Page 101 of Wedded to the Duke of Seduction

Her hands remained steady, betraying none of her anxiety, as she took the pouch from its hiding place and tucked it into her gown. The weight of her choice pressed down on Marina as she slipped away into the shadows. Better to face this unknown threat alone than risk entangling Leo in more scandal. Especially now, when the fragile bond between them had already shattered.

CHAPTER 36

“Another glass or shall I simply leave the decanter?” Noah asked, crossing the study to where Leo sat slouched in an armchair, staring into the dying fire.

Leo extended his empty glass without looking up. “The decanter. Less effort for both of us.”

Noah placed the crystal container within Leo’s reach and settled into the chair opposite. “This is becoming a rather pathetic spectacle, you know. The mighty Duke of Blackmere, drinking himself into oblivion in my study for the third night running.”

“If my presence offends you, I can find other accommodations,” Leo snapped, pouring himself another generous measure of brandy.

“Your presence doesn’t offend me. Your stubborn refusal to face reality does.” Leaning forward, Noah’s usual cheerful demeanorwas replaced with an uncommon seriousness. “You’re in love with your wife.”

Leo’s hand tightened around his glass. “I’m in no mood for your observations.”

“Clearly.” Noah’s gaze was unflinching. “Yet here we are.”

Leo drained half his glass in a single swallow, welcoming the burn in his throat. “What would you have me do? Crawl back to a woman who wants something I cannot give?”

“And what exactly can’t you give her? Trust? Vulnerability? The admission that she matters to you beyond a convenient marriage arrangement?”

“You make it sound so simple,” Leo muttered, staring into his brandy.

“Because it is.” Noah’s voice hardened. “You’re hiding here because you’re afraid. The great duke, terrified of a slip of a woman who asks for nothing more than to be loved.”

Leo surged to his feet, anger flaring. “You know nothing about it! After Felicity, after William?—”

“Yes, yes, after your brother and his manipulative lover betrayed you,” Noah interrupted, waving a dismissive hand. “Tell me, how long will you allow the ghosts of one betrayal to deny you any chance of happiness?”

Before Leo could retort, a knock interrupted them. Thompson, Noah’s butler, entered with a silver salver. “Forgive the intrusion, My Lord. An urgent message for His Grace delivered by a footman from Berkeley Square.”

Leo set down his glass and took the folded paper, breaking the plain wax seal. As he read, his expression shifted from annoyance to intense focus.

“What is it?” Noah asked, rising from his chair.

“Matthews.” Leo handed him the note. “He’s tracked William and Felicity to London. Says he nearly caught them in Dublin last week, but they slipped away. He’ll be here in two days to continue the search together.”

Noah finished reading and looked up, his eyes assessing. “So, after ten years of chasing shadows across Europe, your brother is finally within reach. Convenient timing.”

Leo paced the length of the study, energy suddenly coursing through him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Only that fate seems to have a peculiar sense of humor. The moment you might actually have to face your feelings for Marina, William reappears to offer the perfect distraction.” Noah tossed the note onto a side table. “What will you do?”

The question hung between them. Leo ran a hand through his hair, conflict clear in every tense line of his body.

“I need air,” he said finally, striding toward the door. “Don’t wait up.”

“Leo!” Noah called after him. “Running away solves nothing!”

But Leo was already gone, the study door closing firmly behind him.

The gaming hell was crowded despite the late hour, filled with the usual mix of dissolute gentlemen and desperate gamblers. Leo recognized several familiar faces among the patrons but acknowledged none as he claimed a table in the corner and ordered a bottle.

Here, at least, no one would question him. No one would push him to examine feelings he wasn’t ready to face. The noise and smoke created a welcome barrier between himself and his thoughts, especially those concerning Marina—her hurt expression when he’d rejected her love still haunted him.

Leo had just poured his second glass when a shadow fell across the table.

“I had a feeling we’d find you here,” Dorian’s voice cut through the din. “You always preferred drowning your troubles in public.”

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