“But you’re not thinking of marriage, are you, Dev?” Justin asked. “It’s not as if you’ve found a girl?—”
Dev’s bleak laugh pulled him up short. “I’ve found a girl. Found her six years ago, before we ever went to war.”
Harry, Justin, and Lucien all gaped at him in astonishment.
“What?”
“Youlovesomeone?”
“Who?”
Dev gave a wry smile. “I can’t believe you haven’t guessed. She’s in this very house right now.”
Three identical frowns greeted him.
“Tess?” Justin growled.
“Ellie?” Harry bristled.
Dev rolled his eyes at their stupidity.
“I know you can’t mean Daisy,” Lucien drawled. “Since she’s yoursister, but please don’t tell me you’re in love with a scullery maid or a washerwoman.”
“You’re all such idiots.” Dev sighed. “It’s Olivia. I’ve been in love with her for as long as I can remember.”
Harry raised his brows. “Oh. Well. In that case . . . shit.”
Justin eyed him with new interest. “You want to marry her?”
“I almost asked her before we left for France, but then I thought I might be killed, and I didn’t want to leave her a widow. And then when I came back, I had this stupidproblem. I tried to keep away from her, even though it was torture, so she’d have a chance of marrying someone who wasn’t so . . . broken. But she didn’t. And then her stupid father caused this scandal and died, and she clearly needed saving, so I rode over there and. . . got her.”
He trailed off, suddenly aware he’d been babbling, and felt an uncharacteristic heat suffuse his face.
Lucien’s lips twitched in sardonic amusement. “Yougother? What does that mean?”
“It means I was so determined to get her away from her uncle that I forfeited an I.O.U of six hundred pounds. And then I realized the only way to really protect her—both from her father’s mess and every lecherous bastard who’d take advantage of her—is through marriage.”
“You’re probably right,” Justin said. “I suppose we can draw up a list of gentlemen who might be?—”
“There’s no need for a list,” Dev muttered. “I offered to marry her myself.”
“You?” Lucien drawled, his dark brows lifted high in surprise.
Dev shrugged. “I gave her that option, at least. To become my duchess if she wants. It’s her choice.”
There was a moment of silence as they all digested this information. Then Justin spoke. “You love her?”
“Yes.”
“But you proposed without tellingherthat?” He gave a delighted laugh.
“Well, yes.” Dev admitted. “But I pointed out all the other reasons it made sense.”
His three friends sent him identical expressions of amusement mixed with horror.
“She doesn’t need to know how I feel about her,” Dev said defensively. “I don’t want it affecting her decision, especially if she doesn’t feel the same way about me. She needs saving, and I’m in a position to do it.”
“Have you offered her a marriage of convenience?” Harry asked.
