Page 73 of How to Ruin a Rake

“Good morning, your grace. I thought you were coming tomorrow.” Max tried to mask his surprise.

“I had a change of plans.” The duke poured himself more coffee from the silver pot at his elbow. “Are you going to eat or stand there gawping at me? We have a lot to discuss, but not at the breakfast table. The earl has offered me his study for our deliberations.”

Max got himself some food and made himself eat it. No one came to join them so he assumed the family had been told to stay away. He had no way to warn Allegra that his father had returned. He could only hope that someone would do so. He still had no idea what he was going to say to his father, which wasn’t ideal. Even if it destroyed his recently improved relationship with the duke, his first priority was to make sure that Allegra was protected from harm.

Twenty minutes later, the duke rose from the breakfast table and looked down at Max. “Are you ready to join me?”

“Yes, your grace.” Max stood and followed his father out into the hall and across to the earl’s study. There was a flurry of movement on the landing upstairs, and he wondered which of the Musgrove ladies was watching him. He could only hope that one of them would warn Allegra.

The duke went to stand in front of the fireplace, and Max joined him.

“I regret to inform you that gossip about Lady Allegra’s scandalous meeting with you is still rampant in London, fanned mainly by your old friend Landon,” the duke said.

All hope that his father might have some positive news to report died in Max’s chest.

“That is both unfortunate and unfair,” Max said. “And Landon is no longer my friend. I made that quite clear to him on our last meeting.”

“Which might explain his continued hostility toward you.” The duke paused. “I am firmly of the belief that your marriage to Lady Allegra is the only way to fix this.”

Max let out a long breath and looked his father in the eye. “Yes. I agree. The issue now is whether I can persuade the lady to change her mind.”

“She is still resisting you?”

“She has another suitor.”

The duke raised an eyebrow. “Of your status? I sincerely doubt that.”

“She says she does not care for such things.”

“Then she is a fool.”

“I can assure you that the only fool in our marriage would be me,” Max said. “Lady Allegra has a quick wit and a sharp intelligence that one cannot help but admire.”

His father considered him. “I will speak to her father again and attempt to make him understand how vital this match is for his daughter.”

There was a tap at the door, and the earl looked in. “May I interrupt? I thought it might be beneficial to bring all parties together to sort this out.”

“That is an excellent suggestion,” the duke said. “Please join us.”

Allegra came in behind the earl. Max tried to catch her eye, but she wouldn’t look at him, which was extremely worrying. There were dark circles under her eyes, and her lips were pressed tightly together. He wondered whether she’d slept as badly as he had and exactly what conclusions she’d arrived at during her hours of wakefulness.

“Now, shall we all sit down?” the earl said.

Max hurried to place more chairs around the fire and waited until Allegra sat before the men all joined her.

“My son has agreed to the marriage,” his father, of course, spoke first.

Allegra’s gaze flicked toward him and he attempted a reassuring smile, which he suspected came out more as a grimace.

“Allegra?” The earl turned to his daughter. “What do you say to that?”

Max held his breath as she turned to the duke.

“I … accept.”

“Good,” the duke said, and reached over to shake hands with the earl. “I have come up with a convincing story that I hope will convince the ton to let the manner of their meeting become irrelevant.”

“How do you intend to do that?” the earl asked.