Page 101 of A Deal with the Broken Duke
Juliet read it, her eyes widening. “She tricked you into thinking that this was from me.”
“Yes. And when she got me alone, she tried to persuade me that we should marry.”
The Duke wouldn’t tell them everything that Lady Annie had confessed, not yet. He wasn’t ready to share that part of the story, especially not with Lord Stickland still in the room.
Lord Stickland was now nodding. He looked as if he had given up completely. “That was the plan,” he confirmed.
“What was the plan?”
“We each wanted to separate you. I wanted you for myself, Lady Juliet, and Lady Annie wanted the Duke. She always has, to hear her tell it. We decided to work together.”
“So Lady Anniehasbeen trying to end my courtship all this time,” Juliet noted more to herself.
“Oh, yes.” Lord Stickland nodded. “We both hoped we could persuade you to end it. We both agreed that was the best chance. The Duke would never end things with you on his own accord. At least, that was what we thought. But when the two of you snuck out on the patio together, she knew her chance had come at last, and she went out to the grounds.”
“I knew I saw someone out there that night,” Harry murmured.
“You did?” Juliet asked. “I never knew that.”
“I didn’t see them until you had left,” Harry said. “I stayed out on the patio for a while, as you know, and then I thought I saw a shadow moving nearby. But when I went to investigate, I didn’t find anyone.”
“She ran off after you were finished talking,” Lord Stickland explained. “She had heard enough by then, anyway. Everything the two of you said about how your courtship wasn’t real. Everything you said about how it had to end.”
“So you knew.” Harry scowled. “When you confronted me in the gentlemen’s club, you knew that things were already over.”
“I knew. I was fairly sure. But she might have misheard, so I had to be certain. I had to let you know that I knew the truth about you. You might have changed your mind and gone back to her. Anything might have happened, and I couldn’t take that chance.”
“You don’t even deserve to look at her.” Harry’s anger had abated in the face of his relief at finding Juliet unharmed, but now it came back in full force. “How could you try to manipulate her like this? How could you try to bully her into marrying you?”
“At least I never lied about what I wanted.” Lord Stickland was unashamed, and that made Harry even angrier. “I was always clear with her.”
“I never lied to Juliet.”
“You made her believe you didn’t want her.”
“I never told her anything that wasn’t true.”
“Then youactuallydidn’t want her, and that’s even worse.”
“Enough,” Juliet snapped. “There’s nothing to be gained by the two of you arguing about this, and I’ve heard more than I care to. Lord Stickland, I will never belong to you. You and I will never be together. Let that be the end of this.”
“You heard her,” Harry sneered. “Go.”
“This isn’t your home,Your Grace. You don’t give orders here.”
“Perhaps not,” Daniel interjected. “But I do. Leave this room. Leave this house, and never speak to my sister again, or suffer my wrath, and Harry’s too, I’d wager.”
Harry nodded. It was all he could do to keep from inflicting his wrath upon Lord Stickland right then and there.
Lord Stickland rose slowly to his feet. “You’re making a mistake,” he warned Juliet. “He hasn’t treated you well. How long will it be before he changes his mind and turns away from you again?”
If Harry so much as moved from his seat, he was going to strike Lord Strickland.
Fortunately, Daniel was a little more in control of himself. He got up, took hold of Lord Stickland’s arm and steered him to the door, whereupon he pushed him out into the hall and locked the door behind him.
“Well, I hope that’s the last we’ll see of him,” Daniel said, dropping into his seat. “If he has any sense, he’ll stay well away from this family from now on. And if he doesn’t do that…”
“If he comes near Juliet again, he’s going to regret it,” Harry said darkly. “I’m very glad you sent him on his way, Daniel, because what I was going to do to him was much worse than that.”
