Page 5 of A Trap by the Rakish Duke
Reaching into his breast pocket, Philip withdrew a few pages of parchment and held them out to the Earl.
It didn’t matter how badly his daughter seemed to be taking the news, the man owed him a great debt, and honor demanded satisfaction.
“Proof of the debts paid and now owed to me.”
Philip waited for the Earl to take the documents before lowering his arm.
The Earl’s tongue darted out of his mouth and swiped over his lips, and his eyes flashed with panic as they scanned the pages.
Philip allowed the man a few moments to read the letters before continuing.
“All of the signatures can be evaluated for forgery,” he stated coolly, glancing back at Aurelia, who had lifted her hand to her chest in utter shock. He tore his eyes away from her and focused on the Earl. “I am your only creditor now, Lord Keldbrooke.”
All the color drained from the Earl’s face as he stumbled to one side and gripped the edge of his desk for support.
Aurelia suddenly sobered, dropped her hand from her chest, took the papers from her father and angrily spread them across the desk.
“I refuse to believe that any of this is true. Papa, you must defend yourself. I know that you are not the man to whom the Duke is referring. Do not allow yourself to be bullied into paying debtsthat are not your own. Please, for the sake of our family, this must be some kind of mistake…”
The Earl held up his hand, silencing his daughter.
Aurelia took a step back as if she’d been slapped. “Father?” Her voice was faint and nearly hopeless as her eyes flickered with confusion.
Shooting his daughter an apologetic glance, the Earl pulled himself up to his full height and turned back to Philip.
“I shall be in touch, Lord Keldbrooke. Also, in case you have any ideas of fleeing the country, please know that my men will be keeping an eye on you and your home.”
He turned to leave, giving Aurelia one final glance.
“Wait, Your Grace!” the Earl suddenly called out to him, making him pause in the doorway.
Turning back to the man, Philip waited for the pleading that would undoubtedly come. He had wondered when the Earl, who had managed to escape his creditors for years, would put up more of a fight.
“What if…in exchange for some of the debt…if not all of it…” Elton Godwin licked his lips nervously before glancing at his daughter. “You can marry my daughter.”
He lifted his head proudly, but then he cowered again when Philip stared him down with a withering gaze.
“She is a virginal, sought-after beauty among the Ton. I will stake my life on that fact,” Lord Keldbrooke added.
“Papa! You cannot be serious,” Aurelia gasped in disbelief at her father’s offer and stumbled backwards in shock until she bumped against the desk.
Philip felt his insides roil with disgust. Not only had the coward murdered his brother and racked up massive debts, he was willing to hand over his only daughter as a sacrificial lamb.
“Your daughter has nothing to do with the situation at hand. Your offer is laughable.”
It took all his restraint to refrain from knocking the man to the ground in front of his daughter.
A dark look of resentment flashed across Aurelia’s face as she turned away from her father and glared at him.
Despite the situation they had found themselves in, Philip felt a growing sense of attraction toward Aurelia. Her fiery countenance intrigued him even more.
The Earl took a step forward and wrung his hands in front of him. “Please, Your Grace. I implore you to consider my offer. Aurelia is the dearest thing to me on this earth, even greater thanthe lands promised to your brother. I have nothing else to offer as payment. I do not wish for her to suffer alongside me in the coming months.”
Philip looked from the Earl to his daughter, who was still too stunned to speak. The man certainly seemed to care for her, even if he was willing to pawn her off.
Some punishments are greater than physical pain.
Philip considered the Earl’s position before his gaze landed on Aurelia, who seemed to snap out of her daze.
