Page 41 of A Virgin for the Cruel Duke

And it was her who had made it possible.

CHAPTER 19

“Is everything ready?” Stephen asked, pouring Elizabeth more hot chocolate before she could ask for it. The days before they could reasonably hold the hunting party had slid by in a rush of preparations and he was still certain they would have missed some crucial detail.

“Mrs. Cope has been working for days on the food,” Selina said promptly, nodding across the table at Elizabeth. “We’ve spoken to her just this morning about the first dinner party, haven’t we sister?”

“Indeed we have,” Elizabeth said confidently. He had been certain that putting the two of them in charge of the catering would work well. Selina was forthright enough that she would not realize she was basically leading Elizabeth’s decisions, and she had run events for him before so she was well used to what was expected. It was as subtle a way as he could manage to give his wife the support she needed in learning how to manage social events. “I am particularly excited for all the pies she has puttogether for the main event. Selina suggested a focus on game meats to celebrate the hunt..”

“And Elizabeth suggested that we represent all the different game from the estate in a wonderful feast,” Selina added enthusiastically. “It will impress everyone, I am sure.”

“I think it will be talked about for months,” Diana said cheerfully. “And I cannot wait to have one of the quail pies, they are so very dainty and Mrs. Cope put an entire egg into each one!”

Stephen turned his attention to Herbert, who was watching Elizabeth with a pinched expression. No matter what he said to his brother he could not shake him of his conviction that Elizabeth had been party to the poisoning and it certainly hadn’t helped that they had not been able to present him with an alternative suspect.

“How are the grounds?”

“The groundskeepers say that there is plenty of action for when we want it,” Herbert said. “I still think that being around Barnes blood with guns out is courting trouble, Stephen.”

Stephen frowned, but he felt Elizabeth place a hand on his arm and held back his temper. It was not the time for them to be fighting amongst themselves, not when they had such deadly foes at their doorstep. “No matter how sure of himself Dudley is, he will not be willing to risk the noose by shooting me in front of a party of witnesses,” he said calmly. “Keep an eye on the gunsbeing brought in and out of the house, though. See if you can keep track on how many each has brought with them. I want to know if anyone is carrying guns that would not be expected for the event, smaller ones for instance. Easy to hide on the person.”

Elizabeth’s grip grew tight on his arm and he glanced at her and smiled reassuringly.

Perhaps not as reassuringly as he would have liked. Her return smile was thin and forced.

“Are you expecting someone to try to shoot you, Stephen?” Selina asked, her face paler than normal.

“No. I do not expect any danger,” Stephen said, mostly truthfully. He was not convinced that Dudley Barnes would not take advantage of their proximity to try something but he was certain that he would not endanger himself to do so. And so long as Stephen was smarter and faster than him there was nothing to worry about. “But I will not take any risks with our safety. We are inviting the wolf into our home, everyone will be careful. Especially you, Herbert. You wounded him once. We will not risk him taking vengeance.”

Herbert nodded. “Very well. I will go see that the servants are prepared for the evening.”

The others rose too, but Stephen pulled Elizabeth to his side before she could leave and kissed her hand. “Do not be afraid, sweetheart,” he said softly. “I will protect you.”

“I have no doubt,” she said. “But who shall protect you?”

“Your fiery heart will protect me,” he said, rising to pull her against his chest in an embrace. “I know that you are worried about your brother being here, but I have taken every precaution. We will be safe and we will find a way to entrap him. He will no longer be a danger to you after this hunting trip. To you or to the rest of the family.”

“Or to you,” Elizabeth said, her eyes ablaze. “I am worried about what he will do to you, Stephen. He has tried already once!”

“And I have no doubt he has many ideas on how to try again, but I am also sure that I will be one step ahead of him. Have faith in me, wife.”

“I do,” she said, leaning against his chest then, exhausted and feeling small and delicate in his arms. “But I also know how dangerous he is.”

“As do I, vividly.” Stephen kissed the top of her head. “Come. Perceval and Celia will arrive soon, they promised me they would come as early as they could so that we would more thoroughly prepare. You will feel better when I have Perceval at my side and you can have Celia at yours telling you all the many dangers he and I have faced together.”

“Oh god,” Elizabeth said, slipping her hand into his. “You are simply convincing me that the Marquess encourages you to terrible feats of danger, Stephen.”

“Perhaps,” he laughed, kissing her knuckles. “But he would never do anything to annoy his wife.”

“Ah yes, a very wise man,” she said, taking his arm. “I hope you learn much from him, Your Grace.”

“I’d rather learn much from you, Your Grace,” he said lowly in her ear, and delighted in her blush as they left the room together.

“You never have the best cigars, old boy,” Perceval complained, rooting through Stephen’s cigar box in search of his favorite brand. Stephen snorted a little. He had made it a point of principle never to stock the foul-smelling things that Perceval had formed such an attachment to when he had been doing business in Denmark and his friend could never seem to understand his stubbornness on the fact.

“I have no desire for my house to smell like an unwashed cow farm,” Stephen said briskly. “Have one of my cheroots and be done with it.”

Perceval made a face as though he had been told to eat a cake of soap, but gave up his search and selected a fine specimen to cut and light. “You have no taste, Westall.”

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