Page 9 of A Virgin for the Duke of Depravity
He wanted to know more about her: how she had learned to hide, whom she had hidden from. She was unlike any woman he had ever met, a woman who did not defer to him merely because he was a duke.
From the way her eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms over her chest, he knew his offer intrigued her.
“What is it?”
“Stay with me. Tell me all of your mischievous ways,” he said simply, gesturing toward the stairwell beside them. “As you can see, I have been having a difficult time with my nieces. It seems that you understand them better than I could ever hope to.”
“You must be out of your mind!” Her mouth hung open, her eyes wide with surprise at the implication that she might stay with him for even a brief period. “In a week, I will take my vows. I will belong to God! You cannot possibly think that?—”
“And until then, you will belong to me.”
CHAPTER 4
Could the Duke truly mean that? Would he offer his protection at the cost of her virtue? Margaret could not help but gasp at his offer. Before she could even process it, she had involuntarily stepped away from him. If he noticed, he did not let on.
Her virtue mattered. She was to be a woman of the cloth. This would not tarnish her reputation; it would blot it beyond recovery.
Did it truly matter to her? She was drawn by the Duke’s good looks, the confident way he claimed her. Part of her wondered if she would have even noticed him on the street if they had never happened upon one another in a book club.
She could not help but think that she would.
His dark eyes beckoned to her, hinting at secrets that she could not fathom. How could he be so brazen as to request this ofher? Although that was part of the allure for her. His confidence swept her away.
Still, she was unsure what it was about him that made her consider his offer. Surely, that strong jawline and those full lips with their cupid’s bow would do it.
But if she were to take her vows in a week, cloistered in a convent where only Theresa knew she existed, who would ever be the wiser about her time in London?
Theresa would never betray her. She had already been in one precarious situation during her trip to London. Surely, this could not be any worse. The nuns had scolded her over her mischief for years, and now, suddenly, someoneneededit? The Duke wanted help with his nieces, and who better than a woman who was so mischievous?
She opened her mouth to speak, but it snapped shut again. There was not enough time to consider how the arrangement might work or what she might be giving up to belong to the Duke, even for a short period.
Before she could form a response, the Duke held up a hand.
“Think about it,” he urged. “My driver will take you back to your friend. Tomorrow, I will visit you to announce a house party here at Devishire Mansion. Your reputation will be perfectly safe, and so will you.”
Safe. The word struck her heart.
Had she ever truly been safe? The convent sheltered her from physical harm, but not from the nuns’ prying eyes or judgmental whispers. The last time she felt safe was on the carriage ride away from her father, just her and the servants arriving at the convent. She had known then that she was headed somewhere safe, and she relished the feeling.
It had been too late for her mother, but not too late for her.
It had been years since she had last seen her father. Since she had left the company of the judgmental nuns. Yet, somehow, Leo had managed to decipher her deepest desire: to be safe from the danger that lurked in the ton.
She had a future at the convent, which was more than her mother had gotten at the hands of the Earl of Riley. But it was not the future she would have chosen for herself.
She was not sure that she would even choose it, given the chance to live a different life. Leo was offering a different future. A future she could choose for herself.
“I require no answer tonight,” he said. “Though I expect one soon. You will not be able to avoid the ton for long. Not if you continue to stumble upon my book clubs uninvited.”
This time, he smiled, but it looked almost unnatural on his face. She did not think he had much practice at being friendly. All evening, he had been quite cold to her with his frustration.
He wouldn’t even give me time to explain before trying to throw me back on the streets for the Earl to find me!
Only after he thought she might be useful to him did he reconsider his position on whether she should be cast out of the party.
He took a step closer to her, closing the gap between them. Her breath hitched in her throat. He was so close, just a hair’s breadth away. Was he watching her? Threatening her somehow?
Would he try to kiss her?
