Page 8 of Bound to the Heartless Duke
And how irresponsible can a man be to send his sister to clean up his mess? And he is an earl, for that matter! What a disgrace to noblemen!
He lifted his teacup to his lips and took a small sip.
“I still don’t understand what this is about,” he said, feigning ignorance.
He was quite upset that such a dignified lady was doing this for her brother.
Lady Lily glanced at him before lowering her head. “Well, last night my brother told me that he bet our house and lost it to you.It is our home, and… we really cannot lose it,” she said, her voice thick with despair. “There is nowhere else we can go. So, I have come to negotiate.”
Negotiate?
Magnus nodded slowly, as though just understanding the situation.
“So, what do you have for me?” he asked, leaning back in his seat. “And why are you the one trying to solve this mess? I do not believe it noble your brother leaving you to do this.”
He watched as her cheeks reddened.
Her lips quivered for a moment before she slowly shook her head.
“Honestly, I do not have anything as of now, but… I just need to find someone to marry, and I could… Perhaps I could use the money to pay you in place of the house and?—”
“And how exactly do you intend to do that?”
It was a valid question, since she was a spinster. It might be hard to find a match through the matchmaker, and if she did, it wouldn’t be quite the same.
In her situation, she was like candlelight in the dark, attracting predators. In fact, Magnus knew a lot of men who would not hesitate to take advantage of her desperation.
“Well, I have a few things in mind, Your Grace. There is the matchmaker, for one. She could set me up with someone. And… I think I have a couple of leads. Before my father passed away, I had the opportunity to debut, and I had a number of offers.” She swallowed. “I know it won’t be the same now, but I’m willing to try. I will find a husband, and I will pay off my brother’s debt. I just need the time to figure everything out.”
Magnus bit the inside of his cheek. “And what if you are unable to find someone quickly enough?”
Her eyes shot up at the question, and he wondered if it had struck a nerve.
“I will,” she said simply, her lips barely moving. “I will find someone.”
He leaned forward in his chair, fighting back an amused smile. “But if you don’t?”
She didn’t reply.
It wasn’t easy for him to tell if she was considering her answer, or if she just didn’t know what to say.
No need to draw it out, then.
“When will you start? Your search for a match, that is.”
“As soon as possible, Your Grace. I just need you to give me a chance.”
“And how much time do you need?”
“I’m not sure.” she murmured, blushing.
“I do not think you understand the gravity of this… situation. Your brother lost a bet to me, and, to be honest, I have every right to the house—even more than you do, Lady Lily,” he told her with a straight face.
“I know. I know how bad it is, but I know we can resolve this issue with your help, Your Grace,” she pleaded.
He held back a smirk.
“I still have my doubts, My Lady.” He pushed himself up from his seat and rounded his desk. “I just don’t think this is as easy a task as you think it is. Now, the matchmaker might not be very hard to deal with, but what about the potential matches? Will they want you?”
