“You bore my brother a daughter,” Ferdinand noted flatly. “And a daughter is of no use to me, so you will take her and yourself, and you will be out of Kerrington House within the next three days. And if you are not?—”
“If she is not, then what, Lord Kerrington?”
Sibyl whirled at the sound of the Duke’s voice. He was standing in the doorway, his face devoid of emotion, yet something flickered in his eyes. Fury that matched Sibyl’s, except his was far better concealed.
Despite his tone, he looked utterly composed, a far cry from the unraveling new Lord Kerrington.
Behind him, Banwick shot her an apologetic look. “I-I tried to keep him in the hallway, but?—”
The Duke strode into the room, his eyes fixed on Ferdinand. “Now, Lord Kerrington, that is no way to speak to the lady of the house.”
“Oh, what I do isnoneof your business,” Ferdinand scoffed, barely looking at him.
Instead, he looked around the drawing room as if he were already deciding what things to change. Sibyl tried not to wither, for she had redecorated this room upon moving in.
“Watch your tongue,” the Duke ordered harshly. “Have you no shame? As a man, you should know there is great honor in treating a woman with respect, especially one who shares your title. Whatever your opinion is, sheisLady Kerrington.”
At that, Ferdinand finally regarded the Duke, and Sibyl saw a flicker of worry in his eyes. He looked between them, seemingly tongue-tied. Sibyl only stared back at him, unrelenting.
“I-I—” He cleared his throat, and his face twisted into another sneer. “You must be her lover, then. Rumor has it that my brother took several, so perhaps Lady Kerrington thought herself allowed to, as well. Is that why you have been seen with her as of late? Is that why you saunter into my drawing room as though you own the p?—?”
Before he could finish, the Duke had grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall. The thud of his body hitting stone made Sibyl flinch.
“Stop,” the Duke snarled. “Stop now, Lord Kerrington, before you make an enemy of me.”
Ferdinand grinned. “I know you own my brother’s debts,” he said. “I wonder if my worthless sister-in-law seduced you into buying them, thinking it would drive Edmund further into his laudanum addiction and rid her of him for go?—”
The Duke’s fist slammed into Ferdinand’s face, making his teeth click. He released his grip on Ferdinand’s collar, and the man fell to the floor unceremoniously.
“How dare you!” Ferdinand screeched. “Drat,that hurts. I will ruin you, Stonehelm! I will tear your reputation apart piece by piece, andyou—” He stared at Sibyl with so much hatred that her knees weakened. “Everyone will see you for the witch you are.”
“You would only ruin your brother’s name,” Sibyl snapped. “And your own.”
Ferdinand dragged himself to his feet, shaking his head vigorously. He pointed at her. “Oh, no. No, no, I will not, for I will make sure you two are at the mercy of the ton. Three days, Sibyl.Three. Days.”
He flew right past her, cussing under his breath as he cradled his jaw.
As soon as the drawing room door slammed shut behind him, Sibyl gasped, grabbing the armrest closest to her to steady herself. She stared down at the fabric, her mind drifting as it had last night.
Three days.
“What am I going to do?” she murmured.
Her body felt light, as though she was floating. She knew she was shaking, but she scarcely feltthere. She could not think or move.
“Heavens, when word gets out, everybody will side with Ferdinand, and I… I will be ruined. My parents will hate me, and I will be unwed, and Rosie…Rosie?—”
Her breathing quickened, and she dug her nails into the armrest.
Gabriel looked at Lady Kerrington and knew that he had to do something. While he knew he ought to tell her the realreason why he had entered her life, her home, and bought her husband’s debts, it was too soon.
His memories rose, as if the consideration of revealing his truth provoked them.
A pale, sweat-slicked face, a soft mouth that barely formed pleas, a hand in his own as she cried.
His sister. His beautiful, wonderful sister.
Swallowing back his sister’s name, Gabriel carefully picked out his next words. This was about Lady Kerrington’s safety and the threat her bastard of a brother-in-law had just delivered.
