Page 6 of My Dangerous Duke

She had not even spared a glance toward him since he had pulled his hand away from hers, and had said absolutely nothing; despite the many moments her mother and sister had interjected to add some boring detail about their lives. Somewhere between struggling to pay attention to the plans of his future wedding and wondering what in the bloody hell his future wife was thinking, Xander had started devising a plan.

“I beg your pardon?” Victor asked, looking annoyed at the interruption. “This is a very important discussion, Your Grace. With a man of your stature, it is highly vital that we–”

“I am sure you are correct, but nature waits for no man’s politeness,” Xander stated bluntly.

A stifled laugh escaped from Eleanor’s lips as Victor’s face turned red with rage and began to nod his head so violently that his double chin began to jiggle.

“Very well,” he said gruffly, “I will have a servant show you-”

“No need,” Xander shot back, already walking through the doorway, “I will find it myself.”

The moment he was outside and saw no one was going to follow him, Xander made his way stealthily down the hall, opening each door delicately until he found the room he was looking for: Victor’s study. Stealing inside, he shut the door silently and quickly went to work looking for the evidence the man had on him.

Victor had presented the proof the night of the ball, so Xander knew they were as authentic as the position he had been blackmailed into. However, if he could find the proof and set it aflame, he could be free of this forced marriage and from London society altogether.

“Now where the hell is it?”

Xander looked through cabinets and drawers, opened every portfolio, every keepsake box, and every hollowed-out book he could find, but all he found were rolls of bank notes, old jewelry, and a few debt notes that looked annoying but not blackmail-worthy. Disgusted with his lack of results, Xander grabbed a cigar from one of the many expensive boxes he had found, lit it, and flopped forcefully into the chair behind Victor’s desk. He had underestimated his opponent, and it annoyed him greatly.

He took a puff from the cigar, letting the smoke linger for a moment in his mouth, and then exhaled slowly. He had to stay calm and find the proof. If it was not here, that only meant it had to be somewhere else in the house. Xander did a quick mental estimation of how many rooms the large manor had and came up with at least twelve if the downstairs layout was any indication. Just as he was wondering if he had enough time to steal upstairs and try to find the right one, Xander heard the door open.

Thinking it was Victor, Xander rose to his feet, feeling the muscles of his aching body tense for the incoming argument about to come his way. He clenched his fists and grit his teeth, ready to drop the act of politeness and downright threaten theman with violence, and then saw Eleanor’s brown hair appear around the slightly opened door. Xander felt the tension in his body dissipate as the young woman stepped into his view, and then quietly closed the door behind her.

Despite the startling difference in appearance Eleanor had with the rest of her family members, Xander had still been expecting her to behave like them. And yet, she had not spoken a word; had not shown aninklingof excitement like the others. Finally, he could take her silence no longer.

“What are we to do about this?” He asked her bluntly, settling back down into the chair.

At this, Eleanor’s plump lips pulled into a smirk, and she too took a seat.

“About this marriage or about you being in my father’s study, smoking his cigars?” She asked, her tone dripping with sarcasm. It surprised Xander greatly.

“I beg your pardon?”

“What part did you not comprehend, Your Grace?” She asked placatingly, her brows drawing down in mock concern, “Are you asking what we are going to do about this obviously forced marriage or are you asking what we are going to do about your dreadfully poor manners?”

Victor’s temper spiked as his grey eyes darkened, and he took another drag from his cigar. It was not often he was talked to this way. In fact, he hadneverbeen spoken to so brazenly. He took his time studying Eleanor’s eyes and saw a fury that very well may have matched his own.

Very well,he thought devilishly, readying himself to argue,let us play this game.

“My poor manners?” He asked, his tone void of emotion.

“Yes, your poor manners,” Eleanor confirmed quickly, “It is not just you that wants this meeting over with. I too would rather be doing absolutely anything else, and the longer you dally here, the further we are from that accomplishment!”

Xander could not help the sudden grin that broke out across his face as Eleanor lectured him.

“And what ofyourmanners?” He asked, stopping her before she could berate him further. “Is that how you choose to speak to your future husband? Careful, my lady. Such talk could set you up for quite the punishment.”

Xander felt a stir in his groin as Eleanor’s eyes suddenly widened and her soft peach cheeks turned a crimson red. She lifted her nose at him as her lips nearly curled into a sneer, and he nearly chuckled.

“Perhaps I was mistaken,” Eleanor hissed, rising to her feet. “You seem as horrid as my father.”

She put her hands on the desk and leaned until their faces were only a forearm’s length apart, and as she did so, a brown curl escaped its pin, falling over her left eye in a devilishly seductive way. Upon seeing it, Xander suddenly felt his breath hitch, and the urge to reach out and touch the silky tendril was almost overwhelming. It was only the pure rage in her honey eyes that stopped him from doing so.

“Know this,husband-to-be,”she whispered, her tone as heated as her eyes, “I will take punishment fromnoman. No matter what his station over me may be. I will accept your hand if I must, but I will hurl myself from a cliff before I allow you to think I am a meek, mewling creature.”

Afraid of what she might say next, Eleanor pushed herself away from the desk and walked quickly to the study door. Her entire body was vibrating with fury and if she did not leave soon, she was going to burst into tears by the pure frustration of it all.

Her fingertips were just about to touch the brass knob when suddenly, she felt a warm grip around her waist, and she was whirled around in a flurry of motion. She could not help the gasp that escaped her throat as Xander’s grey eyes locked in her eyes the same way his hands locked on her wrists. Desire spiked through her but that did not stop her from throwing hima hateful gaze and pushing against his weighted grip- no matter how little use it was.

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