Page 51 of Trapped with the Forbidden Duke
“You and I both know that there is no easy fix to addiction,” Lucien sighed. “We saw enough destruction from opium when we were younger, no?”
Nicholas glared at him. “I pitied those fools. Now, I am one of them.”
“Your pride stops you from getting help, stops you from seeing that youneedhelp?—”
“Do not tell me what I need,” Nicholas snapped.
“Nicholas, your sister watched you collapse in the parlor. Will you have her watch you die?”
The Earl fell silent, and Lucien realized that he had gotten through to him, at least in a small way.
“I am here to tell you news of my engagement.”
Nicholas barked a laugh. “I think we are far past me being your best man,” he said drily. “Who is the unfortunate lady who will be shackled to an uptight bastard like you? What lady will you make miserable for the rest of her life?”
Lucien swallowed back the insults. “Edwina.”
There was a beat of silence, and he watched the rage spreading across Nicholas’s face. He tensed up, ready for blows.
Nicholas breathed heavily, staring at him, his gaze becoming more and more unhinged.
And then he erupted.
He lunged for Lucien, a shout of pure fury tearing from his throat. He reached for Lucien’s throat, but his body was not strong enough. He immediately crumpled, his upper body failing him and drooping. His arms went limp, dropping to the bed. He cursed, tears welling up in his eyes as he glared up at Lucien.
“Why?” he growled. “Why my sister, of all women you could have? Why must you insist on remaining in my life?”
“Because Edwina?—”
“Do not speak her name so informally,” Nicholas snapped.
“She is to be my Duchess, and she has granted me permission to use her Christian name,” Lucien shot back. “She is more than capable of making her own decisions, Nicholas, and she has accepted my proposal, for she understands that it is for the best.”
“What do you mean?” Nicholas’s voice was a rough growl as he lay back against the cushions.
Weakly, he reached for the jug, but his arms could not hold it up. Water sloshed over the sides, and he cursed again. Lucien was quick to lean over and pour him a glass. He offered it to Nicholas, who only glowered at him.
“I do not want?—”
“Do not be childish,” Lucien grunted. “Drink the water, Nicholas.”
Reluctantly, the Earl did. He gulped it down before he sighed as if the water was the best thing he had tasted in a while.
“You will listen to me while I explain,” Lucien continued, relaxing back in his chair. “I am not doing this to hold power over your head or flaunt anything. I am doing this because your family has no option, thanks to you. You have fallen into a severe addiction, and I do not think you understand the repercussions of your actions on Edwina.
“I wish to help you, whether you like it or not, for I cannot know about this problem and leave you to it. I will not hear of you dying in a puddle somewhere on the darker streets of London, chasing your next fix. You were once my closest friend. I will not sit idly by while you drive yourself and your family name to ruin.
“I am going to set you up in the countryside. You will be in a comfortable estate where you will be rehabilitated with proper medical care. You will have utter discretion and privacy, for I will handle everything regarding your reputation. Meanwhile, Edwina would be left alone, which is why I suggested our engagement. Do you wish her to be without her brother, without financial stability? This way, we can visit you regularly, and she can check on your progress.”
“And if I refuse this country rehabilitation?”
“Then you and Edwina will be destitute within months, if not sooner. Lord Stockton had already tried to use her to get repaid, and he is by far one of the tamer lords. Who else will you let harm Edwina?”
At that, Nicholas flinched. It was the most sober he had looked since Lucien had arrived at Montgomery Manor. His shoulders curved inward.
“Has she agreed to marry you for my sake?” he asked, his voice calmer and quieter than it had been in a long time.
Lucien nodded. “She knows that this is the best way to ensure that you are safe and cared for, and that you are not destroyed in every sense of the word.”
