He stopped beside her and sipped his brandy. "It's a lovely night.”
"It is."
"Castle Kinlochie may lack a view of the River Ness, but the castle is respectable. I hope you will be happy here."
She visibly stiffened. "As the Duchess of Roxburgh, I will one day live at Gledstone Hall."
"Let us pray that day does not come for some time."
She straightened and faced him. "Are you implying that I am waiting for my father to die so that I can claim the title?"
"Not at all. Like you, I am wishing your father many more years of health and happiness."
"The longer he lives, the longer you must wait to become duke."
"True." Stirling sipped his brandy.
"How long are you willing to wait for your reward?" she asked.
"Approximately thirty-six hours."
She blinked, then narrowed her eyes. "I am not fooled by your sweet words."
He kept his gaze locked with hers. Aye, he was certain Chastity was behind Linda Dorring's advances. Perhaps her pique was heightened because that plot had failed.
"There is nothing to be fooled by, my lady. What have I to gain by false flattery?"
Her mouth thinned. "My goodwill.”
He chuckled. "Honest flattery will accomplish that much quicker."
She scowled. "Does nothing make you angry? Wait," she added before he could reply, "my leaving without you this morning made you angry."
He shook his head. "Nae. Your foolhardy actions concerned me."
"Foolhardy?" She snorted. "This entire plot you have hatched is foolhardy."
"Forgive me for disagreeing, but your sisters are happily married. That is not foolhardy."
To his surprise, she didn't respond with a quick retort. Instead, she studied him for a long moment. "I find it interesting you knew just the right three men for my sisters."
He flashed a smile. "Some would call that fate."
"Some might call it strangely fortunate."
"I am a very fortunate man." He took a step closer. "Especially now that I am to marry you."
She blinked and seemed at a loss for words. The reaction lasted but an instant before her eyes narrowed again. “As I said, your flattery is wasted."
He stepped even closer. "What will do me good?"
She gave a small gasp of surprise. The sound sent a message directly to his cock and it took every ounce of will he had not to crush her to him. Not quite yet could he let her know the depth of his desire. In many ways, she wasn't the typical female. He detected no true deceit in her, but she was still a woman, and could be cagey if the need arose. He couldn’t chance her anticipating his moves.
She stared up at him, brown eyes wide, like a deer caught unawares. When he finally kissed her, he wanted her cognizant of its meaning.
Like a frightened deer, she retreated a step, and he didn't attempt to stop her when she hurried back inside. Stirling stared at the doorway where she'd disappeared. Roxburgh had told him she eloped four years ago. The duke made it clear that there was no guarantee that her virtue remained intact. Chastity didn't act like a woman who'd once had a lover. Was it possible she was still a virgin and feared the marriage bed?
He gave a low laugh. It was far more possible she was simply afraid of the way he made her feel.
Chapter Three
For the second night in a row, Chastity lay awake most of the night. She told herself that any woman being forced into marriage wouldn’t be able to sleep. But her mind kept returning to the moment when Sir Stirling had stepped so close that she could smell the sweet brandy on his breath. "What would do me some good?" he’d murmured in a husky voice that sent a shiver down her arms.
The man had been flirting with her. Nae, this was more than flirting. This was seduction. He was very, very dangerous.
She prayed the plan she had set in motion would put an end to their betrothal.
In the morning, when the wake-up knock came to her door, Chastity was already sitting at the small secretary in her room. She spent the day in her room, uninterrupted by anyone, her father included. Thankfully Sir Stirling didn't make an appearance at Gledstone Hall until nine p.m., when he arrived to pick up her and her father for the ball at the Marquess of Byrne’s home. This time, Chastity was ready when Sir Stirling arrived. When the evening’s events came to light, her father would not be able to accuse her of causing problems.
Sir Stirling made polite conversation and complimented her on how beautiful she looked. "We shan't stay out too late, my lady," he said. "I know how you love to rise early."
He knew nothing of the sort, but she smiled and thanked him.
They arrived at the marquess’ home, and when they entered the ballroom, Chastity was a bundle of nerves. Guilt began to pick at her, but she battled the feeling with the understanding that she would make Sir Stirling a terrible wife. She was doing them both a favor by making sure they didn't marry.
Of course, if Sir Stirling proved to be unique among his sex, her plan would fail and she would accept her fate. But the man who had stared down at her with such intense desire was not a man to turn away a beautiful woman. The duke would not countenance his eldest daughter, the future Duchess of Roxburgh, marrying a man who made love to another woman the night before he was to wed his daughter.
Chastity thought of her sisters’ three husbands. She didn't know the men well, but they did appear to be in love with their wives. If Sir Stirling had expressed any kind of real affection for her, she might have considered a different path. But what was she losing by breaking off an engagement to a man who only wanted her father's title?
Lady Byers rushed to greet them. "Your Grace." She dropped into a deep curtsy.
He grasped her hand and urged her upright. "Thank you for having us here tonight."
"It is my pleasure." She turned to Chastity. "Lady Chastity, you are looking fine."
Chastity angled her head. "As always, you are beautiful, Lady Byers."
The lady gave her attention to Sir Stirling and extended her hand. "A pleasure, as always, sir."
