Page 50 of Duke of Seduction

He then turned towards Ambrose, the grim line of his mouth once again firmly in place, and he shook his head in angry disappointment.

“She deserves better. You are a fool for this. A fool.”

Ambrose stepped back, speechless. Helena’s heart hurt for him as she saw the pain etch her brother’s face.Neverhad Morgan spoken so harshly to him. The need to do something to fix the situation overcame her, but as Morgan turned and walked away from them, she could do nothing but remain frozen in place, as shocked into silence as her brother.

“Lord Ashfield, I apologize,” Ambrose stated after finally finding his voice. “That is… that was, a most unusual interaction with him. He is normally the jester of our group. However, Helena is correct and that was an oversight of mine. My friends are a rather protective bunch, and I should have warned you.”

“No apology needed, Your Grace, and please call me Luke. We are to be brothers-in-law, after all,” Luke replied calmly, touching the lip of his top hat towards Ambrose. “However, if I may say so, perhaps the Duke of Grandhill is the one that Lady Helena should be protected from.His reputation is…nefarious, and it is clear he is becoming…unwellfrom such practices.”

Anger surged through Helena so suddenly and intensely that her face turned crimson.

“That is a slanderous rumor, Lord Ashfield, and I will not tolerate such wicked gossip in my presence. Now, to Lord Grandhill’s credit, he was correct about the weather, and since we have paused our walk the chill has become unbearable. I should like to return home, please.”

“Agreed,” Ambrose said readily, taking a step in Luke’s direction. “We do not tolerate rumors. Morgan is my good friend and this behavior is most unlike him. I must go and speak to him and unearth the reason why he is so unlike himself today.”

“Go,” Luke urged quickly. “I shall see Helena and her handmaid home.”

“Our footmen shall see us home,” Helena replied quickly as Ambrose left. She turned to Luke with an icy stare. To her surprise, a look of guilt crept across Luke’s face and he bowed her head to her.

“Of course, my dear,” Luke replied immediately. “And please, do accept my apologies for my words. You were right when you said they should never have been uttered before a lady.”

He then bowed before her again and took her arm in a far too familiar way.

“I should still see you home,” he insisted. “Your brother would not approve of me breaking my word simply because of your hurt feelings. It is what is best, Helena.”

Helena bit her tongue to keep the vicious words in her mind from spilling out, knowing it would do her no good. This was why Ambrose had chosen Luke for her, after all, because he would do “what was best” for her. Even if it left her enraged.

Upon her return home, she bid him a curt goodbye and denied his request to come in for tea and a visit.

“I have the most dreadful headache, my lord,” she insisted. “I am afraid I must retire to my bed for the evening.”

“You did not invite him in?” Barbara asked as Helena urged the butler to close the door.

“I am weary from our walk,” Helena replied, her tone matching her words.

Barbara gave her a brief look of disappointment before she took another quick look around the foyer and asked, “where is Ambrose?”

Helena felt the blood rush to her cheeks. “We happened upon Morgan when we were in the park,” Helena explained as calmly as possible, ignoring the feelings it brought forth in her. “He was not himself and Ambrose went after him.”

“Morgan,” Ambrose called, his voice erupting loudly and firmly behind Morgan’s back.

Morgan looked over his shoulder after turning onto a less busy street, and pretended not to hear him.

“Morgan, stop!” Ambrose commanded, catching up with him.

He felt Ambrose put his hand on his shoulder, and without thought, Morgan whirled on him with a threatening look. Ambrose did not startle this time, but only glared right back at him. For a moment they just stood there, eyes locked and muscles tensed.

Brother. This is your brother.

It took a moment for him to tamp down the volatile rage erupting within him, but when he did, he let out a long breath through his nostrils and dropped his glare.

“What do you want?” he asked gruffly. Morgan grasped Ambrose’s hand and calmly removed it from his shoulder.

“I want to know what in hell has gotten into you,” Ambrose retorted. “You have been absent as of late. You have failed to show up for our usual gatherings and have not even come to box. I would wager you are not wearing gloves because you are warm, but because your knuckles are damaged from fighting, am I right?”

Morgan turned his gaze away from Ambrose’s questioning one, refusing to answer. Yes, he had been fighting, and God help him he was about to go and fight some more.

“What was that back there with Ayles?” Ambrose asked, his words coming out in white clouds against the bitter cold. “I have seen you speak savagely before, but you do it with humor and wit. That was just pure fury.”

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