Page 25 of How to Capture a Duke

Ellie poured two teacups, added a lump of sugar, and handed one to Olivia.

“Tell me everything.”

Olivia did. She started with the man she’d thought to be a groom, who’d become her alibi for a “stolen” necklace, who’d then turned out to be a duke. She ended with the wedding ceremony and the duke’s intention to leave her in the country.

Her sister’s blue eyes widened in outrage. “Blackguard! A gentleman should never treat a woman that way, let alone his wife. And why on earth did he present himself as a groom and not appear at his own house party?”

Olivia set down her teacup. She hesitated, unsure how to explain everything. “The duke speaks strangely.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you remember a maid we once had by the name of Cynthia before Father unfairly dismissed her?”

Ellie’s brows drew downward. “We were young, but I seem to recall she had difficulty speaking.”

“In a sense, so does the duke. He struggles with words. He has a stutter.”

“I see. That may explain some of his behavior, but I still find it inexcusable,” Ellie said. “You should know that the duke has frequented the Raven Club in the past.”

“He has?” She recalled when Tristan the groom had known of the Raven. She’d thought it odd then that a groom who worked a duke’s stables in the country would have even heard of the club. What a fool she’d been. Not only had he heard of the place, he’d visited it.

“He hasn’t worn a mask and people know when a duke is in their presence, but as far as I’m aware, he’s never spoken. I thought it odd but just believed the man wanted to be left alone. You do not need to speak to communicate with a dealer at one of the tables. Hand signals are more than adequate to place a bet.”

Olivia bit her lip. “I suppose it makes sense. He had no intention of ever appearing at his own house party.”

“He must be uncomfortable around others.”

“He stutters more when he is with others but not as much when we are together.”

Ellie looked at her with renewed interest. “That’s quite interesting.”

“I suppose.”

“Hmm. The duke is a handsome man,” her sister said.

“Ellie!”

“Oh posh, I’m happily married but not blind. Many women have vied for his attention here. Besides, it’s not what I think of the man but what you do.”

Olivia sat back on the cushions. “I hated the way he treated me after the ceremony. But the time we rode together—when I did not know he was a duke—I found him quite charming.” And attractive. Enough to kiss.

Her face must have revealed something that only a sister could see. “You kissed him.” It was more of a statement than a question.

She could lie, but why bother? This was Ellie, her closest confidant. “We did kiss, but it happened before I knew his true identity.”

“How was it?”

Scintillating. Heart-pounding. Much more arousing than her prior experiences with men, which had been limited to dances on a ballroom floor and a few secluded garden tours.

“It was pleasant,” she managed to say.

Ellie set down her teacup. “I do believe you should return to Keswick Hall.”

“You do?”

“I still think badly of Keswick for treating my sister abominably, but I’m also beginning to understand more. A duke who fears speaking must be distrustful of everyone. If your kiss is an indication, then there is hope for your marriage.”

“How?”