Page 67 of Dangerous Games of a Broken Lady
“You are most impertinent in your questions, My Lord,” she shot back, though something in his words piqued her curiosity. What secrets was he talking about? If they involved him, they could only be bad. She tried to think of what they could be, but her worried mind would not cooperate.
“If there were time for propriety, I would not have sought to speak to you in this manner,” he said solemnly. “Now, I ask again, you are hoping to protect your family by marrying the Duke of Bradford, are you not?”
She paused for a moment, before nodding. “As any daughter must, especially when they are the only child.”
“That is most admirable of you, Lady Adelaide, and proves your impeccable character. Indeed, it is as I suspected. However, you must not marry the Duke. Might I make an offer to you, instead? Not of marriage, but of security?” He smiled warmly.
“What do you mean?”
“I will take care of yourself and your mother, if anything should ever happen to your father. I will not ask for your hand in marriage, though I would ask that you permit me to speak with you on occasion. Perhaps, you may thaw towards me, in time. If not, there shall be no expectation. I wish only to help you, for you have captivated me, heart and soul. I may never be able to call you my wife, but I will not see a demon like the Duke of Bradford make you his. He would ruin you, in a thousand different ways.”
She shook her head vehemently. “I do not comprehend, Lord Rowntree. Why would you offer such a thing? There can be no benefit to you, for I cannot marry in return for kind deeds. I will not. Indeed, I am no longer certain that I can marry for security, either.” The words spilled out unbidden, prompting her cheeks to burn with embarrassment. She had not intended to be so candid, and yet the feelings had bubbled over regardless.
He arched an eyebrow. “You are no longer certain of your engagement to the Duke?”
“I…” Before she could answer, a shadow stretched across the entrance to the alleyway. Reuben himself stood there, highlighted by the bronze glow of the setting sun.
I pray you did not hear that,she thought frantically.I pray you did not hear me say that. With Jasper’s heart already captured by another, you are my only hope for a secure future. I did not mean what I said. For my mother’s sake, I did not mean it.
“What is all this?” Reuben spat, glowering at Lord Rowntree. “You have lowered yourself to such an extent that you have taken to frightening young ladies in darkened alleyways? Lady Adelaide, are you well? Has this brute harmed you in any way?”
“He has not, Your Grace,” she whimpered. It did not seem as though hehadheard her previous words. And yet, Reuben was notoriously hard to read.
“Good, then you ought to return home,” he said firmly. “You should not be walking alone. When we are wed, I shall insist upon it. I know you enjoy the freedom, but it is neither safe nor appropriate.”
She nodded. “I am sorry, Your Grace. I did not expect to run into anyone on such a short journey. I never do.”
“No, but I cannot always be here to protect you,” he replied. “Have I not shown you how easily you may be accosted in such places as this, when you choose to wander by yourself?” A glitter of amusement shone in his dark eyes. Adelaide blushed, remembering the last time she had found herself with company in this alley. He had crept up behind her and taken her by surprise. Now, however, she was not sure who she feared more—Lord Rowntree or the Duke himself.
“You did, Your Grace.”
“Well then, I hope I do not have to endure a repeat of this unfortunate situation. Not unless I am the one doing the accosting,” he said, with a wry grin. “Now, return to your home, as I have asked. I would not have you witness what is to come.”
Adelaide stared at Lord Rowntree. “What is to come?”
Reuben smirked. “It is not for a young lady’s ears.”
“Promise me you will not hurt Lord Rowntree,” she urged. “I do not believe he meant me any harm. Indeed, I think his intentions were good. He wished to tell me something, that is all. Please, Your Grace, do not hurt him.”
“He wished to tell you something, did he?” Reuben turned his attention to Lord Rowntree. “And what, pray tell, did he wish to impart? I am eager to know.”
Lord Rowntree looked terrified. “Nothing, Your Grace. I had intended to wait for her father, to discuss… the business agreement that you and I talked about. I happened upon her, and sought to warn her against walking alone. That is all.”
He glanced at Adelaide. “Is that true?”
“I… I do not know,” she murmured.
“I despise liars,” Reuben remarked, casting the bulk of his venom upon Lord Rowntree. “Do not seek to bring my future wife into your deceit. Now, Lady Adelaide, please return to your home. I will not ask you again.”
Helpless to do anything but obey, Adelaide pressed her hand against Reuben’s forearm, in a gesture of affection, before moving out of the alleyway. She did not want to go. She did not want to leave Lord Rowntree to whatever Reuben might do, no matter what her personal feelings towards Lord Rowntree were. And yet, she could not stop Reuben. She did not have the power to stand in his way.
She had barely walked ten paces before she heard the first dull impact of a punch. A groan pierced the air, followed by a second sickening thud. Covering her ears with her hands, she ran towards home, cursing the day she had met Reuben and agreed to his courtship.
For now, she doubted everything. Secrets surrounded her, and they ran deep. There was something she didn’t know—she could feel it now, though she owed the revelation to Lord Rowntree. And yet, she wasn’t sure how to discover the facts. Where could she even begin?
The darkest secret, however, was Reuben himself. He had revealed the truth of his character to her, peeling back the layers to expose the real monster beneath. The one everyone had warned her about. The one who had done all those dark and troublesome things. The one who had whispers of illicit behavior and deceit about him, that she had chosen to ignore.
She had made a deal with the devil, and there would be no breaking that contract now.
