Page 60 of Taken By the Duke of Stone

"It was supposed to be cut and dry," he mumbled. "Someone to fend off my mother and the rest of theton. Now, it feels like it would have been far easier for me to go charging at thetonwith a blunt sword and half lame horse."

The viscount snorted, "that is a delightful image. But truly, man, it would not have taken a genius to realize that your entire mad scheme would end up with drink and regret. What were you even thinking getting into any sort of arrangement with a woman you were already fascinated with."

He glared at his friend. "It was not fascination."

"From the moment you bumped into her and she gave you that dressing down, I knew she was trouble. I thought you would have run in the opposite direction. After all, you have spent your entire life running from the slightest hint of a connection."

"If I had kept my hands to myself..." he trailed off. When he looked up, he found his friend studying him with eyes that saidmore than words. Patrick thought he was crazy for touching her, but the truth was that he was crazy for ever thinking he would not touch her.

Too much faith in his own willpower.

His collar felt too tight, but when he reached for it to loosen his cravat, he found that he had already discarded it and the top buttons of his shirt were undone.

"We always make that mistake," the Viscount said quietly. "Men like us always think we have it all under control and then a little wisp of a thing comes and snatches that control from right under you."

Victor laughed, "infuriating, isn't it?" And then the other man's words hit him. He tried to blink his inebriation away, "don't tell me you've gotten tangled in some debutante's net."

"I wish I could tell you that," he tried to grin but it came out looking rather like a grimace, "but the thing is, there is nowhere else I'd rather be."

The Duke plopped his bottle down on the desk and leaned forward, "Who is she?"

"The most bewitching woman on the face of the earth," his gaze was miles away and a soft smile played on the corners of his mouth. It was an amazing sight because Victor had seen no indication that his friend had met someone new.

Perhaps it was one of their old acquaintances. But why had he never mentioned her before tonight? Could it be that he had been too lost in Lavinia to notice anything else? Guilt twisted inside of him.

"I fear that I've fallen madly in love with her, and I cannot live another day without making her mine."

"I do not believe this," the Duke laughed, "I do hope that whatever plague you have caught is not transmittable, because I shall have to protect myself from it."

"It may be too late for that," he said seriously.

Victor frowned, "what?"

He decided that it was a discussion for another day, "Victor, I am in love with your sister."

There was a deathly silence in the room for a moment, "what sister?"

The viscount rose to his feet, "I am in love with Georgie and I wish to get your blessing to marry her."

Victor's face went from confusion to surprise to anger and then finally settled on a cold fury. "Get out."

"I don't suppose-"

He flew to his feet before he could finish his sentence and the bottle on the table teetered and crashed to the floor, raining glass and the remnant of whiskey. "Have you been putting your filthy hands on my sister?"

"It is not like that, I've loved-"

"How long?" His voice was whip sharp, "how long have you had your sights on her? How long have you been betraying me?"

Patrick's eyebrows drew downward, "this has nothing to do with you!"

"She is a child!"

"She is no more a child than Miss Proctor is. And don't you make it sound like I have been harboring thought of her for years. Georgie is wonderful and we have been friends for years but of recent, that friendship has transformed-"

Victor didn't want to hear it. "You had no right. She is my sister for God's sake."

"You may not realize this," Patrick said blandly, "but your sister is a woman. She is a marriageable lady of theton.In fact, you were all too willing to foist her off on the first suitable gentleman that crossed her path, so why not me?"

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