Page 4 of A Trap by the Rakish Duke
She is beautiful.
Her loveliness stunned Philip for a moment as he took note of her deep sapphire eyes. Her curvy figure was almost entirely visible through the fabric of her night dress. Her rich, thick blonde hair fell in wavy lengths down her back, making him wonder what it would feel like to run his fingers through it and tug on it. Her plump lips were pursed, drawing him in like a moth to a flame.
Philip had heard whispers of Aurelia Godwin’s beauty, yet none of them had done her justice now that he’d seen her in person.
He suddenly recalled the purpose of his visit.
“Think more carefully before you speak, Lady Aurelia. Your father does not deserve the loyalty you so readily display.” He cocked his head, ignoring the way her breasts strained against the fabric of her night dress. He wished she’d close her shawl again.
He swallowed hard, focusing instead on Lord Keldbrooke, who cowered behind his daughter. The distraction was almost unsuccessful, as he couldn’t help but glance back in her direction.
She stood her ground as she reached behind her back and held her father’s arm. “I implore you to think again, Your Grace. Duke or not, you have no right to barge into our home and make such damning accusations. You are either mistaken or misinformed.”
The slight lilt of defiance in her voice piqued Philip’s interest as he fought against the sudden desires that he felt toward her.
Her noble stance made it almost impossible for him to believe that she was related to the likes of Keldbrooke. How had someone this pure been raised by a vile man like the Earl?
“I can assure you that I am not mistaken. Your father killed my brother in an unfair duel,” Philip rubbed the tips of his fingers against his palms, trying to quell his irritation.
He had intended on facing the Earl alone. Arguing with his defiant daughter hadn’t been part of the plan.
Lord Keldbrooke was no better than the men who had attempted to collect their debts. No respectable man, in Philip’s opinion, would hide behind his daughter and allow her to defend his honor. But then again, no respectable man would cheat in a duel.
The Earl suddenly seemed to find his voice as he stepped out from behind his daughter. “I did not kill your brother! I won that duel fair and square. I demand that you leave at once! It is not my fault that your brother lost.”
As the two men glared at each other, Philip noted that the Earl seemed to have regained some of the smug composure that Philip had heard of.
Raising an eyebrow in a challenge, Philip sized up the Earl. “I have witnesses who state otherwise. Do you wish to disprove their claims with evidence of your own, Lord Keldbrooke?”
The Earl muttered under his breath as he shook his head. A flush rose to his round face and spread to his balding head.
Aurelia seemed confused as she glanced at her father, her innocent eyes full of questions. The poor girl didn’t seem to be aware of any of her father’s shortcomings, let alone the despicable acts he’d committed.
Philip could tell that she was beginning to doubt her father’s words of denial, yet he could still see a sliver of loyalty in the defiant tilt of her elegant chin.
Under normal circumstances, he would have found her utterly beguiling, yet she was the daughter of the man he hated more than anyone else.
“What d…do you want?” The Earl stumbled over his words, searching for the right thing to say as his face grew even paler.
Aurelia’s frown deepened further as she glanced back at Philip. She seemed to be caught in the middle of a crossfire that left her desperate for the truth.
“I want the land that you promised to my brother as repayment for your debts. There is also the matter of your gambling debts. The men who were here earlier were not aware of the fact that I have paid your debts in full. You are now indebted to me and me alone.” Philip’s tone darkened as he clenched his fists at his sides, holding back the anger that surged through him.
He wanted nothing more than to pummel the good-for-nothing man into the earth. Yet, years of experience had taught him that other forms of punishment could be more effective than violence.
There were more ways to kill a dog than hanging, especially when it came to men like the Earl.
“I don’t understand,” Aurelia whispered, her face blanching as even more doubts crept in.
Philip almost felt sorry for her as he realized that her entire world was collapsing upon itself. She was a victim of her father’s poor decisions.
“Tell me that none of this is true, Papa. The Duke must surely have the wrong man. You have never set foot in a gambling hall in your entire life. This man he is describing is not you.”
Her eyes were wide with disbelief as she searched her father’s face for an answer.
The Earl’s face suddenly darkened as he balled his fists at his sides and turned back to the Duke. “I will not be taken in by this, I tell you! How do I know that you aren’t demanding compensation for the loss of your brother out of a foolish notion of family loyalty? What if I pay you as you demand and you disappear into the night, leaving me with all of the old debts as well as the new?”
Aurelia gasped as her heart sank even further. The look on her face all but confirmed the fact that she hadn’t known about her father’s nefarious deeds.
