Page 21 of Her Duke Next Door
“Eloise is trapped inside a room and we need your help!”
“Katie—”
“No, this time I am serious, Papa!” She fought to keep the giggle from her voice as she tugged on his hand. He glanced down at where she tugged and his face softened.
“All right, all right,” he said. “Let me find Lady Yore and?—”
“No, you must come immediately! You are strong.”
She pulled him to where there were two voices coming from beyond a shut door. It opened beneath her hand.
“I thought you said?—!”
Katie shoved her father into the room and ran off to join Eloise, who was not stuck at all.We are so clever!She thought. And then a scream tore through the silent house.
“I told you I had done something,” Eloise smiled.
* * *
Mary was cornered against the window, drawn in beneath Hugh Yore’ intimidating glare and his wide body boxing her in. The very presence of him made her stomach turn.
“Do not think this house and your title will save you, Mary. I could have you stripped of everything if you do not become my wife.”
“My lord?—”
She shoved against his chest to no avail. She clenched his fists and pounded against his meaty, sweaty bicep. She grimaced. He was not a gentleman in the slightest. He was disgusting and she felt grimy from the proximity to him.
“I am not fooling with you, Mary. I shall take this house and everything in it. Even the very dress from your body.” He leered his gaze over her. “I will take your horses and your daughter?—”
“My lord, please!”
“Oh, I will.” He laughed. “If you do not obey me, Mary, I shall have that little brat in my carriage and back to London before you can even start to beg me or throw yourself at my feet.”
“Damn you!” she spat. “You will not lay a hand on my daughter. You are as disgusting as your nephew. He terrified women into submission, too.”
Her wrists were gripped and painfully wrenched back. Hugh loomed ever closer.
“I could take you right here, right now,” he drawled. “I could do anything I wanted and nobody is around to hear me.”
* * *
Dominique did not have the time to consider his daughter’s trickery—once again—when he heard the leering, disgusting voice that spoke to Mary.
He rounded the corner of the study and saw a terrified Mary with her face angled away from a man with long, lanky hair and a receding hairline. Heavens above, he was rancid.
Fury burst through Dominique as he started toward the man. Mary’s eyes flicked to him, drawing the man’s attention. As the man turned around to face the Duke, he let out a scream and clutched his shoulder. He began jumping about, crying out.
He jerked and tore off his coat. He wrenched back and shook the garment out and a black fuzzy thing akin to an insect dropped onto the floor, promptly squashed by the man’s foot.
“That blasted girl!” he yelled. “I will?—”
“You will do nothing,” Dominique told him with lethal quietness. “You will do nothing except quietly leave Lady Yore’ home.”
The man whirled around, his eyes wide, fixed on Dominique. “Sir?—”
“Your Grace,” Dominique corrected.
“Your Grace, I apologize. I did not know you were there. Mary and I are… old acquaintances.”
