Page 4 of Trapped with her Cruel Duke

The Earl closed his eyes as though centering himself. When he opened them again, the look on his face was almost guilty, but it vanished just as quickly.

“You should not be ungrateful for our attendance. Have you not been eager for news of Lord Marcus Wright? His brother is a founding member of the club, after all.”

Louise felt the same flutter of unease in her chest as she thought of Marcus’s disappearance.

“Has there been some news, then?” she asked hopefully.

“I know not, but the Duke will be able to tell us if there has. We should go, or else we’ll be late.”

With a long sigh, Louise followed her parents outside into the spitting rain of a brisk, hazy evening. The carriage was waiting for them, and as they climbed inside, she felt the familiar rush of anticipation for the ball ahead.

She was well aware that her reputation had not recovered from the incident with Lord Fortescue. She loathed the nickname the gossips had saddled her with, but she refused to be cowed into submission or hide in the shadows for defending herself.

Men could challenge each other to duels and be hailed as honorable, even if it cost them their lives. But a woman, attacked in a corridor by a drunken fool, was relentlessly mocked simply for standing her ground when he wouldn’t take no for an answer.

“You will behave tonight,” Lord Northbridge warned as though reading her thoughts.

She glanced at him from across the carriage. His dark eyes were boring into hers without mercy. “Of course, Papa. I know my place.”

“Quite right.”

“You still did not answer me—whyare we attending?”

“Because I have accepted the invitation. That is all you need to know.”

Louise rolled her eyes and looked out into the gathering dark. It seemed preposterous that her father would accept an invitation from the Duke of Egerton. It was common knowledge that they hated each other.

Why do I feel as though this has some deeper meaning behind it?

The high pillars and golden lettering above the door of Orions Gentlemen’s Club gave a sense of glamour to the event. Two gas lamps flanked the doorway, and as she alighted from the carriage, Louise was gratified to see that she was one of the few ladies in pale colors.

I was already bound to stand out this evening—at the very least, I shall do so in style.

Her parents preceded her into a large room where the other guests were assembled. The air was thick with perfume, and the candles around the room cast a shimmering light over everything.

She could already see some of the attendees turning to look at her. She would never get used to being the center of gossip, no matter how unjustified it might be.

“Come to meet her new lover, I see,” came a voice from nearby.

She turned to see two women wearing black masks tittering together. She frowned as they caught her watching them and swiftly walked away.

Two men at the refreshments table inclined their heads toward her in a most unusual manner, and she was glad of her mask because it hid her confusion. She was used to scrutiny, but this felt like something else. She glanced at her father, who was glaring at everything with intense irritation, and her unease began to morph into real fear.

What has he done?

Among the crowd ahead of her, a very tall person came into view, and she was momentarily frozen to the spot as he approached her.

Coming toward her through the milling crowd was a wolf. His mask and appearance were utterly flawless. He wore a tailcoat of midnight blue, double-breasted brass buttons cascading down either side. His waistcoat was richly detailed with golden leaves, their stitched outlines gleaming in the candlelight, and the wolf mask over his face was white—a stark contrast to the rest of his ensemble.

This could be no one but the Duke of Egerton.

I certainly do not recall him being so tall.

Louise kept her expression neutral, ensuring the cold façade she had perfected in public was firmly in place.

The Duke’s eyes were just visible behind his mask. Even in the low light, they were a startling green, roving over her in a way that felt predatory. She recoiled at it and glanced at her mother, who appeared just as bewildered.

The Duke came to a stop in front of her parents, but for an indecent amount of time, his gaze remained on her. Eventually, when her father cleared his throat, he finally shifted his attention.

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