Page 68 of The Duke's Only Desire

Sophie placed her hand on Pearson’s arm to keep him in place, afraid the valet might just whack the spade against Malcolm’s head after all.

“Please use this time to think about what I’ve offered,” Malcolm told her, as if they had been discussing nothing more than a business arrangement. Or an invitation to tea. “You can contact me if you need any help with the matter.”

“I willneverneed your help,” she countered, “for this or anything else.” Her fingertips curled into Pearson’s sleeve, this time to keep herself from striking out at the despicable man. She wanted to scratch his eyes out! She couldn’t believe he was her father’s age, that the two men were contemporaries when their moral compasses were so completely different. “Please leave and do not return unless you are explicitly invited.”

When hell froze over.She would have added that caveat except, given the icy layer of snow blanketing the countryside, she didn’t want to tempt fate.

A wicked smile pulled at his thin lips. But he walked away without so much as a polite nod or even a tug at his hat brim. Sophie didn’t care. She was simply glad beyond belief that he was leaving, and a violent shudder gripped her so hard she gasped.

“Are you all right, Your Grace?”

No. Shay isn’t here with me where he belongs. Yet she lied, “Yes. I’m simply cold.”

“Yes,” he muttered and shot a knowing glance toward the drive, where the noise of a carriage leaving drifted across the snow-covered ground. “Lord Malcolm has that effect on people.”

Pearson had no idea. She took a deep breath as Malcolm’s ultimatum swirled through her head. Dear God, what was she going to do? From the evil gleam in his eyes, she knew he wasn’tbluffing. He meant every word. He wanted to destroy Shay, and he planned on using her to do it.

When hell froze over, indeed.

“I was working in the dairy barn, overseeing repairs,” Pearson explained, “when a footman came running to tell me Lord Malcolm had arrived. Henley sent for me as soon as Malcolm left to search you out in the gardens himself rather than waiting in the drawing room. He never asked to see the Colonel.”

Because he knew Shay wasn’t home. Sophie didn’t want to think about what that meant—that someone she trusted at Ravenscroft was operating as a spy for Malcolm, someone who told him that Shay had ridden north to Scotland. Someone who would have known she and Shay were now sharing a bed.

“I came as quickly as I could.”

She gave Pearson a grateful smile. “I know, and your protection means the world to me. I’ll be fine in just a few moments.” She inhaled a fragile breath. “Lord Malcolm’s unexpected appearance surprised me, that’s all.”

Clearly, from his expression, he didn’t believe that, but he knew not to press. “Shall I escort you back to the house, Your Grace? The day’s grown uncomfortably cold.”

She stifled a bitter laugh.Thatwas a grand understatement!

“I’ll ask Smithson to set up a hot bath for you,” he offered, “and have Mrs. Latimer send up a tray of hot soup and tea to warm you.”

“That sounds lovely, thank you.”

They walked back toward the house together, and Sophie made a mental note to ask Shay to raise Pearson’s pay. He had more than earned it today.

Henley waited for them at the front door, a worried frown creasing his brow. A quick glance over her from head to toe told him she was unharmed, and his shoulders eased down with relief.

Her chest warmed, and her eyes stung again, this time for a whole new reason. The staff genuinely cared about her, which made the betrayal of one of them even worse.

She stopped Pearson at the bottom of the front steps with a gentle hand on his arm, then lowered her voice. “I believe someone in our household has been providing information to Lord Malcolm about happenings here.”

His expression turned hard. “I’ll find out who, ma’am.”

She squeezed his arm in gratitude, then hurried up the steps and into the entrance hall, happier than she would ever admit at being back in the warm safety of her home.Her home.Two months ago, she never would have believed such a thing about this place. Now, she couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. And no one—certainly not Malcolm—was going to drive her from it.

Cold air radiated from her coat, hat, and gloves as she handed them over to Henley. “Please inform the grooms and all the house staff that Lord Malcolm is no longer welcome at Ravenscroft Manor,” she told the butler, who wasn’t at all surprised by that order. “He is never allowed to set foot on estate lands again. If he does, he should be helped to leave. Promptly.”

He inclined his head. “Yes, Your Grace.”

She paused to glance up at the portrait of the late Duke of Malvern and John that hung over the stone fireplace. Shay hated that painting. So did she. It was time to eliminate all the things that only served to remind them of the dark past from their lives.

“And Henley?” she called out as he handed off her things to the footman to be carried up to her room.

“Yes?”

“Have the footmen take down that painting,” she ordered, folding her hands demurely as she gazed up at the two men who still plagued her even from their graves, “and deliver it to Lord Malcolm at Halston House as a wedding gift…in celebration of my marriage to Malvern.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Henley couldn’t hide the puzzlement from his voice.

“Deliver a very specific message with it.”

“What would that be, ma’am?”

“Tell Lord Malcolm that the duke and duchess would love nothing more than for him to be the godfather for their sons.Allof them.”

Then she turned on her heel and marched upstairs. It was time to prepare for battle.