Page 14 of The Wrong Duke

“I told you,” she hissed under her breath, glancing quickly past them to make sure that nobody was watching or listening, “I wish to do nothing of the sort. I have found myself growing fond of Lord Malnor, just as I expected that I would. That is all this is! I have no desire to ruin him or his reputation. And quite honestly, I’m insulted that you keep suggesting as much.”

Evan snorted. “Please, if you think I’m going to buy that... I know who your father is. I know that this is all a game. But it stops now.”

“Or else what?” She stepped into him, looking up and meeting his stare with a pair of dark blue eyes that spoke of a stubborn nature, like a bull refusing to back down from a charge.

“I know you’re lying,” Evan responded, holding that stare, stepping in that little bit closer so their bodies were right up against one another. For an instant, a flash of a second, the noise from the room seemed to quiet, the movement around the vanished, it was just them alone, so close that the kiss they shared the other night was but one quick decision away.

“I’m not.”

Evan exhaled and took a step back, feeling the room come back to him. “So be it. If you insist on pursing Lord Malnor, then I will dedicate myself to unmasking the true you and your true intentions.”

“Fine, waste your time,” she shrugged and stepped past him. “It seems you have nothing better to do.”

“I —” he moved to respond, something scathing that was sure to leave a scar, but Miss Baker didn’t wait for it, continuing through the room, back facing him, walking away as if he didn’t exist.

And Evan was left fuming. Pride stung. Anger piqued. Certain that never in his entire life had he met someone so rude. She wanted to play games? She wanted to see what he was capable of? Oh, then see she would. And where he might feel sorry for her because this could only end badly where she was concerned, he couldn’t find it in himself to bother with such empathy.

Miss Baker had brought this on herself, and tomorrow she would rue it.

CHAPTERSIX

“What are you doing?” Amelia’s father hissed in her ear.

“What? Nothing!” Amelia started, caught completely by surprise, worried for a moment that her father was able to see inside her head and read her thoughts — that he knew what she was thinking about. “I —”

“Exactly!” He grabbed her by the arm. To an onlooker, it might have looked like father and daughter walking pleasantly beside one another through the park, but the strength of his grip, the bruise it was sure to leave, it couldn’t have been further from such a thing. “Why, Amelia, are you over here when Lord Malnor walks alone!”

“But he isn’t alone, Father. That’s why —”

“Thengethim alone.” He leaned in closer, spittle flinging from his lips and striking her on the side of the face. “I’ve warned you, Amelia. I’ve told you what will happen if you fail me. Why, it’s almost as if you want to fail.”

“Of course, I don’t!”

“Then prove it.” He gave her a gentle shove. “I don’t know how I can make myself any clearer. You know what will happen if you don’t succeed in this.”

Amelia went to argue, to point out the reason for her failure, to say anything at all in defense of herself, but she caught sight of the fury in her father’s eyes, the warning that they held, and she knew there would be no point. Nothing short of success was acceptable to him, regardless of how she achieved it.

“Yes, Father,” she said meekly.

“Go.” He waved her away. “And when I look back, you best be hanging from his arm as if your life depends on it.”

Aptly chosen words from her father because in a way, they were all but true. Maybe not in a literal sense but the result would still be the same. If she didn’t get Lord Malnor alone and soon, her father would take her love life into his own hands, and the result of such an action would be even worse than what she imagined. And seeing how vivid Amelia’s imagination was... that just spoke to how serious his threat was.

She had no choice. No other options. Head bowed, fear settling firmly on her shoulders, Amelia did what she had to do. She searched through the park, spied Lord Malnor ahead, and started toward him. Her stomach twisted as she made the approach, guilt enveloping her such that she thought she might be sick, but again, there was little choice left for her. And so, she did what was needed.

“Lord Malnor...” she called softly. “A moment!”

Amelia had been awake for much of last night, tossing and turning as if her bed was filled with needles, impossible to find comfort in, not that she felt she deserved such a luxury. And the few times she felt herself about to drift off to sleep finally, her mind would suddenly find itself back on what it was that had her so discomforted in the first place, and the process would start again.

She didn’t want to do this. Not anymore. Not ever, truth be told. To pursue a man whom she had no real interest in, just because her father said that she must, was an abhorrent action to take, and the more she thought about it, the more she pondered on what she would need to do if she was to win over Lord Malnor’s affections, the worse she felt. Sickened by a circumstance of her own making.

And it didn’t help that His Grace suspected what she was up to. That he was so ruthless in his never-ending quest to save his friend from her clutches. He had found her out. He had discovered her wanting. And he was determined to stop her at all costs.

To save face, she lied to him. Again and again and again. She dug her hole that little bit deeper, committed herself to the lies that consumed her, was forced now to fake how she felt and what her intentions were because to admit otherwise wouldn’t just bring her shame and embarrassment unlike anything she had ever known but would force the wrath of her father upon her in a way she knew only too well.

The truth was, when the sun rose this morning, she very nearly decided to tell her father that she was through playing his games. Such was how bad she felt that she was nearly willing to accept whomever he forced her to marry, to take that loss and commit to a life of servitude to a man who she could never love or even like. But then she ran into her sister and that all changed.

“Good luck, today,” Bridget had said sincerely. “Truly, I hope Lord Malnor appreciates you.”

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