Page 46 of His Duchess' Wicked List

He wants to formally court Augusta. Not me.

She felt cheap and used. Clearly, he only thought of her as a plaything. He didn’t take her seriously. She had always known it, but somehow, some small part of her believed that perhaps his feelings would change—that he would take her seriously.

And she was falling in love with him. In fact, shehadfallen in love with him. She was head over heels in love. She knew now that it was the only reason she had kept playing this dangerous game with him, time and again, when her mind had screamed at her that she should turn on her heel and run.

It had never been about the list. Or it hadn’t been for a long time. She had been deluding herself about that as well.

The whole table was abuzz with talk now. It was the perfect time to slip away without anyone noticing. She couldn’t look at the Duke. She thought she might burst into tears, and that would never do.

She got up, walking quickly out of the room, with as much dignity as she could muster. It was only when she got to her chambers that she let it out, sobbing quietly, her face in her hands as she sat on the edge of her bed.

“Oh, dearest.” It was Selina’s voice, calm and gentle. “Is this about my cousin’s announcement? Is that why you are so upset?”

Maddie started. She had been so absorbed in her pain that she hadn’t even heard her best friend sneak into her room. Selina sat down on the bed beside her, taking her hand.

Maddie shook her head. “No,” she whispered, her heart fluttering in her chest. “At least, that is not why I’m crying.”

Selina was silent for a moment. She looked searchingly at Maddie. “Then why?”

Maddie took a deep, shuddering breath. “I am in love with your brother,” she whispered, tears streaming down her face. “And he is going to marry Augusta.”

There was silence. Maddie turned away. She didn’t want to see the shock and horror on her best friend’s face. Selina, after all, didn’t know a thing about what was going on between them. And her friend had told her, a few times, what a rake her brother was.

“At last.” Selina sighed. “Finally, you admit it!”

Maddie gasped, turning around to face her friend. She was so stunned that she couldn’t even speak for a moment. “You knew?” she whispered.

Selina nodded. “Yes, I guessed,” she admitted. “I suspected something was going on between the two of you.” She paused. “It is like the air is charged when the two of you are together. And you are always stealing glances at each other.”

“I am sorry I did not tell you,” Maddie said, her heart clenching. “I wanted to confide in you, but I thought you would get angry with me. You have told me often enough what a rake he is.”

Selina sighed heavily. “Heisa rake,” she agreed slowly. “But that does not mean he cannot be reformed… if he finds the right woman.”

Maddie laughed brokenly, which turned into a sob. “I am not that woman,” she mumbled, feeling as if her heart was splintering into a million pieces. “He is only playing with me, Selina. He doesn’t feel the same way about me as I feel about him.”

“Are you certain?” Selina looked at her closely. “Daniel keeps his heart tightly locked. He does it because of our father. But underneath it all, he feels deeply. And I have never seen him look at a woman the way he looks at you. It is even more than that—he is possessive of you, Maddie. He cannot stand it when Christopher flirts with you and monopolizes your attention. Tell me, why would he care so much if he is only playing with you?”

Maddie didn’t reply. She had deluded herself that the Duke’s jealousy meant more than it did. That time was over.

“He has had ample opportunity to express himself to me,” she said slowly. “If his intentions were honorable, he had only to say the word.”

Selina blinked rapidly. “You and my brother are the couple in the scandal sheet, are you not?”

Maddie blushed fiercely. “Yes,” she admitted. “I believe so. Unless there is another unmarried couple in this house party who have been doing exactly what we have been doing.”

Selina’s jaw dropped. “I did not realize it had progressed that far.”

Maddie stood up, gazing down at her friend. “I appreciate your advice, dearest,” she said gently. “But none of it matters now. As I said, your brother has had ample opportunity to express finer feelings towards me, if he has any. He has not done so. There is nothing more to say about it.”

She walked to the wardrobe in the corner, gathered her gowns, and threw them haphazardly into the open trunk next to it. It felt good to be active. It felt good to have a purpose.

“What are you doing?” Selina sounded puzzled.

“I am leaving this house party,” Maddie replied, glancing at her friend. “I cannot stay here a moment longer. Will you tell my family that I have come down with a malady and must leave immediately? It would mean the world to me.”

Selina sighed. “Are you sure? Can you not talk to Daniel?”

“I am sure,” Maddie insisted, throwing another gown into the trunk. She knew she could get Jane to pack it properly, but it felt strangely good doing it herself. As if she were flinging her past mistakes away. “I must leave this instant.”

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