Page 12 of Trapped with her Cruel Duke

“How would you expect me to feel?”

“If it were me, I would be giddy for finally triumphing over that pompous oaf. Northbridge must be livid. I imagine it has dealt a blow to his standing at The Devils. His debts must be well known to all by now—I do not think there is a nobleman in London to whom he does not owe money.”

Christian shot him an exasperated glare. “I have been clear about this, Gabe. This is not simply about revenge. I need to know what happened to Marcus.”

Gabriel leaned forward, his hands spread wide before him. “But why now? It’s been six months since Marcus’s accident. What do you think you will uncover?”

Christian opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out the letter he had received. “Read this,” he said, thrusting it to Gabriel, who took it and ran his eyes over the scrawled lines within. “The constable on the case has written to tell me that they found the site of the accident but no body. Therefore, Marcus might still be alive. I only dared to hope before, but if he was not killed in the crash, what other explanation is there?”

Christian felt an echo of anger course through him as he stared at the letter. It had arrived the morning he had chosen to pursue Lady Louise at any cost, determined to find out the truth once and for all.

A soft knock suddenly sounded at the door, and a servant entered the room, bearing a coffee tray. Christian waited for the servant to finish pouring the coffee before continuing.

“The only man who can explain what happened to him is Lord Northbridge, I am certain of it. For many days, I have been maneuvering pieces into place to entrap him and find out the truth. He is growing more desperate as time goes by. Even now, I own the deed to his house. He has nothing, haslosteverything, and will be destitute. He must confess the truth if he wishes to retain a shadow of his former position.”

Gabriel raised his eyebrows. “How did you obtain the deed to his house?”

“He lost it at cards.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes. “Is there anything the manhasn’tlost at cards?”

“Quite. I certainly won’t be giving it back without an incentive, if at all. I shall dangle it above his head so that he believes he might escape with his dignity, but he will not. When I wed his daughter, my control over his future will be complete.”

“And you’re sure he had something to do with Marcus’s disappearance?”

“I am.”

There was a long pause, and Christian could feel the weight of his friend’s gaze on him. He frowned as he placed his cup back on the saucer.

“Blast it all, what? I told you about this plan weeks ago.”

“You did,” Gabriel murmured, staring off into the distance.

“He will not be able to marry his daughter off to anyone else after tomorrow. I shall own him, for better or worse. There is nothing else he has to offer anyone. He certainly cannot pay his debts and will have to beg me if he wants to regain control of his fortune.”

The fire crackled in the background as Christian waited for Gabriel to speak. His friend was not a man who rushed into a discussion without thinking it through—Christian could almost hear the gears turning in his head.

“Why her?” Gabriel eventually asked.

“You know why. She is the quickest route to her father.”

“You have ruined him already. You said it yourself, he has nothing left to lose. You have already won. Why complicate things? I saw the way she looked at you. She hates you, man. Do you really think marriage is the next step? You could do as much damage by tupping her and leaving her in the gutter.”

Christian recoiled at those words. It was an involuntary reaction that he could neither control nor deny. Gabriel did not miss it.

“Hmm. What is she to you, then?”

“What?” Christian balked at the very notion. “She isn’t anything to me. You can hardly blame a man for being revolted by the idea of ruining a woman on account of her father’s conduct. That was cold, even for you.”

Gabriel shrugged. “The apple never falls far from the tree. You might be marrying someone just as bad as Northbridge.”

“Even so. Half the ton wish to tame her; I shall take great pride in being the man to do it.”

“If you can,” Gabriel said darkly. “You do not know what you are getting yourself into—that is my worry. You made this choice for Marcus, and it is a noble one, but you will bemarried.That is not a trivial matter that one can simply undo when one is finished. Suppose you find out that Marcus is dead and that Northbridge was not involved—that it was an accident. Then what?”

“Then Lady Louise and I shall live separate lives. Many other couples do. I hardly need to marry for love.”

Christian’s voice was sharper than he had meant it to be, and Gabriel raised his hands defensively.

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