Page 5 of The Misfortune of Lady Lucianna

It is hereby stated that this writer has born firsthand witness to the

7th Duke of Montrose, scandalously alone with a golden-haired nymph

in his private opera box, all whilst betrothed to Lady Daphne.

As this writer can also attest, Lady Daphne’s hair is pure night,

compared to the observed doxy’s crown of light. Let this article stand as proof

that Lady Daphne would do well to find herself another eligible

lord to take as husband.

-Mayfair Confidential, London Daily Gazette

Lady Daphne’s father had decided to do just that: secure another eligible lord for her to take as husband.

Roderick had been so hell-bent on finding out the truth of his family’s missing fortune, he hadn’t even thought about the repercussions of being seen in public with another woman. At first, he’d pondered the idea that the Mayfair Confidential writer had actually done him a glorious favor. He hadn’t loved Daphne. She was sweet, innocent, and beautifully angelic even with her dark locks. And with time, he had no doubt an affection would have grown between them, despite the girl’s lack of passion for anything of substance.

Bloody hell. His fury over the situation returned whenever he thought of it; his pulse beating erratically, and his blood hammering through him.

There was no more Lady Daphne in his future. And with her gone, so was the dowry he’d counted on to restore at least a portion of his family’s coffers. Admittedly, it was much less than he needed to secure the Montrose line and keep it from ruin, but it would have bought him enough time to find the men responsible for swindling his father out of every coin not nailed down.

He should be donning riding garb and Hessians for an afternoon at Hyde or Regent’s Park to socialize and search for a new bride. If he had half the sense he claimed to have, Roderick would be doing just that. Unfortunately, he’d inherited more than just his midnight looks from his father. Apparently, he’d also gained his lack of wisdom.

The time would come to begin his search anew for a wife, but that wasn’t now. Perhaps he’d look through the few invitations that had arrived over the last few days and select a few social gatherings to attend. Maybe a ball or a recital.

At the moment, Roderick needed something to ease his fury and cool his heated blood. That was something a ride in Hyde Park could not do.

However, he knew the exact place it was acceptable to thrash another—and it was called sport.

Chapter 2

Lucianna wanted nothing more than to strike down the man before her; however, he was not the cause of her rage. Nevertheless, he would do for now. She gracefully stepped back as her opponent lunged at her. Behind her mask, she grinned as the man’s foil thrust into empty air.

Recovering quickly, he returned to the en garde position and awaited her next move.

She took a deep breath, though it did nothing to calm the raging current within her.

The nerve of her father, bringing his mistress to a ball when he knew bloody well his wife and daughter would be in attendance. It was the height of embarrassment. What galled her further was the way her mother, Lady Camden—a pillar of London society—had shrugged and moved on to the refreshment table as if there were nothing she could do about it. As if she weren’t utterly mortified by her husband’s scandalous actions. At one time, her mother, Eloise Constantine, had been the envy of every woman at the ball. The rare, dark beauty every woman wanted to be and every man wanted to bed. But nearly twenty-two years with Luci’s father had broken something in the woman.

Not broken…utterly obliterated.

With time, her dark locks had lost their luster and finally given over to grey, her shoulders were not as straight as they’d once been, and her friends had, one by one, distanced themselves from the marchioness.

Did they think Luci’s father’s rakehell ways would rub off on their own dear husbands?

Luci didn’t doubt for a second her father would corrupt any man that gave him a speck of devotion. She’d spent years outraged over her mother’s situation, but what could a mere child do to change anything, especially when Lady Camden appeared unconcerned with her position.

Luci held her foil out in a point-in-line manner. She tired of this match.

She could have bested her opponent in her sleep.

This would force him to defend himself by enforcing a beat, a tap to her blade to either initiate an attack or provoke a reaction from her.

There was nothing more she wanted than for her opponent to force her to react.

The match had been one of parry and counter thus far. No grand moves, no unexpected flèche, and certainly no feint.