Page 44 of The Defiant One
"I dare quite a lot. It is a particular defect in my character — or so I'm told." Smiling faintly, the duke went back to nonchalantly studying his sherry. "Really, Somerfield, if you are so desperate to get your hands on a fortune, maybe you should consider marrying an heiress yourself and have done with the matter."
"You insult me, sir!"
"A thousand apologies," Blackheath murmured. "Perhaps the fact that your sister usurped you on the duelling field this morning has left you feeling a bit deprived? We can rectify that, you know. I can assure you that I wouldn't mind getting up at dawn tomorrow at all —" he turned his head, smiling blandly as he met Gerald's gaze — "if you understand my meaning."
Gerald felt the blood drain from his face. Involuntarily, he took a step backward, sliding a finger beneath his stock and preferring to let the challenge go unanswered. "So you will do nothing to stop this unseemly union, then."
"On the contrary, my good man, I will do all in my power to ensure that it is made."
"Then I have nothing more to say to you," Gerald said, and turning on his heel, stalked from the library.
~~~~
Lady Nerissa de Montforte was in her apartments, tending to her morning correspondence over a leisurely cup of chocolate, when a brief knock on the door signalled the presence of her eldest brother.
"Ah, Nerissa," said Lucien, wearing that self-satisfied smile she had long since come to know and dread. "I am delighted to find you at your letters. You may wish to write both Charles and Gareth, I think, notifying our dear brothers of the impending wedding."
"What wedding?" asked Nerissa, confused.
"Why, Andrew's, of course."
"Andrew's?"
"Surely you didn't think I would allow him to remain a bachelor until his hair goes grey, do you?"
"Andrew's getting married?"
Lucien stroked his chin contemplatively. "Yes, and imminently, I should think."
Nerissa surged to her feet, her correspondence forgotten. "Lucien, what have you done?"
"My dear sister, I didn't do anything. While dueling with Somerfield, Andrew had one of his . . . episodes. Somerfield was about to kill him, so I stepped in, and the fair Lady Celsiana Blake threw herself between us, begging me to spare her brother's worthless life."
"And did you?"
"Yes, but only for a price."
Nerissa's blue eyes narrowed. "What price?"
"Why, marriage to Andrew, of course. Oh, don't look at me like that, my dear. It is all for his own good, as well as the girl's. Lady Celsiana Blake is going to make him very happy indeed. Though of course, he doesn't quite realize that yet . . ."
"I cannot believe I'm hearing this. Andrew is the last person on earth who should be married, who wants to be married, who will benefit by being married!"
"On the contrary, Nerissa, marriage will do him good."
"Lucien, how could you do this to him?"
"My dear Nerissa, I have already told you. He did it himself."
"Oh, and I suppose that you didn't have something up your sleeve at the ball the other night when you set Lady Celsiana on him by telling her he was experimenting on animals and then making Andrew believe your action was anything but innocent?"
Lucien merely smiled.
"And I suppose your having the servant bring poor Celsiana to Andrew's apartments while he was not only still abed, but in a state of shocking undress, was also innocent? You go too far, Lucien!"
"It will be a superb match. Andrew will thank me for it some day, and so will the lady who is destined to be his wife. He is quite smitten with her already, though I daresay he'll never admit it. She is quite smitten with him already, though I daresay she'll never admit it, either. But ah, the eyes tell all . . . 'Twas a good thing there was steel between the two of them this morning, otherwise I fear our two lovers might have caused quite an embarrassing scene, and in front of the entire village of Ravenscombe, too."
"Steel between them this morning? Entire village of Ravenscombe? I thought dueling was a private affair! I thought Andrew was to fight a duel with that odious man Somerfield, not his sister!"
