Page 90 of Seven Nights with the Wicked Duke
Magnus paused. It was just a heartbeat, a blink, but Theo saw it. The crack in his armor. And then quickly, he gave out a dry chuckle. As though a defense mechanism.
"You don't get to play the noble lover now," Magnus muttered, turning away to refill his glass. "You of all people."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Theo's voice dropped to something quieter. Sharper.
Magnus swirled the amber liquid in his glass. "It means you've made a sport of avoiding responsibility your whole life. Dueling for the thrill. Scandalizing debutantes. Drinking until dawnwhile the rest of us try to hold the damn world together. And now you expect me to believe you've changed? Because of her?"
Theo stepped forward. "Yes. Because of her."
That brought Magnus up short. He looked at him fully for the first time, something unreadable flickering in his eyes.
"I'm not proud of everything I've done," Theo continued, slower now. "But if you're expecting me to grovel, you'll be waiting a long time. I've made mistakes, Magnus. But what I feel for Cecilia isn't one of them."
"Convenient."
"Hardly," Theo snapped, the first note of anger cracking through. "You think this is easy for me? That it's some game? I've fought myself at every turn because I didn't want to be the man who took advantage of your sister. I tried to walk away. But I couldn't. Especially when I'm not."
"You should have tried harder."
At this point, Theo's jaw tensed at Magnus's consistent remark. "Maybe. Or maybe you should stop treating her like she's still twelve years old and incapable of choosing what—or who—she wants."
"She doesn'tknowwhat she wants," Magnus said bitterly.
"Neither did you at her age," Theo shot back. "You were barely twenty and carrying the title of duke on your shoulders. You think I don't remember? You didn't know what you wanted either. You just kept marching forward because someone told you it was your duty."
Magnus turned sharply. "And I'm stilldoingthat duty."
"Exactly," Theo said. "You've spent so long protecting everyone that you forgot how tolivefor yourself. And you're terrified she'll make the same mistake."
Magnus's mouth opened, then closed.
"You think you're angry at me," Theo said, quieter now. "But you're angry at the world for giving you all that weight. You're angry she found a way out, and that I was the one to give it to her."
Magnus looked at him then, really looked at him, and for a long moment the silence between them was heavy with something old and odd.
"I would die for her," Magnus said at last, breaking the silence with a heavy fragility.
"I know," Theo replied with a faint nod. "So would I."
It wasn't a peace offering. But it was a truth they could both stand on. Both ready to defend Cecilia to their dying breath.
Until a sound came from the door. It was a creak. Both men turned as it opened and Cecilia entered.
She was dressed in a pale morning gown, her hair loose, her eyes a bit puffy from sleep. Her cheeks instantly flushed at the sight of Theo since he hadn't informed her of his early arrival beforehand. And also because she had heard a bit of their conversation before interrupting.
"Let me guess, here to defend him?" Magnus spoke to her with a quick eye roll.
"Defend?" Cecilia folded her arms. "Choosing who I want to love has nothing to do with defense."
"It does because you need my permission to do so," Magnus returned.
His word made her squeeze her eyebrows. "No, I damn well do not. I have already accepted his proposal. And if you truly try to stop us, then I will marry him in Gretna Green. I am not a child. I'm not your property."
Magnus stared at her as though she had slapped him. He had certainly not expected her to choose to elope with a man.
"I mean it," she went on, voice trembling but unwavering at the same time. "I've spent too long letting you make every decision for me, trusting that you knew best. But Theo has never treated me like I was breakable. He trusts me to choose."
"I was trying to protect you," Magnus said hoarsely.
