Page 99 of A Duke Changes Everything
“They say you’ve become his lover. But we both know you should be mine.” His breath reeked of drink. Not of punch or champagne, but as if he’d been imbibing long before he arrived at the Claxton ball.
She used her other hand to pry his fingers off her wrist. A nail caught his skin and he yelped and released her, but he immediately leaned closer. The fumes of alcohol made her eyes water.
“I always did admire your fiery spirit, Mina.”
“Lyle,” Nick’s voice boomed from the end of the hall. “What does it take to get rid of you once and for all?”
Gregory sneered at Mina before turning to face Nick. “Perhaps you should pay my father another thousand pounds. We have plenty of other horses for you to buy for your whore.” He strode toward Nick, weaving unsteadily toward a side table. “Must burn to know I had her first, eh, Tremayne?”
Mina saw guests emerge from the ballroom, gathering in a curious cluster at the threshold. Her stomach pitched up into her throat and nausea swept over her. She shouldn’t have come. She shouldn’t have let her heart command her instead of using a smidgen of sense.
Nick stood still and motionless, but Mina knew his eyes. She could feel the heat of his fury from three feet away. But he was trying not to lash out. His jaw was a sharp-edged square. She suspected he was gritting his teeth.
“What in heaven’s name is going on?” Lady Claxton emerged from the ballroom, tapping her cane on the marble with one hand, lifting a lorgnette to her eyes with the other.
“Go back to the ballroom, Gregory,” Mina whispered. “Forget about me.”
She’d forgive him all the past ugliness between them if he’d just refrain from creating any more.
But when he turned back toward Nick, he let out a menacing chuckle and took two steps to plant himself in front of the duke. “How does it feel, Tremayne?”
“Let’s not do this, Lyle.” Nick retreated, removing himself from Gregory’s reach. “Don’t you want to find a partner for the next set?”
Nick sounded extraordinarily calm, his voice deep and commanding. Mina suspected she was the only one among the dozen or so guests assembled in the hall who could hear the tremor underneath the deep baritone.
He was exhibiting so much control, she had the ferocious urge to kiss him. Privately, of course. Where all that control would come crumbling down. But only for her.
When Gregory said nothing more, a few of the guests started back into the ballroom. Mina found herself breathing a bit easier.
Then Gregory lunged for Nick, an inelegant jut of limbs, so unsteady that Nick reached out a hand and planted it on Gregory’s chest to keep their bodies from crashing together.
“How does it feel?” Gregory repeated. “To want a woman as faithless as your own mother?”
Nick moved so quickly, the men’s black-clad bodies blurred. In an instant, he had Gregory pinned to the wall, his forearm locked under the man’s chin.
“Gentlemen, I forbid violence in my home.” Lady Claxton stumped forward and lifted her cane to tap insistently at Nick’s shoulder. “I’ve hosted twenty balls and never had a brawl, Tremayne. I shan’t tolerate one tonight.”
Gregory squawked out some word. Nick loosened his grip enough to allow him to repeat it.
“Bastard,” he rasped, clutching at his neck.
Nick stepped away abruptly and Gregory crumpled to the floor, clawing at his necktie, wheezing in huge gulps of air.
“Good evening, Lady Claxton. You won’t mind if I depart early.” Nick straightened his cuffs and shoved a hand through the strands of hair that had fallen over his brow.
He shot Mina a glance over his shoulder and her breath quickened. His eyes glowed and ink-black hair tumbled in disheveled waves around his face. His flushed skin highlighted his scar. In his eyes, she saw a fearsome brew of emotions.
He was angry, but with himself or her?
She held her breath, expecting a demand that she depart with him.
Instead, he turned his back on her and strode down the hall. Gentlemen stepped aside. Ladies covered their mouths when he turned a glance their way. One young housemaid squealed when he nearly knocked her over on his way to the front door.
“Everyone back to the ballroom.” Lady Claxton hooked her cane around her wrist and clapped loudly, as if every lady and gentleman in attendance was just another servant for her to order as she pleased.
For the most part, everyone did as she bid them.
Except that Mina couldn’t seem to make her legs carry her back downstairs, and Gregory still sat slumped against the wall, his unwound cravat balled in his hands.
