crown would be a suitable distraction. It had been, for a while. Until the memory of Peggy’s face had pulled him inexorablyback.
“Let’stalkaboutthestrengthtocontinueattendingballs,andcardparties,anddinners,whileknowingeveryconversation is about you,” Peggysaid quietly, her gaze not leavinghis. “Knowingeveryswiftlystopped mutteringis about you. Every pityinglookisforyou”
Everyword she spoke was stabbinga knife further into his gut. How had he never thought of this? How, Luke thought viciously, had it never even occurred to him?
“Whatever,” said Peggydismissively. “Forcingme to listento your speeches inthis library, and youdon’tevenseemto knowwhatyou’resaying!”
Shealwaysdidhaveawayofseeingrightthroughhim.Lukeknew,ifhecouldjustshow her how muchhecared,things wouldsurelybedifferent Butshewasright Thiscouldn’tcontinue Notlikethis
“You’d thinkyou’d be pleased!” Luke said, his temper finallygettingthe better ofhim. He knew he’d wishto take back thesewordsoncetheywerespoken,too,buthewassorepushed “Mostladieswouldbeabsolutelythrilled,aduketryingto woothem!”
