Page 76 of A Virgin for the Ruthless Duke

Diana was standing in the doorway, flushed and panting slightly, a bemused look on her face. She opened her mouth to speak, and the words that fell from her lips took some time to arrange themselves enough for Selina to understand.

“The Duke of Seymour is here.”

Perhaps the villain was not done torturing her and had come to complete his mission.

CHAPTER 27

Richard urged his driver to move faster, pushing the team of horses hard so that they arrived at the Wilkins’ townhouse in no time. Somehow, there was this urgency in his blood that pushed him to get to Selina as fast as possible before she was snatched up by the suitors who hovered around her like flies.

His fear was proven not to be unfounded when he stopped in front of the Wilkins’ townhouse and spotted the Earl of Sanderson being ushered out of the building by the butler.

Richard felt his heart beating fast—so fast that he was scared that he was too late.

He could feel the sweat on the back of his neck as fear constricted his chest. He was almost certain he was too late. Perhaps Selina had already accepted the man’s proposal. She might very well be betrothed to the Earl at the moment and only a few steps away from becoming a countess.

He immediately jumped down from the coach and started walking towards the house to at least confirm his suspicions. His anger with himself grew with every second. It would serve him right if he was too late. He just prayed that fate wasn’t cruel enough to punish him this way.

He could not blame Selina. It was almost impossible for her to reject a marriage proposal from such a perfect man instead of waiting indefinitely for a damaged man who was too wrapped up in his misery to appreciate the gift that she was giving him. He did not deserve her love—not when he had so callously dismissed her, breaking her fragile heart in the process.

Because Selina was indeed fragile, no matter how she loved to pretend that she was tough. A consequence of the difficulty that came with growing up an orphan, especially given the brutal way her parents were murdered. She was given to logic because she thought it was the best way to protect her heart. But she had let her guard down to love him wholeheartedly, and he had broken that trust because of his petty fears.

His excuses appeared ridiculous now in the face of the possibility that he had lost her. He just prayed that he was granted the opportunity to fix his mistake.

He was now standing in front of the steps leading up to the house. He ascended the steps, meeting Sanderson halfway.

“Good morning, Sanderson,” he said, forcing a smile on his face, but it might not have looked authentic because the man did not return his smile.

Now that he stood closer, he noticed a coolness in the other man’s countenance.

“I am not sure I share your opinion about the morning, but perhaps I am not in the best of moods. I presume you are here to see Lady Selina?”

“Yes,” Richard answered simply, his eyes glued to Peter’s face to catch any changes in his expression.

You are here to see her as well. What did she tell you? Is she now your betrothed?

“I believe she would be most glad to see you. You make her smile in ways even I cannot.” Sanderson smiled ruefully. “That is probably because you have something I do not. You have her love. You are truly a lucky man. I hope you realize that before it is too late,” he said, patting Richard’s shoulder on his way down.

It took Richard some time to recover from the shock, but when he did, he realized that Selina was still unhitched. She had not said yes to the Earl!

His relief was so acute that he felt dizzy, realizing at that moment how tense he was with the thought that he had lost her.

Looking up into the clear skies, he swore that the sun was winking at him. He thanked the good Lord for the rare opportunity to make amends, promising never to let her go if he could convince her to be with him—to marry him and becomehis Duchess. Because he knew that he wanted her by his side now and always.

He just prayed that she would listen and be willing to forgive him. He didn’t quite mind groveling several times if it could buy her forgiveness and love.

Shrugging his shoulders, he held tightly to this second chance and climbed up the rest of the steps. He took a deep breath before he ventured into the lion’s den because he knew it wouldn’t be easy.

Perhaps he might be lucky enough to meet with Selina without having to encounter her overprotective brothers—maybe at least Herbert—because he did not want to experience Stephen’s wrath.

He had probably betrayed their friendship by touching his sister inappropriately when he was supposed to be guiding her. He would be lucky to leave with only a black eye if he encountered the Duke.

He wouldn’t blame him if he decided to batter his body as punishment for his crimes. He had no sisters, but he did know that every lady deserved to have protective brothers by her side. Selina had them in abundance, and he had provoked their wrath when he allowed his lust for her to take control.

Fighting the urge to flee like a coward, he raised his hand to knock, but before his hand could touch the door, it swung open, and part of his fears became real. It was Herbert, brewing withanger. Someone must have seen him through the window and informed Herbert because he looked hostile and unfriendly.

“Good morning, My Lord,” Richard said with a wry smile, bowing slightly.

It was a little too formal, and Herbert should be the one greeting him because of his higher rank, but beggars could not be choosers. In this case, Richard was the beggar, desperate for the chance to storm into that house and find the love of his life.

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