Page 58 of Wedded to the Duke of Seduction

Marina returned to her seat, suddenly weary. “You’re right, of course. And I’ve told myself the same thing repeatedly.” She picked up her cooling tea. “Can we change the subject? I’ve spent far too much time dwelling on my complicated marriage.”

“Of course.” Caroline smiled sympathetically. “But know that whatever happens, I’m here for you. Always.”

“Thank you.” Marina felt a rush of gratitude for her loyal friend. “Now, tell me about Lady Gregory’s garden party. I heard something about a wayward swan and the ambassador’s wife?”

Caroline laughed and launched into the story with relish.

As her friend’s animated chatter filled the room, Marina allowed herself to relax. For a blissful hour, she could set aside thoughts of her enigmatic husband and the confusing tangle of emotions he stirred within her.

Yet even as she laughed at Caroline’s tales, Marina couldn’t entirely banish Leo from her mind. Like the missing silverware, something important seemed to slip away.

Something she hadn’t realized was valuable until it disappeared.

CHAPTER 20

“You chased William all the way to Vienna, only to discover he’d left for Prague the day before?” Dorian leaned forward in his leather armchair.

“William was always very good at avoiding his tutors and governesses. It seems he still possesses the ability to slip out of trouble.”

Leo swirled the brandy in his glass and watched the amber liquid catch the late afternoon light streaming through the windows of Dorian’s study.

“The landlady claimed they departed in a hurry. Apparently, William had seen someone in the market he recognized, and they packed their belongings and left in less than an hour. They also owed her a week’s rent.”

“I wonder if they spotted another one of Felicity’s many admirers,” Gerard suggested from his position by the fireplace. “That woman collected broken hearts like porcelain figurines.”

The three men had gathered in Dorian’s study. Maps lined one wall, alongside exotic artifacts and ceremonial weapons collected from around the world.

Their friendship flourished there. It was a refuge where titles and duties were forgotten in favor of honesty and companionship.

“Do you remember that time William convinced us all to sneak out to a tavern in the village?” Dorian asked, a nostalgic smile on his lips. “He must have been what, sixteen?”

“Fifteen,” Leo corrected. A reluctant smile tugged at his mouth. “And he was already too charming for his own good. He talked the barmaid into serving us and only charging for one stein.”

Gerard laughed. “And then your father’s steward caught us stumbling home at dawn. I thought the Duke would murder us all.”

“He nearly did,” Leo said.

A comfortable silence fell over the three men, broken only by the occasional crackle of the fire. These men supported Leo through thick and thin, and their loyalty was one of the few constants in his life.

“Your search has taken you across half of Europe,” Dorian observed, refilling their glasses. “Naples, Vienna, Brussels… you must have quite the collection of stories.”

Leo nodded and took another sip. “I once tracked them to a small village in the Alps, only to discover they’d fled two weeks before I arrived. The innkeeper’s wife took pity on me and insisted I stay for dinner. She served some local dish, I forget the name, but it contained so much garlic, I feared no one would come near me for a week.”

His friends chuckled, and Leo continued. “Another time, in a coastal town in Spain, I received word that William had been gambling at a small gambling hell. When I arrived, I found not my brother but an American sailor who apparently bore a striking resemblance to him. The poor man thought I was a creditor and nearly threw himself into the harbor to escape.”

“The lengths you’ve gone to.” Gerard shook his head. “Most men would have given up years ago.”

“Most men aren’t responsible for their brother’s fall from grace,” Leo replied, his tone darkening.

Dorian exchanged a glance with Gerard. “You can’t still blame yourself for William’s choices, Leo. He was a grown man when he left with Felicity.”

“Barely.” Leo stood and moved to the window that overlooked Dorian’s garden. “He was young and impressionable. I think thatmy father’s favoritism did him more harm than good. He was the perfect target for a woman like Felicity.”

“A woman you had already rejected,” Gerard pointed out gently. “William knew what he was doing when he took her side against your family.”

Leo turned back to face his friends. “Did he? Or was he simply trying to prove himself in the only way he knew how?”

By taking the one thing he believed Leo valued.

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