Page 27 of Only Scandal Will Do

Manning laughed, grudgingly. “She grew up with me and my pastimes in the wilds of Virginia. She could use a bit of polish, perhaps.”

“She is perfect as she is.”

The earl whistled, leaned back in his seat and grinned. “You are smitten, Dalbury. Kat perfect? You might as well say the moon is constant.” He raised his eyebrows, appraising. “So what you declared to her was truth?”

Duncan glanced away, caught without a satisfactory answer. “I don’t quite know why those words slipped out. Whether to convince her or myself. I am not well schooled in the ways of ordinary courtship.” He massaged his temple in an attempt to ward off the headache he knew would come. “The scandals last year dropped me from everyone’s most eligible list.”

“What scandals?”

“It started, of course, with the Earl Ferrers. In January of 1760, Ferrers shot his steward, who later died of his wounds. The death was ruled murder, the earl stood trial, and despite a plea of insanity, was convicted and condemned to hang.”

“And was he insane?”

Duncan drew in a deep breath. “There is other insanity in his family, yes. But the earl denied his own madness after the conviction, stating he used the defense at his family’s insistence. Unfortunately, there is a family connection with the Shirleys, though only by marriage. That was enough, however, for several disreputable men to take it into their heads to slander my sister with insinuations of insanity.” Duncan pinned the earl with his stare. “It was my duty to challenge them, make them retract their statements.”

“And did they?”

“The four who lived did. The two I killed were assumed to be liars.” Manning’s eyes widened, but he said nothing.

After a moment Duncan shrugged and said, “And the final straw, my liaison with Madame Vestry, who had quietly been my mistress for two years, was suddenly and inexplicably made very public. Rumors also surfaced that I owned part interest in her establishment. I dropped her immediately but the scandals ran rampant through the ton last season, to the point that I set out for Italy and sent my sister Juliet north to stay with our father’s family.”

“Why have you told me this? Trying to make yourself unappealing as an in-law?”

Manning’s position and tone were relaxed, but Duncan sensed the younger man’s underlying pique.

“Not exactly. But I wanted you to know that if your sister agrees to marry me, she will not be marrying into a family with a blameless name.”

The earl waved dismissively. “What Ferrers did, that you were a better duelist than several dishonorable men, and your personal appetites do not concern me.” Manning leaned forward, the anxious brother surfacing. “What does concern me are your feelings toward my sister. She is adamant in her dislike of you.” He peered at Duncan. “And it seems with good cause. I know you mean to act with honor in this matter, but if that is the only reason for your offer, I fear I must decline and renew my challenge. I will not doom my sister to marriage with a man who does not respect her, just for the sake of honor. I’ll send her to Virginia first.”

Uncomfortable under the earl’s scrutiny, he shifted in his chair. “I can truthfully say that what I feel for your sister is…is...” Damn. He could not lay such a declaration baldly before the earl. Sitting upright, trying not to squirm, he tried again. “My feelings for her are...”

He jumped up from the velvet seat as though it had gone up in flames. “By God, Manning! All I can say is, the thought of her sailing to Virginia to marry Dawson fills me with a rage I have scarcely ever known before.” He clenched his fist at the thought. He stared directly into Manning’s face and spoke plainly. “I want her for my wife, Manning. Whatever it takes.”

The earl sat back in his chair, a doubtful look on his face. “Easier said than done, to get her to agree to marry you, Dalbury,” he admitted. “She will be unwilling at best, belligerent at worst.”

“Does she not understand the risk she runs if word gets out? Having experienced such things firsthand, I assure you the ton is anything but forgiving. Not only would she be shunned, but you will be tarred with the same brush as well.”

At Manning’s quizzical look, Duncan lost patience. “For God’s sake, she was sold to me from the auction block of a whorehouse! In everyone’s eyes, that makes her a whore. Do you think either of you would be received into a single respectable home if they knew?”

Relief flooded him when Manning’s face drained to a pasty white and he gripped the woodwork arm of the sofa. At last, perhaps, the man understood what was at stake here. He gave the earl a moment to adjust to this new perspective then asked, “Will you ask her to speak with me now? Perhaps if we could spend some time together she would come to see that I am not the rogue she believes me to be. If I could court her properly...if she would give me even a month to prove myself to her, perhaps I could change her opinion of me.” Although appalled at the pleading tone in his voice, he could not stop himself.

Manning bounded from his chair. “Let me see if I can persuade her to at least see you. I just pray you have a silver tongue in your head--and that she will give you an audience.” He quit the room at a run.

Duncan turned to the window, clasped his hands sternly behind his back, closed his eyes and waited. After what seemed at least a decade, he heard Manning calling, “Dalbury!”

He popped out of the receiving room, galvanized by the earl’s strident tone. “Where is

Lady Katarina?”

“Gone to the docks.” Manning’s face was splotched with hectic color, whether from fury or fear he could not hazard a guess. “Her ship sails on the evening tide.”

“Come on.” Duncan headed for the door and the earl hurried after him, worry and indignation warring on his face. They climbed into the marquess’s carriage and set off.

“Don’t worry, Manning. It’s hours until she sails. We will reach her in time.”

“In time for me to beat some sense into her.”

Duncan smiled. “I thought I was the only man allowed to do that now.”