Page 3 of The Duke of Ruin
“Wonderful. While he gets his heart’s desire, I get to decide how to survive a scandal—privately or publicly.”
“You’d want this to be public?”
She speared him with a stark stare. “Honestly, I don’t care. I’d be quite happy leaving London altogether. I’d be delighted to teach at a school for young ladies. Or work at an orphanage to help abandoned children. Hell, I-I’d even move to the country to tend sheep.”
Her casual use of a curse surprised and amused him. There seemed to be much more to Miss Kingman than met the eye.
“Then why don’t we make one of those things happen? I said I would take you anywhere you wish.” An outlandish idea struck him. “I know—we’ll change your name and set you up somewhere else in whatever capacity you like. You could be a widow in a cottage outside Bath.” He winced, recalling that Violet lived in Bath and that was where Nick was currently headed. “No, not Bath. How about York? Or you could go to Wales or even Scotland.”
“You’re going to pay for my cottage?Thatwouldn’t cause a scandal.” She rolled her eyes.
Simon grinned, glad that she was finding a bit of humor. “No one would know. My name wouldn’t be involved.”
She cocked her head to the side and studied him. “Why do you want to help me?”
He opened his mouth, then promptly closed it again. Whydidhe want to help her? Because he was helping Nick. Only it was more than that. He was offering her his protection—in as non-scandalous a way as possible—as well as his support. And he did want to ensure she wasn’t ruined. He nearly laughed aloud. The Duke of Ruin sought to protect a young woman from ruin. This had to be the single most ironic moment of his existence.
“I always try to help people,” he said. “They seldom allow me to do so, but I always try.”
“Because of…” She didn’t say it, but they both knew the words she’d left unspoken.
Because he’d killed his wife. Generally, he was anathema. And that didn’t leave much room for altruism. Was she going to shun him like most other people did? She’d been pleasant at the house party, but then all the younger set had, particularly that afternoon when they’d joined together in the ballroom to play games. When he’d kissed her. Did she think of that as often as he did?
Probably not. It entered his mind far too frequently, but he supposed that was bound to happen given how long it had been since he’d kissed someone. In fact, if he thought about it too much, he grew uncomfortable. He hadn’t ever planned on kissing anyone else, let alone enjoying it.
“Will you let me help you?”
She looked up at him. “I don’t think I have any other choice.”
It wasn’t a ringing endorsement, but this wasn’t about him. He was just relieved that she would let him. “Good. Where are we going?”
She turned from him and started to walk. Quickly. He hurried to catch up. “I need to think,” she said without slowing.
Simon kept up with her, and they strode along the path in silence. He glanced back at her maid, whose head was turned watching them.
“We should probably turn back,” he said. “Will your maid tell anyone whom you met?”
Miss Kingman stopped abruptly and spun to face him. “B-blast it all!” She continued turning and started back along the path, her already rapid pace increasing.
“Tell her I’m a friend’s brother.”
“Which friend?”
He shrugged. “Any friend.”
She made a soft sound of disgust. “You didn’t think this through very well.”
“Pardon me for not planning every detail. Rest assured that your escape will be expertly plotted. I just need to know where you want to go.”
“I’m still thinking.”
“We need to leave tonight, Miss Kingman. Nick is already gone. It’s only a matter of time—and not much of it—before the betrothal must be broken.”
She stopped again and faced him. “Forgive me for not being able to decide my entire future in the span of a few minutes.” The fire in her eyes diminished a bit. “I’m not sure what to do. The temptation to leave is great, but it means an end to the life I currently lead.”
“Or you tell your father you don’t want to marry Nick. There will be a small scandal, but you’ll weather it.”
“I don’t care about the scandal.”
