Page 14 of Not the Duke's Virgin

“I had hoped we could talk, once you’d returned,” Simon said evenly.

Oliver collapsed into a chair, glaring. “Come to plead again for my reform? Spare your breath.”

“I witnessed your losses tonight, Oliver,” Simon pressed on. “It pains me to see you squandering our money so recklessly. For what? Fleeting thrills and momentary escape?”

Oliver’s hand clenched on the arm of the chair. “My choices are none of your affairs. I’m not beholden to your stringent standards.”

“But you are beholden to those sharks at the gambling halls!” Simon retorted, struggling to remain calm. “By tomorrow, your debts will be sold to whoever will grant an extension of credit. Is this how you wish to live?”

“You know nothing of my reasons,” Oliver snarled and walked away to his chambers.

Simon watched him stumble out the door, his jaw clenched. Once more, his efforts had been futile. More drastic action would soon be required, for the family’s sake.

CHAPTER4

Victoria sat in the drawing room, lost in thought when a knock sounded at the door. A footman entered, presenting her with an elegant letter on a silver tray.

“A letter for you, Lady Victoria.”

“Thank you, William,” Victoria said, setting aside her book to take the letter.

She recognized the Duke of Hayward’s seal and quickly broke it open, scanning the contents of the letter. A flush rose to her cheeks as she read the invitation to a small house party.

Later, as her lady’s maid, Sarah, helped prepare her for the ball, Victoria pushed aside her worries over the letter.

“You look lovely tonight, Lady Victoria,” Sarah remarked as she arranged Victoria’s dark brown hair.

“Thank you, Sarah,” Victoria replied with a smile.

Once alone again, Victoria’s thoughts swirled. Whatever could the imposing Duke want with her, a mere earl’s daughter? She felt sure it must be related to the sham courtship between her and his ne’er-do-well brother. But how could he have uncovered the truth? No, it was impossible, her secret was closely guarded.

The notion was absurd, and yet no other explanation presented itself. Unless…

Victoria’s stomach sank. Unless the Duke had somehow uncovered her family’s closely guarded secret and meant to use it against her. But no, she reassured herself, that was surely impossible. Only her cousin Madeline knew the truth of why she had allowed herself to become entangled in Oliver’s schemes.

As if summoned by her thoughts, Madeline herself bustled into the room in a rustle of skirts. One look at Victoria’s pale, drawn face had her rushing to her side in concern.

“Dear cousin, whatever is the matter? You are white as a sheet!” Madeline peered anxiously into her face, pressing a hand to her forehead. “Are you unwell, Cousin?”

Mutely, Victoria passed her the engraved invitation with the Duke’s bold, masculine signature across the bottom. As Madeline quickly scanned the heavy card stock, her eyes went wide.

“The Duke requests your presence himself? At a house party?” She grasped Victoria’s hands. “Oh, heavens, what can it mean?”

Victoria shook her head helplessly. “I confess I do not know, save that it bodes ill. Surely the Duke intends to expose me before his peers as a conniving fortune hunter.”

Madeline began pacing across the carpeted floor, wringing her hands fretfully. “This is a disaster! If His Grace learns the truth of your association with that blackguard Oliver…” she trailed off, her face paling.

Though she shared her cousin’s fears, Victoria forced herself to remain outwardly calm. “Peace, Madeline. We do not know the Duke’s motives.” She tried to make her voice soothing and reasonable, though her heart was racing. “Perhaps he merely seeks better acquaintance.”

But privately, she shuddered at the thought of spending more time under the intense scrutiny of the powerful, intimidating Duke. Those penetrating dark brown eyes seemed to strip away all pretense and falsehood. Victoria had never felt so exposed as when in his presence, as if he could see into the vulnerable places of her soul. It unnerved her greatly.

Madeline, however, was not so easily placated. “I do not trust this, not one bit,” she insisted, her brown eyes stormy with worry. “What if that snake Oliver reveals our precious secret to his brother? It would mean utter ruination!”

Victoria blanched, her gut clenching at the mere thought of her closely guarded family secret being so cavalierly revealed. Hastily, she grasped Madeline’s arm and steered her into the dressing room, shutting the door firmly behind them.

“Hush now, we must take care!” she whispered urgently.

Madeline looked stricken, clearly regretting her impulsive words.

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