Page 74 of Lady Gambit
Theo wouldn’t kill him.
Dorian was more than a match for the man, and he was confident the Chance brothers wouldn’t hurt Delphine. There would be a fight, punches thrown, blood spilled, bones broken, but he would live to see another day.
Without waking Delphine, Dorian slipped out of bed.
The sight of his naked body had Theo firming his jaw. “There’s nothing more loathsome than a man who ruins an innocent.”
“She’s not ruined if I marry her.” He yanked up his trousers and reached for his shirt, guilt sitting squarely in his chest.
The sight of the scars on his back had Theo inhaling sharply. He did not ask how Dorian came by them but muttered, “I see another disgruntled brother punished you for your sins.”
Being born on the wrong side of the blanket was his only crime.
“Your comments say a lot about your character.” Dorian pulled on his boots. “You’re a man who makes careless assumptions.”
“You were naked in bed with my sister. It’s a fact, not abloodyassumption.” Theo’s hostile glare followed Dorian into the dim hall. He closed the door gently behind him and gestured to the stairs. “Summon your coachman. We’re going on a journey. Be warned. It may be your last.”
“Do I need duelling pistols? I gave you my best pair.”
“You don’t need pistols.” Theo marched him downstairs like a thief destined for the gallows. “We’ll fight like men, not pampered dandies.”
So, it was to be a bare-knuckle brawl.
Luckily, Dorian was skilled in the art of pugilism.
He summoned Briggs, though it took the man thirty minutes to dress and ready the carriage.
While Dorian stood wondering how the night would unfold, Theo whispered to Gibbs at the coach-house door before saying, loud enough for Dorian to hear, “Remain in the house. Protect Delphine with your life. Unlike some, I’m sure you mean to keep your vow.”
They travelled two miles in silence, except for Theo’s groans as he nursed his wounded shoulder and cursed Dorian to the devil. When they left the Newington Road, it was clear they were heading towards London Bridge and most probably Aldgate.
“You’re taking me to Fortune’s Den.” It was a statement, not a question. Theo would not be his opponent. Dorian would take a beating from the King of Clubs. A man feared by many and unrivalled when fighting with his fists.
“Damn right. Aaron suspected something was amiss when Delphine insisted she stay one more night. As did I when her eyes turned dreamy at the mention of your blasted name.”
Delphine!
Dorian knew that soft, faraway gaze, as compelling as the dance of sunlight on the sea. He lost himself in those soulful brown pools, found himself the moment he pushed deep into Delphine’s welcoming body. When they were together, the world around them disappeared. Protecting their undeniable bond was all that mattered. Nothing these men could do would ruin his future plans.
Theo shook his head and uttered, “Devious bastard.”
“Have you ever been in love?”
The question took Theo by surprise. His haunted gaze shifted to the window as if a monument to heartbreak and humiliation could be found there. “Love is a conjurer’s trick. Nature’s ploy to force men to procreate. A device to secure the survival of our species.”
“I was just as cynical once.” He’d believed love was a weapon. Now he knew true love healed. It did not maim. “If you think that’s all love is, then you have never wanted a woman the way I want Delphine.”
Theo slapped his hand on the seat. “You’ve no right to speak her given name.” Anger emanated from every fibre of his being. He was within his rights to throttle Dorian, but there was no doubt the mention of love had opened old wounds. “If you’d kept your cock in your trousers, I might believe you.”
“I want to marry her.”
Mile End had never felt like home. Delphine brought warmth to every cold corridor. She brought chaos and laughter and a deep sense of belonging.
“As if we’d let?—”
“I’m going to marry her.” He’d never been more certain of anything in his life. Woe betide anyone who tried to stop him.
Theo gestured to Dorian’s mussed hair and crumpled clothes. “And you think this is how to seek her family’s approval?”
