Page 63 of His Grace, the Duke
“Absolutely not.” He moved behind her and helped himself to the drink cart, pouring himself a generous measure of wine.
“Why not?”
“You just said that as my friend, I must help you and offer advice. So here it is: You have to learn to fight for yourself, not just for others. That is the first and last time the likes of Marianne Young gets to make you cry. Do you understand me?” He drained the glass of wine in two gulps, smacking his lips as he pulled it away. “You retreated, and in so doing, you gave her the field. The battle is lost.”
She stifled a laugh. “Am I at war then, sir?”
“All life is war,” he replied somberly, refilling his glass.
His words hit her right in the chest. She knew how much truth they contained.
He stepped forward and put a brotherly hand on her shoulder. “If you go out there now, I guarantee you that Mrs. Young and all those sparkling ladies will be waiting for you. The gossip rags have not been kind. You and James were careless, and you must pay the price. He won’t. Men never do,” he added. “Onlyyouwill pay.”
“What will they do to me?” she whispered, eyes wide.
“Do?” He snorted. “They won’tdoanything. That’s the whole point. If you go out there, they will sneer and snarl and do nothing. And by doing nothing, they will know they have beaten you. There is no regaining the ground you’ve lost tonight. All you can do is retreat and return to fight another day.”
She raised her gaze to him, desperate to puzzle him out. “Is that how you survive in society, Your Grace?”
He was quiet for a moment. “If you want to beat them at their game, you must learn to do as I do.”
She raised a wary brow. “And what is that?”
“Refuse to play,” he replied. “If they want you to fight, retreat. If they want you to run, stand your ground. If they’re playing whist, well then strip off all your clothes, do a merry jig, and play hazard instead. Keep them guessing. Keep them confused. And by all the gods, keep them entertained.” At this, he raised his glass and gave her a wink.
She couldn’t help but smile, but it quickly fell. “You know... your position in society is far more enviable. You have a power none of the rest of us can wield,” she challenged. “As a duke, you cansetsocietal expectations.”
He poured himself another glass of wine. “Hmm... I’d never thought of it that way.”
She dared to take a chance. “You want me to be bold. You say your friends must stand up for themselves... but do you follow your own advice? Do you fight for yourself and what you want, or do you leave it all in your brother’s hands?”
He frowned, his entire mood swinging to dark and brooding in an instant. “Are you calling me a coward, Miss Harrow?”
“Your Grace, no—I—”
“Because you can save it,” he snapped. “I know I’m a coward. I know I disappoint everyone. I know I am the worst duke to ever live.”
“Only because you choose to be,” she replied, her voice soft.
He huffed, drowning himself in more wine.
“But you’re wrong in one respect,” she murmured. He turned to face her, a glower on his face. She gave him a weak smile. “You’ve never disappointed me.”
He blinked, as if he didn’t understand her words. After a moment, he murmured, “Thank you, Cabbage.” Suddenly, he offered out his hand. “Now, leave with me. I’ve heard enough Haydn for a lifetime. We shall seek our entertainment elsewhere.”
Her heart fluttered. “You told me I can’t leave the room—”
“I said you can’t rejoin the vultures. I never said you can’t leave,” he corrected.
“How would we leave without showing our faces?”
But he was already moving to the door. “We’ll go out the window, of course.”
“The—what—”
He flung the door open, barking for a footman.
“Yes, Your Grace?” said a young man with a freckled face.
