Page 95 of Winning Her Duke

“All of them? But the value of all of those horses would put her dowry in excess of five thousand pounds.”

“Quite. I agree, it is rather exorbitant, but he knows his daughter is an oddity and was taken down from the shelf and dusted off for the Season.” The man smiled. “Any man who offers for her, should be compensated fairly, don’t you agree?”

Hale had felt raging, red anger in the past.

He had never realized there was something beyond that level of fury. Had never despised anyone or anything enough to elevate his wrath to this plane where bright stillness enveloped him.

Through sheer force of will he managed to stay in his seat rather than launch himself across the wide expanse of his desk and pummel this man to shreds.

“You are marrying her for her dowry?” He bit the words out.

“It will be no hardship to get an heir on her.” He chuckled as if he could not see how closely he flirted with death. “But she’s not for society, and I’m fine with her staying in the country with our children while I seek my entertainments elsewhere. We will both be quite content.”

“Get out of my house.” Rather than yell, the words came quietly. Hale seethed as his fingers pulled into fists. The thought of Gia giving this man anything let alone the honor of bearing him children was too much.

“Pardon?” the man finally noticed the tension. “Oh. Yes. I’m sure you have other things to attend to. If you could just refuse the gift when it arrives all will be put right.”

“Get. Out.”

He scurried toward the door and stopped only to offer a “Good day to you” before leaving.

“Your Grace?” Hutchinson was back before Hale had managed to curb his anger.

“Yes?” he said as calmly as he was able.

“I’m afraid Lord Duncan left before I could return his hat and cane.”

“You may keep them, Hutch.”

“Oh. Thank you, Your Grace.” Hutchinson smiled and left the room.

Let the bastard make what he wanted of Hale gifting something that wasn’t his to give.

Knowing he couldn’t turn to a bottle again, he took his coat and hat, planning to go speak to Gia, before realizing he couldn’t.

Except… She was not married yet. In fact, she wasn’t even betrothed. Not officially. They only had an understanding. Perhaps it was time for her to understand how he felt about this.

Luther opened the door with a frown when Hale arrived at Tomison House.

Hale had just opened his mouth to ask what was amiss when he heard it.

Someone was playing the pianoforte.

Correction, someone was pounding on random keys in a sequence perfectly suited to make chills move up one’s spine.

“Good God, what is that?” Hale asked with a wince.

“Miss Gia has given up on embroidery and moved to musical aspirations. I daresay, embroidery was much quieter.” He pressed his lips together momentarily before adding. “Except maybe for the cursing.”

Hale smiled and patted the butler on the shoulder.

“Let me put a stop to this before we’re all harmed irrevocably.”

“You are too kind, Your Grace.”

Hale hurried to the music room—a room he’d never entered before—to find Gia frowning at the instrument as if it was at fault for her poor performance.

“I beg of you to please stop before my brains leak out of my ears,” he said.