Page 68 of Bound to the Heartless Duke
Magnus didn’t answer.
Silence settled over them, punctuated by the crackling of the fire in the hearth. The two men sipped their drinks in silence andMagnus was once agaian lost in his thoughts about his current predicament.
He had seen Lily’s countenance fall when he had handled the matter of their marriage with the same efficiency with which he did his usualy business dealings but while he had been plagued by guilt all the while, he didn’t want to give her the impression that their marriage was anything more than that.
He enjoyed her presence and theirs could be a union full of passion filled nights but Lily was not a woman that would be comfortable with just that. She would begin to desire things he couldn’t give her and end up more miserable than he would have liked.
Suddenly, the door burst open, drawing their attention instantly.
Magnus looked up, his eyebrows knitting together.
Nathan stormed in, his face red and his eyes wild, as though he had walked straight from a storm.
“I demand satisfaction,” he declared.
Magnus turned slightly in his chair. “Pardon?”
“You heard me.” Nathan’s eyes flicked over him, flashing with resentment.” I challenge you. To a duel.”
Edwin blinked once and set down his wine glass. “Well, that escalated quickly.”
Magnus rose slowly from his chair, his wine glass still in hand, his expression unreadable. “A duel?” he repeated, like he was tasting the absurdity of the word. “And on what grounds, exactly?”
Nathan hesitated, letting out a dry chuckle. “I—You compromised my sister?—”
“She’s your sister,” Magnus said coldly, “not your property.”
Nathan laughed again, and it was more natural this time. “Oh, so now you know that? Don’t act as though you weren’t a menace to Cecilia and Theo.”
Magnus clenched his jaw. “Well, the experience taught me something, didn’t it? That sisters aren’t property.Womenare not property.”
“They are also not for you to ruin!” Nathan exclaimed. “Because this marriage will ruin my sister, you selfish bastard.”
That did it.
Magnus set down his glass with a deliberate calmness that scared Edwin himself. Then, he turned around and stepped forward, his expression cold and detached.
“You have already done that,” he said, his voice low. “Every time you picked up a deck of cards and pretended it was a solution. Every time you drank away her options. Every time she had to beg for help on your behalf.Youruined her, Medlin.”
Nathan swallowed hard. He opened his mouth to respond, but no sound came.
“So, let’s not pretend,” Magnus continued, stepping closer. “Let’s not pretend that this is about honor. This is about pride. Yours. Your bruised ego.”
He fixed Nathan with a hard look. “And whatever plan you had with Bailey, whatever you promised him, ends now. Do you understand?”
Nathan didn’t reply. Obviously he had common sense to keep whatever protests he had to himself.His displeasure was evident in the way his jaw was clenched so tight that the veins at his temples throbbed but it was also clear that his bravado was dissolving like ink in water.
Eventually, when there wasn’t much to say left, he jutted his chin. “I will ruin you,” he threatened.
“You already tried,” Magnus drawled. “You just lost.”
Nathan’s breath hitched. He glared at Magnus for a few more seconds before turning on his heel and hurrying out of the room.
The ensuing silence was absolute.
Edwin let out a low whistle. He had been quietly sipping his drink throughout.
“Well,” he muttered, eyeing Magnus carefully, “you’ve truly gone and done it now.”
