Page 82 of The Duke and the Runaway Bride

“What are you talking about?” Edwin asked, trying to feign confusion. “Yes, publish another story about it in the scandal sheets. You are becoming desperate, Miss Jennings.”

“I am, but that does not mean it is a lie. I have proof that your wife has been sneaking out at night, and I can only imagine what she might be getting up to. Is it to visit other men? Perhaps she was visiting her lost child.”

“She does not have a child,” the Duke ground out.

“Does she not? No, probably not, but she has been sneaking out at night, and I have proof.”

“Proof!” he scoffed. “What proof do you have?”

“As if I would reveal that to you. No, I shall keep that to myself, and you can speak to your wife about it. Then, we will talk again.”

“I am done talking to you,” Edwin spat. “You will leave us alone, or else you will face the consequences.”

“No,youwill face the consequences!” Agnes snapped. “I will reveal my proof in good time, and you will be caught in another scandal. How many scandals can you deal with, Your Grace? How many betrayals can you handle? I have a more than fair proposition for you. I will give you the chance to divorce your wife, bringing her great shame. Then, we will immediately marry, and you will save face. We can tell everyone that she trapped you into marriage with the intent of having a second child, but you got wise to her lies. We will wed and start a family, and we will become the most powerful couple in London. Those are my terms.”

“You have gone insane,” Edwin scoffed.

Agnes took a step closer to him, madness in her eyes. “Have I? I want to be with you, and it will happen, and I will step on Beatrice to get there. You can keep her dowry, and you will also get my dowry. You can pay off any debts, and you can continue to make fools of all those who stand against you. We will take down anyone who stands in our way, and everyone will remember your name and the woman who brought you to power. What do you say to that?”

“I still say you are insane,” Edwin stated.

“Speak to your wife and ask her about sneaking out at night. I don’t care whether you believe me or not. The truth will be revealed in due time if you do not give in to my demands, and it is not only your wife who will be ruined. You have no idea how far I am willing to go to get what I deserve.”

Agnes looked like a wild animal, and she was breathing heavily. She glared at the Duke, staring him down, and he only turned away because he wanted to get away from her. She did not scare or intimidate him, but she did have a way of getting what she wanted.

“My parents will host a ball soon. It is not the biggest event on the calendar, but it will be,” Agnes called after him. “Your sisterandher sister are debuting soon. They are two of the most eligible young ladies in London. Their formal debut will be announced at the ball, and then another announcement will be made. That announcement will come from you, and it will dictate the course of your life, Your Grace.”

Edwin walked away from her.

“Think about this very carefully,” Agnes warned loudly. “I look forward to your attendance.”

ChapterThirty-Two

Returning Home

Walford Estate, London

“Iwant to explain myself to you,” Edwin said.

“You have nothing to explain,” Beatrice assured him.

She wanted to speak with him, but there was something else she wanted to do, and it involved doing something very different with their mouths.

Edwin took her by the shoulders. “No, I must. Be with me for a moment while I explain. You deserve that.”

“All right,” Beatrice sighed. “Yes, we must get this out of the way before we move on to the next thing.”

“Then we shall get it out of the way quickly.”

They had apologized to each other in the coach on the way home, and that had been enough for Beatrice, but it was obviously not enough for the Duke. His apology had been heartfelt, and so had hers, but if he needed to speak more so they could get past their troubles, then they would do so.

“Come,” he said.

He took her upstairs to his room, and she felt the butterflies flutter in her stomach. She was disappointed when he sat her in the chair by the bed and did not take her to the bed, but they were close now.

He stood in front of her, before he paced a little and then came to a stop in front of her again.

“I was angry because I worried something might have happened to you. I was not only worried that you would be spotted, but that someone would harm you. My anger was my fear, and I projected that fear on you. I was not angry, but scared. I was scared something would happen to you. I should never have let my fear get the better of me. I apologize for being so angry at you. I have spent years not being dictated by emotion but by logic, and I slipped for a moment and almost ruined everything.”

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