Page 81 of A Virgin for the Duke of Ash

“Well now, he does not even want to talk to me,” Evie told them despondently. “He even says that he will have our marriageannulled. I am not even sure this is possible since we…well…it was consummated. But then again, he can blackmail anyone to do anything so…”

“There are only a handful of marriages that have ever been annulled,” Alice assured her. “I am sure that even if he were to try it, he would be met with very little success.”

“You must not have heard the things he is capable of,” her younger sister sighed. “To marry Evie, he obtained a special license so they could be wed within a week at Ashton Hall.”

Scarlett crossed her arms over her chest and smirked. “Jumping into marriage and then demanding an annulment right after? Is he not afraid that the Archbishop of Canterbury would regard him as a fool?”

Phoebe peered into Evie’s eyes with great compassion. “His Grace has never struck me as an impulsive person. Why would he want an annulment after he had been so set on marrying?”

Evie knew the answer to that, but it was not something she could tell anyone. These were things that only Daniel and the Dowager Duchess of Ashton had the right to disclose.

Because he thinks he does not deserve happiness.Because he thinks he has no right to a future with me, even if there is nothing in this world I want more than him.

“I think I might know the answer to that.”

Scarlett reached into her reticule and pulled out a wrinkled copy of that morning’s publication fromLady Spalding. She threw the paper onto the floor with a look of utter contempt.

“Thatheifernearly ruined Evie’s reputation when she wrote that the reason behind their hasty marriage was because the Duke of Ashton had already seduced her.” She snorted. “She is up to her usual tricks again, but this time, she insinuated that he is actually the bastard son of the former Duke, not his distant nephew.”

Alice frowned at the scandal sheet. “Why exactly did the Duke wish to marry so quickly, then?”

“Because he wished to protect me,” Evie told her mournfully. “Because the Earl of Sidmouth wagered that he would be the one to win my hand and acquire my dowry for himself.”

“What an utterly contemptible person!” Phoebe gasped, horrified. “In that case, the Duke is justified in his actions, even if they were a bit extreme.”

“I would have to agree, though.” Alice shook her head. “I know the Earl of Sidmouth, and he is not as nice a person as he pretends to be. If he meant to marry Evie, then he would find a way to do that, even through underhanded means.”

“But what do we do now?” Scarlett groaned.

“I will need to talk to Colin,” Alice said resolutely. She squeezed Evie’s hand in reassurance. “It will all turn out well, my dear—you’ll see.”

“Thank you, Alice, everyone.” Evie smiled weakly at the ladies around her. “But I think I would like to retire to my room now. It has been an exhausting day for me…”

“All right.” Her sister-in-law smiled sadly at her. “I shall have your supper sent to your room later.”

Evie nodded in gratitude to the brunette and muttered her excuses to her dearest friends.

She appreciated their efforts to cheer her up, she truly did. However, it was far more painful to sit there and have them comfort her when she would much rather be alone.

Evie climbed into bed and drew the covers over her head. Just last night, she had fallen asleep in Daniel’s arms to the sound of his heartbeat. Now, she was all alone in her old bed.

She had never felt as cold as she did then.

CHAPTER 28

Iam going to kill him!

Daniel fumed as his carriage careened down the road, his hands clenching the edge of the seat hard enough to leave holes in the expensive velvet upholstery.

And after I am done with that, I am going to throw his carcass where the sun will never reach him!

The Earl of Sidmouth was not only pretentious, but he was also dreadfully predictable and admirably stupid. Even after the warning from Daniel, he still managed to crawl back into the same club night after night, wasting what little money he managed to scrape off the bottom of his empty coffers or borrow from those foolish enough to “invest” in his schemes.

But then again,Lachesishad always opened its doors not only to upstanding members of Society but also to those who hovered around its edges. The not-so-polite company if you will.

After he was done with him, Daniel swore that no gambling hell in London would be foolish enough to accept Thomas Salsbury and his coin—no matter how shiny it was.

If he is foolish enough to remain in London, that is.

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