Page 81 of Enslaved to the Seduction of a Lady
Yes, there it is again.
He walked slowly to the front of the stables, his heart in his chest. His shoulders were curled in, his stomach roiling. He didn’t know what was about to happen, but he already dreaded it. He knew this couldn’t be good.
And then someone burst into view, holding up something that glimmered in the light. The reflection blinded Luke temporarily, and he raised a hand to cover his eyes.
“Luke Jones!”
Luke had a foul taste in his mouth as he stepped forward.
“Yes,” he said, “what is it?”
“This,” the man said, shaking the item lower now, out of the sun’s rays. It was a letter opener, Luke saw, and quite a valuable one at that, if Luke had to guess.
“What is it?” Luke asked. He licked at his dry lips, struggling to maintain his steady breathing.
“It’s the Duke’s, and it was found in your hut!”
“Petty thief,” someone shouted, and Luke started, shocked at the sound.
“It weren’t ‘im,” Joe said, coming up and patting Luke on the back. “If I know anything about our Luke, it’s that he’s more honorable than the rest of us put together.”
“Thank you, Joe,” Luke whispered. Then, louder, “There must be some mistake.”
“No mistake, Jones,” Jeffries said, rounding the corner and glaring at Luke. “And the Duke wants to see you. Immediately.”
Jeffries turned to leave but Luke called out. “Wait! Jeffries, come on. We know each other. You know I never would—”
“People are endlessly surprising, Mr. Jones,” Jeffries said. “One can never truly know a person.” The butler gestured to one of the footmen. “Grab him. He’s coming with us. His sister is already there.”
Luke shrugged off the hand that grasped him. “I’m coming. You don’t need to manhandle me. I’ll come by my own volition, because I know there has been some mistake that will quickly be cleared up.”
As he was marched to the main house, all Luke could think was how he couldn’t, he wouldn’t, ever steal from the Duke. Why would he, when he was so intent on becoming his son-in-law? It made no sense.
And then there was Jenny.
Poor Jenny. She must be terrified.
Luke knew, as well as he knew himself, that Jenny could not have done something like this either. She was always so concerned about her position; she loved working for the Salsburys.
“In there,” the footman said once they were inside the house. He shoved Luke towards the Duke’s study, and he stumbled but kept himself upright.
“Luke Jones, Your Grace,” Jeffries said, then left and closed the door.
Jenny was already there, stood in front of the desk, visibly shaking. Her shoulders were hunched and her head hung low between them, and he was certain he could hear her crying.
“Jenny,” he said, his voice soft, and he went to approach her, but the Duke’s bellowing roar made him stop in his tracks.
“How dare you come into my study with no remorse,” he said.
Luke turned and took a stumbling step backwards, shocked yes, but registering fear for the first time, too. His breath became nothing but rasps and his face turned ashen. It was the first time since the beginning of all this that he truly thought they might be in danger.
“But it wasn’t either of us,” Luke urged, regaining his sensibilities and taking a step forward.
“You expect me to believe that, do you? The thing was found inyourhut.”
“Then we’ve been framed. Surely you can see that, Your Grace. We’ve worked for you for many years, and we have never—”
“Enough!” The Duke roared again, his eyes bulging. “I do not care for your excuses, nor your attempts at getting out of this. I will not have thieves in my employ. You are both to get out of this house—”
