“I received a note from Worthington himself. He’s genuinely pleased about the match, poor fool. Thinks Venetia’s ‘youthful vivacity’ will enliven his declining years.” Adrian’s mouth twisted with dark amusement. “He has no idea what he’s getting into.”
“Or perhaps he does,” Catherine suggested quietly. “Men that age, with that much wealth—they’re rarely as naive as they appear.”
Adrian looked at his sister with surprise. “That’s unexpectedly cynical of you.”
“I spent two years in Rome watching elderly cardinals with their ‘nieces.’ I learned to see past surface presentations.” She straightened her shoulders. “I want to come to the house party.”
“Absolutely not,” Adrian said immediately.
“I have to. If Venetia was using me, I need to face her. Show her—and everyone else—that I’m not some broken thing to be pitied or manipulated.”
“Catherine—”
“I’m coming, Adrian. With or without your approval. I’d prefer with, but I’ll make my own arrangements if necessary.”
Brother and sister stared at each other across the table, wills clashing. Marianne watched with interest—this was a new Catherine, one with steel beneath the silk.
“Fine,” Adrian said finally. “But you stay close to one of us at all times. Venetia’s court will be full of wolves looking for weak prey.”
“Then I’ll have to prove I’m not weak, won’t I?”
After luncheon, Adrian requested that Marianne join him in his study. She found him standing before the fireplace, the wolf figurine from Catherine positioned on the mantle like a guardian.
“You need to understand what you’re walking into,” he said without turning. “Venetia’s ‘particular sort of society’ is not just scandalous—it’s dangerous.”
“Dangerous how?”
“She collects people with... specific tastes. Men who enjoy pain, women who profit from secrets, couples who share more than matrimony allows.” He turned to face her, his expression grave. “It’s a world where boundaries are fluid and consent is sometimes negotiable. Where laudanum and opium flow as freely as wine and restraint is viewed as weakness.”
Marianne felt heat climb her cheeks, but she held his gaze steadily. “And you were part of this world?”
“For a time. Before I understood its true nature. Before I saw that Venetia did not merely indulge these vices—she recorded them. Every weakness, every shame, every surrender became coin in her hands.”
“She has something on you.” It was not a question.
“She believes she does.” His smile was sharp as tempered steel. “But what she deems shameful, I have already owned. My desires, my inclinations—you know them all. There is no power in a secret once it ceases to be hidden.”
“And the others? Catherine?”
“Catherine is an innocent. She must remain so, at least in appearance. One whisper of impropriety and her chances for a good marriage disappear entirely.”
“Then we protect her.”
“We protect all of us. But Marianne...” He moved closer, his hands settling on her waist. “Venetia will try to seduce you.”
Her brows lifted. “What?”
“It’s her way. She believes everyone can be corrupted—that with the right pressure, anyone will yield. You’ll be a particular challenge: the merchant’s daughter playing duchess. She’ll want to prove you’re no better than what she considers you to be.”
“Let her try.”
His hands tightened fractionally. “This is no game. She’s destroyed lives for amusement. She drove Lady Thornton’s daughter to laudanum. She exposed Lord Ashworth’s letters to his lover, causing him to take his own life in his study soon after. She—”
“She’s a monster.”
“Yes. But a beautiful, charming, intelligent monster who knows precisely how to find one’s weakness—and exploit it.” He cupped her face, compelling her to meet his gaze. “Promise me you’ll be careful. Promise me you won’t let pride make you reckless.”
“I promise to be exactly as careful as you are.”
