Page 13 of Stolen and Seduced By the Duke

Iris's brows drew together. "What plan?"

Margaret's smile disappeared.

She looked from Iris to Camelia, then swallowed. "Do not get angry with me."

"That is generally how people begin before telling us something that will make us angry," Camelia observed, folding her arms.

Margaret sighed. "I attended the masquerade at the duke's home."

Both sisters stared at her.

"And," Margaret continued cautiously, "I tried to persuade him to kiss me in public for everyone to see so that I would be ruined and the wedding would be called off."

Silence filled the parlour.

Then Iris stood so quickly that Margaret nearly jumped. "You did what?"

"I know it sounds rather…"

"Reckless?" Camelia supplied incredulously.

"Desperate," Margaret corrected.

"Entirely mad," Iris said, pacing towards the fireplace. "Margaret, you sneaked into a duke's masquerade without telling either of us, deliberately sought out a man you scarcely knew, and attempted to persuade him to compromise you in front of half of London."

"When you put it that way…"

"There is no other way to put it," Camelia interrupted.

Margaret sank lower into the sofa. "I was desperate."

"And now your desperation has become a scandal that could stain the entire family," Iris said, turning towards her. "We have spent months trying to protect you, and you decided to solve the problem by throwing yourself into the middle of another one."

Margaret's expression hardened. "I am not entirely helpless, you know."

"No," Camelia said more gently, "but you are still in danger. Harrowby's contract has not disappeared simply because the wedding did not occur today."

Margaret knew that was true, and the reminder chilled some of her optimism. She rubbed her hands together and forced herself to remain calm. "Then stop looking at me as though I have ruined everything. The duke must not be so terrible after all. He clearly decided to save me."

Iris gave her a doubtful look.

"Only a few days ago, I hated him after he refused me," Margaret continued, a faint smile appearing despite herself. "Now he is rapidly becoming my favorite person on earth."

Camelia's expression softened, but only for a moment. "It does do his character credit that he refused you when he could have taken advantage of that opportunity; however, there are things you should know about him."

Margaret's smile faded. "What things?"

Camelia hesitated before answering. "There are whispers about the duke."

"What sort of whispers?"

"The sort that I wish I had never heard," Camelia replied quietly. "People say he was cruel to his previous wife, Lady Augusta. They say she fled Ravenfield Manor in the middle of the night to escape him."

Margaret's stomach tightened. "His wife?" she repeated.

Camelia nodded. "She died almost a year later. No one truly knows where she was during that time, only that she disappeared after leaving him."

Margaret swallowed. She remembered the duke's cold expression, his commanding manner, and the way he had told her that everyone needed to carry their own burden. Suddenly, the memory of his mismatched eyes seemed less romantic and considerably more dangerous.