Page 64 of Once Upon a Devilish Duke

Edward heard the door open downstairs and the rush of noise as his mother, sister, and Rose returned. Only sheer bloody-mindedness kept him in his chair. He wanted to see Rose, but he also did not want to see her. He was embarrassed about last night. Shocked at how it had all gone so wrong and yet so right. That, instinctively, he had sought her out rather than his mother or valet was another thing to wonder about.

He found himself thinking of her constantly, and not all his thoughts were gentlemanly. He found himself sketching her face or staring out the window, imagining himself walking with her in the garden, his arm around her waist. Kissing her in the summer house. Kissing her in his carriage. Kissing her in the shadows at the opera. This was getting out of hand, but he did not want to give her up. Not yet. Not until he had to. Not until he knew she was financially secure and safe from the machinations of her brother.

He took out a fresh sheet of vellum and dipped his quill. He needed to focus on his work. He had an appointment with the Regent in the morning, and being distracted by thoughts of Rose was not getting his work done.

Close to midnight, he locked his report in his drawer and blew out his candle. It was early for him, but for some reason he was too tired to continue. Jameson was shocked to see him and jumped up to assist him out of his jacket.

“Is everything all right, Your Grace?”

“Yes, just need a good night’s sleep before seeing Prinny tomorrow.”

“Of course. May I fix you some warm milk or a brandy before bed?”

“No, thank you.”

The valet tugged off his boots. Edward tugged his shirt out of his pantaloons and pulled it over his head, declining the nightshirt Jameson offered, dismissing him for the night.

Walking to the chair by the fire, he sat contemplating the flames. For an insane moment, he considered going to Rose’s room. Why? Just so he could see her? He closed his eyes and gave himself a lecture. Rose should not be given so much space in his head, but he could not ignore her completely; he had promised to help her. Part of him just wanted to go to Brookhaven and tell him to stop with the threats and the court case, or he could make his life very difficult for him. Being a duke gave him some clout, but Cecil was not smart enough to take a hint.

Hopefully, just presenting him with the evidence that might damage his reputation would be enough to get him to recant on the court case. Give up his insane plan to use his sister as his personal bank.

Getting into bed, he punched the pillow into submission and tried to relax into sleep, but all he could do was dream of Rose.

The next day Edward’s solicitor came to see him. They had various topics to discuss, but chief among them was whether Brookhaven would go ahead with a court case against Rose.

“I must say, Your Grace, that Brookhaven was very taken aback by the news that we would fight him on the issue of his sister’s finances. He got quite angry at one point, at which time I left my card and departed. I have not heard from him yet, but I expect that he will drop the case against his sister once he has had time to read our offer.”

“So, he bloody well should, the bounder. If he counteroffers, we will not take the bait.”

“I would advise against it if he did, Your Grace. Normally, this type of man would just commit his sister to an asylum in order to keep her out of the way so he could spend her money how he wished. It is a sad state of affairs when greed takes over morality.”

“It is indeed,” replied Edward. Could he hope that Brookhaven was smart enough to take the generous offer he had proposed and leave his sister alone? “I wish to get the matter settled quickly for Lady Rose’s sake.”

“Of course. I made sure to put in the clause about never attempting to sue for her money again. The information that Lord Anthony was able to supply, compounded with the signed witness statements, should ensure that he never bothers his sister again.”

“One hopes.”

“If he does go ahead with the case, I do wish to caution you that the lady’s reputation will not come out unharmed, even if she wins. These matters do not often turn out well, even for the winner.”

“The scandal will blow over in time.”

“Yes, but everyone will know the value of her dowry. They will know of her allowance, and that makes her ripe for all manner of ill-mannered men to pursue her.”

“That is a tidy way of putting it, Barlow. I will not allow a fortune hunter to take her hand.”

“So, Lady Rose is under your protection, Your Grace?”

“As a guest under my roof, yes. I am sure when she finds the right fellow, she would not be opposed to a mutually financial union if the terms were right.”

Barlow narrowed his eyes for a moment then tapped on his hat. “Well, if I can be of any more assistance, please let me know.”

“Thank you, Barlow. Your work is excellent as always.”

“That is why you hired me, Your Grace.” He bowed and left the room.

Edward sat back in his chair with his hands behind his head, happy with today’s events. He would have loved to have seen Brookhaven’s face when he read the terms. Now to wait for Brookhaven to remove his petition.

He hoped it was soon so that Rose could stop having that little worry line between her brows. She hid her worry well, but he could tell it was wearing on her. He had tried to stay away from her, but every morning there she was in his breakfast room, looking lovely. If they were alone, she would slip her hand into his and then let him kiss her. He wished he could kiss her whenever he wanted, but he knew he should not be kissing her at all. She was a guest in his house, his sister’s friend. It was wrong, but he could not stop.