Page 48 of Bound to the Heartless Duke
“God, is this a scandal now?” Magnus scoffed, downing his drink. “Yes, I’m at Medlin.Temporarily.”
William glanced toward the fire. “Like I said, Lily is a good woman. She doesn’t deserve to be dragged into a mess not of her making.” His tone suggested that his wife might have enlightened him about Lily’s misery.
Magnus stiffened. “You know me well enough to know I wouldn’t do anything remotely irresponsible.”
“I think you forgot that it’s easier to break something when it doesn’t belong to you.”
Edwin cleared his throat, already uncomfortable.
“Let’s not do this tonight,” he interjected.
But Magnus kept his eyes on William. “You think I’m trying to hurt her?”
“I think you’ve never cared about playing fair,” William said, not unkindly. “You want what’s owed to you—and I understand that. But Lily isn’t a debt to be collected.”
Now, Magnus knew for sure that Eveline had expressed her concerns about Lily.
“I’m well aware,” he snapped. He set down his glass with a thud, frustration flaring in his chest. “You think I enjoy any of this?”
William didn’t answer.
“I didn’t ask to be dragged into Medlin’s mess,” Magnus continued, his voice low. “I didn’t ask to deal with Nathan’s recklessness or Lily’s goddamn resilience. But someone has to. Someone has to save them.”
“Careful, Magnus. You sound almost noble,” Edwin remarked dryly.
Magnus ignored him.
“I’m not trying to ruin her,” he said. “I know who she is. I know her better than you do. She’s not a victim.”
“No,” William agreed, his voice quieter now. “She’s not. But she’s not your enemy either.”
That silenced the table for a moment.
Waiters came and went to refill their glasses. A man shouted a curse somewhere in the back, seemingly having lost a game.
Eventually, Magnus leaned back and exhaled slowly.
“She wants to save him,” he muttered. “Nathan. She thinks if she marries well, it will fix everything.”
“She always believed in fixing crooked things,” William commented.
Magnus did not respond.
He didn’t blame Lily for what she was doing. Not really. He knew what it was like to carry someone else’s burdens. Knew the weight of being the last man standing, expected to make something out of ruin. But that didn’t mean he’d forgive Nathan or the debt he owed.
Someone had to remember what was fair, even if fairness cost more than he’d meant to spend.
“Do you ever think,” Edwin said suddenly, swirling his drink, “about the trenches?”
William gave him a look, fighting back a smile. “You pick the strangest times to reminisce, don’t you think?”
“I mean it. Remember how Magnus used to be back then? Wouldn’t back down from a single argument. Thought he could outstare death itself.”
“I could,” Magnus muttered, the tension leaving his shoulders.
“You couldn’t even outstare Lieutenant Bridgemore.”
“He wore spurs with everything. He wasn’t a real threat.”
