Page 29 of Trapped with the Forbidden Duke
Lucien gave them all one more cursory glance. “Good.”
Leaving them to it, he walked away and hailed his carriage to return to Montgomery Manor.
A crash echoed through the house, waking Edwina.
She gasped and bolted upright, her eyes snapping to the door. Already on her feet, she did not bother with a robe and simply ran out of her room and down the hallway, her thoughts lingering on that broken window from several nights ago.
She could only hope that the sound did not wake her aunt.
When she slowed to a halt outside of her brother’s room, she found the Duke of Stormhold there—once again.
His brow was furrowed, and his hair was mussed as though he had been roused. His eyes landed on her, alert and full of questions she could not answer.
She did not have time to notice the deep muscles disappearing beneath his waistband, for she could only see the unconscious footman on the floor, a bruise forming on his temple.
“This is…” she trailed off, stepping closer. “This footman was ordered to watch Nicholas. I—sometimes my brother has aches in the night, and night terrors from the war, of course. When he’smost disturbed, I order a footman to watch him, in case anything happens. In case he jumps out of the widow again.”
It was a feeble excuse, but the Duke only nodded, looking around the room grimly.
“He did not do a good job,” he noted, nodding ahead.
Edwina, her heart heavy and dread pooling in her stomach, stepped forward.
The window, which the Duke had repaired immediately, was open, leaving the curtains to billow in the night breeze.
Her brother had never hurt anyone to escape before—at least not that she knew of. He was that desperate to escape their home, to chase another high, to spiral further and further. She had not seen these levels of desperation since he had first become addicted.
“You will stay here tonight,” the Duke said. “I already know you are thinking of looking for him, but remember what happened last time. He came home to an empty house and drank himself almost to dea—” He broke off, frowning.
“I will go with you,” Edwina insisted. “I will not be told to stay here as though I cannot handle this situation, or myself. I havebeenhandling it for a long time, Your Grace, and I will not hear a word about how I must stay here.”
“It is dangerous out there?—”
“And Lord Stockton stormed into Montgomery Manor while I was in it, so which do you prefer? I go with you and remain under your protection, or stay here alone?” She raised an eyebrow at him, meeting his stubbornness with her own.
“Your aunt?—”
“Is no help in a dangerous situation,” she snapped. “Do not patronize me, and do not tell me to stay here while you search for my brother. I will not, and that is final.”
She gave him another withering scowl before she stalked off down the hallway to change into a more appropriate dress, leaving him speechless.
When they were finally in the carriage and on their way to town, passing all the reputable establishments, Edwina was nervous at the sight of the shadier buildings, the rougher streets, and the men and women who peered at the carriage with interest. Yet, in her stubbornness, she refused to voice her concerns.
“Keep your head low,” the Duke told her. “And take off your jewelry before we leave the carriage. You must not give anyone a reason to notice you too hard.”
Edwina nodded, already familiar with this routine.
Her stomach churned. How could her brother willingly enter places like this? Edwina could not pretend to understand his addiction fully, but to think that it led him to places such as this part of town… it did not sit well with her.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“I did some digging yesterday,” the Duke began. “Some men made some suggestions about your brother’s whereabouts. First, we are going to Madam Molly’s.”
Edwina’s heart stopped. “You think my brother has knocked out a footman and escaped to visita brothel?”
“Men do far less for far more,” he answered her curtly.
She fell silent, uncomfortable.
