Page 3 of Bound to the Heartless Duke
He glanced at her. “I panicked and… I bet the house.”
She frowned, refusing to believe what she’d just heard. “You did what?”
“Bet the house. We could bet other things if we were out of money, so I bet the house. It was the only thing I could think of at that moment. They were going all in, and I had to use the chance. So I mentioned the house.”
Lily swallowed thickly and blinked twice in disbelief. “What house, Nathan? This house?”
Nathan lowered his head and nodded..
Instantly, her heart sank into her stomach, and she sat frozen for a moment. She blinked again, her eyebrows rising almost to her hairline.
“You were saying? You did what?”
It was hard not to descend into panic right then and there, as all she could think of was the possibility of them losing the manor. Their shelter.
“I bet the houseand lost it. I thought if I won, I would be able to pay most of the debt, if not all, and…” He shook his head. “But I lost it. We all did, actually, except one gentleman.”
Lily had stopped listening as his words sank in.
She bolted from the sofa, the abrupt move surprising her brother, and began to pace the hall.
So, he lost the house. Good gracious!
At least he didn’t bet Medlin Estate in the country just to lose it, just like he lost the manor. Besides, it was not like the estate was worth much anyway; it was almost in ruins. The last two Earls of Medlin, before her father, had all but neglected their duties and had barely used it. But her reckless brother had easily lost their home in a stupid bet.
He had never been good at gambling, and he had never been smart enough to know how bad he was at it, but he was reckless enough to take big, uncalculated risks while doing it. And now, because of him, they had just lost their townhouse.
Who knew what would happen if they were unable to repay the debt?
What if the debt collectors realized they were incapable of paying off the debt and returned to collect interest?
Lily heaved a sigh, feeling the beginnings of a headache.
Maybe she could strike a deal with whoever Nathan lost the manor to and at least try to save it—and their dignity.
Or, if the person was reasonable, she could try to explain Nathan’s carelessness and get the house back.
“Who?” she asked, turning back to look at her brother.
“What?” he sputtered, looking perplexed.
“To whom did you lose the house, Nathan?” she inquired. “Answer me.”
“Well, uh… it’s the Duke.”
A duke? It should not be that bad.
“Which duke?”
“I swear, I did not know it was him at first. I swear it. I didn’t even know he gambled. I would not have gone along with it if I had known it was him.”
“Which duke, Nathan?” she asked in a shockingly calm voice.
His sigh should have alarmed her, but surprisingly, the storm inside her had died down. There was nothing he could say that would surprise her anymore.
“Blackmore. I lost the house to the Duke of Blackmore.”
She gasped and clapped a hand over her mouth in shock.
