Page 53 of Three Nights with the Beastly Duke

Susan made atsksound with her tongue and shook her head. “Your wife is the lady of the house now, she has a key for every room. Come, I’m sure that is where she is,” she assured, leading the way.

Arthur wanted to let himself feel relieved, but as they walked toward his study, the knots in his stomach worsened.

Susan turned the knob, and just as she had predicted, the door opened easily. She gave him anI told you so look andswung open the door.

“Lavinia, darling, it’s time to give your toast,” Susan called out as she strode inside. “We are all—Lavinia? Strange. I thought for certain she was in here.”

Arthur followed his sister inside quickly, his eyes scanning the room. It was empty, but there was a fire roaring in the hearth, and there were two glasses of half-drank brandy on his desk. He walked over to it quickly and found an envelope with his name on it.

“What is that?” Susan asked, joining him behind the desk.

“I don’t know,” Arthur murmured, ripping the envelope open, “but it wasn’t here when I left before.”

Pain, much worse than the one he’d ever experienced on the battlefield, ripped through him as he read through the note. He tried to read through it several times, but his mind could only focus on certain words.

The strain of this union is far too much for me to bear… My family has convinced me that an annulment would be best for both of us… I tried to tell myself I could love you, but… I tried. For my sister, I truly tried. Regretfully, Lavinia.

“Arthur?” Susan asked, putting a hand on his arm. “Arthur, who is it from?”

Arthur couldn’t breathe. He tried to pull air into his lungs, but it did not come. A red haze began to settle over his vision as his hands began to shake.

“Get everyone out of here,” he demanded, his voice hoarse.

Susan looked at him as if he were mad and took the letter from his hands. She read through it quickly and gasped.

“Arthur this is not from her,” she urged quickly. “It can’t be. Lavinia loves you. She’s told me so.”

“Enough!” Arthur hissed, pulling away from Susan’s touch. “Get everyone out of here immediately. You and Mother, too. Go stay at the Dennises, for all I care, but get out!”

“No,” Susan shot back, throwing the letter down on the desk. “Something is wrong, Arthur. Lavinia is in danger.”

“I said enough!” Arthur roared, slamming his fists on the top of his desk. “I am done with everyone’s lies! Get out of this house, now!”

Arthur had never raised his voice to his sister, not even when they had been children. As he looked at her with hate-filled eyes, he could see the shock and terror glistening back at him.

Without another word, Susan gathered her skirts and ran from the room. For a moment he felt regret, but his heartache soon welled up and swallowed it, leaving nothing but self-pity.

* * *

“Come now, darling, wake up. It’s all right. You’re safe now.”

Lavinia heard the soothing, masculine voice whisper through the heavy folds of darkness surrounding her. She tried to move, but her body felt thick and heavy, and her head thumped with a dull, annoying pain. As she took a breath, she became aware of her other senses. She could hear the crackling of a fire and smell the crisp fall air. A hand was rubbing soothing circles over her back.

Arthur,she thought, feeling a sense of relief as she felt her husband’s hands. She wasn’t sure at all what had happened. She remembered the party—the smiling faces of their guests, the sensual jests she and Arthur had murmured together. But she couldn’t remember going to bed.

Had she drank too much wine? Had Arthur had to carry her to their quarters?

Lavinia pulled in another deep breath, feeling herself become more one with her body, and smiled as she turned around.

“What happened?” she asked groggily, snuggling into the man beside her.

Sliding her head closer, Lavinia kissed the place on Arthur’s chest that held a scar. Only, instead of the rough edges of the old wound, she felt hairy, unscarred skin.

With a gasp, she opened her eyes and began to scramble away. Her heart hammered as the arms around her clamped around her like a cage, and Timothy smiled dreamily back at her.

“Shhh, it’s all right,” he coddled, ignoring her hands as she pushed at him. “You’re safe now.”

“Timothy let me go,” she begged, trying to overcome the state of intense dizziness that hit her when she opened her eyes. “What am I doing here? Where’s Arthur?”

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