Page 85 of A Deal with the Broken Duke
The last person in the world he would have wished to see.
“Your Grace,” Lord Stickland said. “May I sit down?”
“Leave me to my thoughts. I’m in no mood for company right now, Lord Stickland.”
Lord Stickland did not seem to care. Apparently, the request had been nothing more than a formality. He took a seat beside Harry.
“What are we drinking?”
“I am trying to drinkalone.”
“Well, that’s hardly a healthy activity.”
“I really didn’t ask you for your opinion on my activities, Lord Stickland. What is it you want?”
“So, directly to business, then?”
“I wasn’t actually aware that you and I had any business.”
“Perhaps you’d allow me to enlighten you, then.”
Harry felt frustrated. He was in a bind now because he’d admitted to not knowing what Lord Stickland wanted from him. It was as close to an invitation to talk as Lord Stickland was likely to get, and he clearly knew it. Lord Stickland relaxed into his seat as if he meant to stay there for a considerable amount of time.
“Perhaps I should just leave if you’re intent on plaguing me,” Harry said. “I can drink at home.”
“I was lucky to find you here,” Lord Stickland agreed. “But don’t think I’m averse to the idea of visiting you at your home, Your Grace, if that is the only way I can find to speak to you about the things you and I need to discuss.”
“Fine.” Harry drained his drink and signaled a server to bring him another. He was going to need alcohol for this conversation. “What is it, then? What do you want to discuss with me?”
“Lady Juliet.”
“What about her? She’s made it clear that she wants nothing to do with you.”
“Perhaps she has,” Lord Stickland said. “But I happen to know that her father does approve of me, and I would be a fool to walk away from a lady like that knowing that she could still be mine.”
“She will never be yours.”
“Because she’s being courted by you. Isn’t that right?”
Harry didn’t answer. He didn’t feel he owed any answers to this man.
“And how would it be,” Lord Stickland said. “If I were to tell you that I knew for certain that your courtship wasn’t real?”
Harry felt as if he had swallowed a piece of ice.
Lord Stickland had to be telling the truth. This couldn’t be a bluff. Could it?
But how could he have known that?
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the Duke managed, but the words didn’t sound convincing at all.
Lord Stickland laughed. “You can say what you like,” he said. “I know the truth. You and I both do. There isn’t any sense in pretending otherwise. You and Lady Juliet have conspired in an attempt to convince the rest of the ton that you’re engaged in a real courtship. But you aren’t, are you? You never have been.”
“Why would we say we were if we really weren’t?”
“Well, I’ll admit that did give me pause at first,” Lord Stickland said. “But I think I’ve figured it out now. You’re doing it to keep me from courting her. You’ve made it clear that you don’t want me to have her. I thought it was because you wanted her for yourself, but I see now that that isn’t the case. You just wanted to prevent anybody else from having her.”
“That doesn’t even make sense,” Harry snapped.
