Page 61 of A Virgin for the Duke of Depravity
She turned and walked back to the mansion, no doubt to pack up her things and leave.
Leo deserved her scorn. That much was certain. He did feel like he had done a great disservice to the nun in his care, that he had abandoned her to her greatest fear.
What would he do if the Earl treated Margaret the way he had treated her mother? Would he even know if something bad happened to Margaret?
There were too many questions buzzing around his mind.
He stood from his spot at the base of the orange tree and wandered back to the mansion. Theresa had given him much to think about.
He stalked to his chambers, unsure where to go from here. Surely, a duke could figure out how to outsmart an earl at his own game.
CHAPTER 15
Margaret stood in the middle of the ballroom, the minutes ticking by until the auction was scheduled to take place. After Christopher made his reproachful remarks about her and his desire for money more than anything, she found that every other man was more unpleasant than the last.
Some of them were boring, which was by far the best she could say about them. Others were here merely for money, greed making it clear to her that they cared not one iota about her. Some had the same hungry look on her grandfather’s face, and she shuddered to think what her future would hold if they were to win.
Her grandfather stood back and watched her interact with each of them, a smile playing on his lips. At times, he looked genuinely pleased with himself for organizing this party. Other times, he looked as though thunder crossed his features—usually when Margaret did not respond the way he would have liked her to.
As each man came up to her and retreated, he offered her more advice. It did not escape her notice that the advice was always to increase the price for her hand.
“And where have you been all this time, My Lady?” One of the men was bold enough to voice what she was sure had been on their minds.
How could the Earl have a granddaughter whom he did not marry off until this moment?
“I have been in a convent,” she mumbled.
“A woman who fears the Lord.” The man nodded. “But what has made you rethink taking your vows?”
“Who is to say that I have rethought taking my vows?” Margaret batted her eyelashes and looked down. She would not make this easy for her grandfather. “I may return to the convent. The auction has not taken place yet.”
She chanced a look at her grandfather, whose face turned cherry red. She knew she was playing a dangerous game, defying the old Earl like this. But she could not bring herself to care.
“If you will excuse me and my granddaughter for a moment,” he said to the man. “I believe there is a matter we need to discuss.”
The man pressed a warm kiss to the back of Margaret’s hand before she walked away with her grandfather. He grabbed herroughly by the upper arm and, when they were out of earshot, yanked her around to face him.
“You willnotruin this for me,” he growled. “There will be no more talk of you returning to the convent. There will be no more talk of taking your vows. You are here to be married, and married you will be. Tonight.”
“I cannot ignore the Lord’s call,” she said steadily, hiding the fear she felt at defying her grandfather. “It is only fair to let the men know that they may have competition.”
“You will get back out there and make these men want you. Speak less, and when you do, make sure that your language befits your station. I own you, and you will do as I say.”
Margaret tried to look thoroughly chastised, but she could not commit herself to meeting his demands. So far, he had told her to smile more, stand taller, and speak less. Soon, she would be nothing more than a statue, like the statues that lined the drive to Riley Manor.
The Earl guided her to the next man who had come for her hand. At least he looked interested in her, unlike Christopher. He pressed a kiss to the back of her hand upon greeting her and smiled at her, revealing a perfect set of pearly white teeth.
“I regret that we had not had an opportunity to get to know one another before now,” he said, a wolfish smile crossing his face. “But I look forward to getting to know you tonight.”
Margaret could not believe what she heard. Would a man speak of being intimate with her before their marriage had even been sealed by the auction?
Had Leo been the one to do it, she would not have blushed. But she did not know his man.
“You will have to excuse me,” she said, withdrawing her hand and turning around to retreat from the ballroom.
“You could do better to look sweeter, more feminine,” her grandfather chided as she made her exit. “These men mustwantyou. And they cannot do that if you make it impossible for them to envision being with you.”
“I believe the last man had no trouble with his visions,” she said curtly.
