Page 60 of Trapped with the Forbidden Duke
Edwina bit back a retort. Her husband could have told her that himself had he not outright rejected her the night before.
Bidding the housekeeper goodbye after conveying her gratitude, she retreated into the library, but not before a flash of auburn hair caught her eye.
She turned, seeing Lucien striding down the hallway towards her, but as soon as his eyes locked onto hers, he stopped.
Stop.
She heard his command in her head, and her face burned. Her chest tightened, humiliation creeping back up.
He cleared his throat, looking as though he was searching for something. His lips moving as he muttered to himself, he turned on his heel and walked into another room.
As soon as Edwina entered the library, hoping to avoid him, she heard him walk past the doorway.
She looked at him, and he at her, before he turned his head away sharply, as though pretending he had not been looking for her as he passed.
For a moment, she watched as he disappeared down the hallway, before she busied herself.
His rejection had been enough; she did not need to wait around for more. Instead, she turned to face the expanse of books before her, a world of words at her fingertips.
A giddy rush overtook her lingering embarrassment. Moments later, tea was served, and Edwina finally settled in an armchair, a book open in her lap.
“I do not care how much it is,” Lucien sighed, his voice tight with irritation. His patience was wearing thin. “Just assure me that they are all paid off.”
“I am trying, Your Grace, but the Earl of Montgomery owes a great deal to many creditors. Some are officially registered, others not.”
“You have people who can investigate,” Lucien all but snarled. “Ipay youto arrange those investigations, so I can walk away from this ordeal knowing that the Earl’s money is fully his going forward. I need to know if he has other outstanding debts.”
His solicitor, a tall, wiry man who usually was very efficient, was testing his patience that day.
For the last couple of days, Lucien had barely slept. Something about the stillness of the countryside unsettled him. It disjointed him from his usual state.
“I will continue the search, Your Grace,” his solicitor said. “The Earl… well, he has been rather careful about the names of his less savory creditors.”
“Then interrogate every dealer, gambling den owner, and lowlife you can find, or I shall. And you will not receive further payment for handling such matters.”
“Your Gr?—”
“Stop.” The command was sharp, and Lucien pinched the bridge of his nose. “All I am asking is whether youcanfind out the creditors’ names and ensure that the Earl’s debts are paid off. Can you do that?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Keep me informed. You may leave.”
His solicitor gathered the papers and stood up to leave his study without another wasted moment.
Heavens, Lucien was tired of cleaning up Nicholas’s mess.
His offer to assist the family, to help them recover financially, was draining him. He had plenty of income streams; that was not the issue. But every time he felt as though he had finally handled the last of it, he discovered darker details about Nicholas’s debts and addiction.
Part of Lucien still could not believe that his friend had fallen prey to such a terrible thing and had never told him. He could not believe that Edwina, even in her own righteous, protective way, had not told him the whole truth. However, if laudanumhad convinced Nicholas he was shunned by everybody, then it should not be surprising that he had not confided in him.
Leaning back in his chair, Lucien sighed heavily.
Over the last couple of days, he had been avoiding his wife, but he could hear her.
He heard her speaking with Mrs. Galley during the evening when she finished dining alone after he had already made a point to eat.
He heard her speaking with her lady’s maid as she was dressed for the day, since their rooms were connected.
