Page 109 of His Duchess' Mischief

“Ofcoursewe wanted to know,” Lucas spat. The rage in his voice was new. “I haven’t slept easily since that day—none of us have. But the fact remains that we have moved on, Radcliffe. We had to. Fernside is not coming back.”

Seth bit his tongue, wanting to reveal everything he knew instantly, but knowing they would never believe him.

They must hear it from the culprit, or I shall become the villain.

“Come over for dinner,” he insisted. “If I am wrong, then you have my word I will never speak of it again. I will never speak hisnameagain.”

Isaac sighed, placing his drink beside Lucas’s and staring into the fire. “I do not wish to banish him from our memories, Radcliffe. I just cannot stand another conversation about what happened to him. He slipped and fell. That is the end of it.”

“Come to dinner,” Seth insisted. “Michael will be there too.” The bitterness rose, sharp and unpleasant in the back of his throat. “It will be like old times.”

Lucas patted Isaac’s good knee and laughed, rolling his eyes. “We will be there, Radcliffe.”

Seth nodded, before rising to leave the club.

Tomorrow night, everything will finally come to an end.

CHAPTER 34

“Allof your friends are coming over for dinner? At once?” Alicia asked.

Seth was standing in the drawing room, his back to her, hands clasped behind him as he stared out the window.

Dove was playing on the floor between them, where Alicia had deposited her upon finding him there.

He hides from me for two days, and now he expects me to organize a dinner party?

Alicia narrowed her eyes at his back, willing him to turn around.

“I suppose it will be good to speak to them,” she said stiffly. “I barely had a chance on our wedding day. They were in your study, talking toyoufor most of it.”

Seth turned around, his handsome face more amused than chagrined by her irritation. “I know I should have spent more time with you on our wedding day. You have my apologies for my conduct.”

Hardly a declaration of love.

“And what shall we serve them?”

“Hm?”

“Your friends. What will they wish to eat?”

Seth’s expression darkened, and he walked over to her.

“A simple fare will do. They have never been complicated men. Perhaps steak for the main course. I know that Lucas loved it.”

“I am sure Miss Baines will be happy to accommodate it. And for dessert?”

Her breath caught in her throat when she saw something lurking at the back of his eyes—something dark and angry.

She had not seen that side of him since before their wedding.

“We will see if we get that far.”

Alicia frowned at him. “What do you mean?”

“I would ask for your faith in me, Alicia.” The sound of her name made his demeanor all the more intense. “I would ask that you follow my lead at tonight’s dinner, and the less you know, the better it will be.”

She smoothed a hand over her skirts, fidgeting in place, confused by his demand.

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