Page 12 of Bound to the Heartless Duke
That was when she just remembered that she still hadn’t told Nathan about the details of her deal with the Duke.
She couldn’t help but wonder how he would react when he found out, especially seeing his reaction upon learning that she had struck a deal with the Duke.
Summer had already shown the Duke to the drawing room by the time Lily got there. She hung back a little, listening in on their conversation.
“Would you like some tea, Your Grace?” Summer asked, her voice low and soft.
“No. Thank you,” the Duke’s baritone voice replied. “You can go.”
Summer passed Lily on her way out with a panicked look. Her cheeks were red and she looked even more startled to see Lily standing in the hallway. She sent the girl a look, warning her not to alert the duke to her presence.
Lily found herself watching the Duke intently. He was standing by the sofa, glancing around the room as if taking it all in.
He looked completely out of place, like a budding flower in a wasteland. The mere sight of him made her breath catch; it felt like she had laid eyes on him for the first time.
He was… quite a handsome man. Very easy on the eyes.
Reminding herself who it was she was admiring so much, she gulped and stepped into the room. She didn’t know if Nathan was on his way to join them, so she had begun to think of an excuse on his behalf when the Duke looked in her direction.
His glaring green eyes stopped her short, and it took a lot of her willpower to move again. Her eyes locked onto his, and she proceeded to rehearse her excuse in her head, silently praying she would not stutter when it was finally time for her to speak.
But then he looked away from her to something behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Nathan following behind her. She hadn’t even noticed that he had left the dining room.
“Quite a place you have here, Lord Medlin,” the Duke remarked.
The mockery in his tone as he addressed her brother did not escape her notice.
“Y-Your Grace,” Nathan greeted, clasping his hands behind his back. “Welcome.”
Where did his confidence go?
Lily took a deep breath, steeling herself, and stepped further into the room. They both stood in front of the Duke, as though awaiting instructions from their master.
She watched as the Duke ran his eyes over the two of them, lingering on her for a second longer. Maybe it was her imagination, but she could swear she saw a strange gleam in his green eyes. Itcalledto her.
She flushed slightly and shifted her weight from one foot to the other.
“To what do we… owe this auspicious visit, Your Grace?” Nathan asked, drawing the Duke’s attention.
Lily took the opportunity to avert her gaze.
The Duke paused, his lips twitching.
“Oh, you haven’t been told?” He fixed her with a mocking look, then looked back at Nathan. “I made your sister a deal two days ago. If both ends are kept, you’ll keep the house,” he explained slowly, as if speaking to a boy.
He turned and began to pace.
“She offered to pay off your debt in place of the house, but she cannot do that because you keep gambling away your family’s fortune.” He smirked. “So, your sister here has decided to find a wealthy husband and to have him pay off your debts. Is that not a heroic act?”
Lily felt the blood rush to her cheeks as Nathan cast a glance at her before turning back to the Duke.
Not quite the reaction I was expecting…
She lowered her head in a bid to remove herself from the conversation.
“On one condition, of course,” the Duke added, and she could almost hear the smirk in his voice.
Lily looked up at Nathan just to catch his reaction to that, too.
