Page 64 of A Virgin for the Duke of Depravity
It was as if the Earl did not realize that Leowasa Beast.
But it was not just Leo who heard the admission the man made. He looked to where Christopher stood nearby. Christopher’s jaw had dropped at the confession, making his scar look even more grotesque in its shape.
The other men had paused their conversations at the drama that was playing out between the woman they had hoped to wed and the greedy Earl who had gathered them here.
But Leo had very little opportunity to push the others to take action because the old man tried to reach past him to grab Margaret by the wrist. As he did, he yelled, “I should do the same to you!”
Leo did not have to think twice about what came next. His own arm moved of its own accord, catching the man’s hand mid-air as he grabbed at his granddaughter. Leo gripped it tightly and pushed him back until he heard the snap of bone.
The Earl let out a loud shout and gripped his wrist with his other hand. Leo pushed him back from Margaret to create some space, but the old man stumbled and fell. From his spot on the floor, he was forced to look up at Leo.
“You do not get to say another word,” Leo said, stepping on the man’s good hand and relishing his pained scream.
Margaret came behind him and placed a hand on his arm to stop him from punching her grandfather and doing further damage. “Leo, it is enough.”
He never took his eyes off the old man, whose jaw continued to work, though no sound came out. There were so many things he seemed to want to say. His face was red now, rather than purple. Leo thought that the shade of embarrassment was flattering on him.
“Leo,” Margaret said, finally drawing his attention.
He took her in and gripped her shoulders with his hands. He never wanted to take his eyes off her again. Her skin was still a delicate shade of pink, the color he was starting to think was as beautiful as her red hair.
Still, he could not deny that she was still upset. It was no longer just her hands that shook as he held her. Her shoulders shook as she shed tears for the loss of her mother. She sobbed quietly for the loss of everything she might have had and now would not because she would be Leo’s bride.
At least, that was what he told himself.
Margaret had gone out on a limb, declaring in the midst of some of the more prominent men of the ton that Leo had ruined her. He had no choice now but to make things right. To make her his wife.
Because she had already claimed him, he had no reason not to try to soothe her right now. He pulled her close to him and cradled her head against his strong chest. His arms wrapped around her back and held her tight, the only thing that seemed to stem the tide of tears.
“My mother…”
“His crime will not go unpunished,” Leo whispered to her. He pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head, so light that he was unsure if she could even feel it. “You are safe now.”
Then, he turned his attention to the room that was silent save for Margaret’s sobs. All of the men were watching him and Margaret with mild interest. Some of them came closer, caging in the Earl so that he could not stand up or get away.
“This auction is over,” Leo announcedto the remaining few. “I will be taking my bride with me. I’m sorry that you have wasted your time on a fool’s errand.”
Margaret leaned into his touch as he made his announcement. He had every intention of taking her back to his estate, but there was one thing he needed to take care of before they could leave.
He heard the shouts before he saw the men swarming the estate. Margaret looked around, and her eyes went wide. She tensed in his arms, and he pulled back from her. He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear tenderly.
“Nothing to be afraid of,” he assured her.
He led her to the door and threw it open, letting in the constables. Margaret looked at him with wonder.
“How did you know he would confess?” she asked quietly.
The constables were already rounding up the Earl, though it was no difficult feat. He remained on the floor, cradling his broken wrist in his good hand. One of the constables grabbed him by the upper arm and pulled him to his feet.
“You cannot do this to me!” he yelled at the top of his lungs as they hauled him out of the ballroom.
He continued to yell, letting out curses, as they dragged him to their carriage.
“His auction defied the Queen’s Edict,” Leo whispered to Margaret. “And he tried to take away what’s mine. My word will always be above his.”
Christopher was the first to approach the constables to give his statement about what had transpired. “He is a thief, bringing us here and demanding that we pay for the right to bid for his granddaughter’s hand. Not to mention, he confessed to murdering his own daughter.”
Leo could overlook their shared history and tragedy if he did the right thing by Margaret. His brother might have died in thatduel with Christopher, but it was because Christopher had his own moral compass. It might have been wrong in the past, but it wasn’t now.