He grasped her gloved hand and dutifully bent over it. He was the modicum of proper manners, but Chastity had the strange feeling that there was a history between them.
He straightened and released her hand.
She again faced the Duke. "If you would like to come with me, Your Grace, I'm sure my husband will be pleased to see you."
He looked at Sir Stirling, who said, "As you will, Your Grace. Chastity and I will dance." His eyes swung onto her. “If she will do me the honor."
Chastity angled her head in agreement, and her father left with Lady Byers. Sir Stirling led her toward the dance floor. As she feared, they were immediately set upon.
"Lady Chastity."
Chastity looked left and saw the young Miss Doncaster approaching. Chastity groaned at sight of the three women who hurried to keep up with her. Sir Stirling turned toward the young women, and Chastity glimpsed the laughter that tugged at his mouth.
Miss Doncaster reached them first and said, "How wonderful to see you, my lady. We were certain you wouldn't be here, what with your wedding tomorrow." She cast a knowing glance at her friends. The nearest, Lady Madeleine, a girl of seventeen, clearly should have remained home with her school chums. She looked at Sir Stirling with such adoration that Chastity had to force back an eye roll. Sir Stirling looked at Chastity, brows raised, clearly half amused and half urging her to properly introduce him to the young ladies.
Chastity reminded herself of her goal tonight, and smiled sweetly. "Sir Stirling, may I introduce Miss Doncaster, Lady Madeleine--" Chastity nodded at the adoring blonde. "Lady Henrietta, and Lady Sanders."
The girls each blushed when Sir Stirling bent over their hands, and Chastity wondered if she'd ever been that dewy-eyed. Nae, she didn't think so. Like Jessica, Chastity left the womb just as she was today: practical, levelheaded, and unromantic. Even when she eloped with Everston, she hadn't had stars in her eyes as
these girls did.
True, she'd misjudged him—or, at least, had misjudged her situation. His character wasn't a bad one. He had—she still believed—loved her, and she had loved him. Or so she thought. Seeing her sisters so happy made her wonder if she understood love at all, or if she'd experienced it as she thought she had. Her father may not have been as wrong as she thought to have forbidden the marriage. She shook off her thoughts and realized Miss Doncaster was speaking.
"How amazing that you and your sisters are marrying in so short a period of time. We had no idea any of you were engaged."
"So unusual," Lady Henrietta said. "Will you marry by special license, as your sisters did?”
“Of course they will,” Miss Doncaster said. "There has been only the one announcement in the papers for their engagement."
Chastity's mind snapped to attention. Was that censure she heard in the girl’s voice? Yes, but there was more. The girl was jealous. The young ladies very obviously had stopped Chastity and Sir Stirling in order to obtain an introduction to a handsome, wealthy man. But there was more in Miss Doncaster’s comments.
Chastity looked down her nose at the girl. "Miss Doncaster, I feel certain that you do not mean to imply that there was a ’need’ for my sisters and I to marry?"
The girl's eyes widened. The other young ladies looked at her in confusion.
"Need?" Lady Madeleine said, then her eyes widened as well. "Oh, my, no, Lady Chastity. We did not mean to imply that at all. We think it’s romantic."
"I was not addressing you, Lady Madeleine," Chastity said in frosty tones.
Miss Doncaster blanched. "Oh no, my lady, I did not mean to imply that at all. Please forgive the misunderstanding.”
"I advise you not to give anyone else that impression, even by mistake," she said. "The duke would not be pleased."
Miss Doncaster’s eyes widened even more. "Nae, my lady, of course not." She glanced at her friends. "Come, ladies, I cannot be long away from my mother.” She curtsied to Chastity. "It was a pleasure to see you, my lady." She whirled and hurried away, her friends in tow.
"Remind me never to make you angry."
Chastity jerked her gaze onto Sir Stirling. Unbridled male delight danced in his eyes. “You will make a brilliant duchess."
Chastity scowled. "That was your handiwork."
His brow shot up. "Mine? How so?"
"If you hadn't rushed my sisters to the altar, no one would suspect impropriety.”
"Forgive me, but I believe it was you who insisted on the month deadline."
"Only because I didn't believe anyone could accomplish such a thing," she muttered.
His expression turned downright wicked. "Now you know."
Chastity started. Aye, the man was dangerous.
Chapter Four
Stirling scanned the ballroom for Chastity. He was positive she was up to something. She was being too nice. He suspected that even under the best of circumstances, she wasn’t overly ‘nice’ to anyone. The woman was a born duchess. The set-down she'd given Miss Doncaster had been brilliant. Chastity had looked down her nose at the girl like a true aristocrat. And the young lady had deserved everything Chastity had dished out.
Chastity wasn't made to be amenable, and yet she was being far too amenable.
He caught sight of her on the left side of the ballroom, hurrying toward a hallway. She glanced back and he tensed. That look had been odd. She acted as if she didn't want anyone to see her.
He started across the ballroom, dodging guests and brushing off greetings. He reached the hallway and quickened pace. Light footsteps echoed up ahead. He turned a corner and heard the click of a door shutting, up ahead on the left. What the devil was she up to? Surely, she wouldn't go so far as to compromise herself in order to get him to break their betrothal? Stirling quickened pace. Whoever the man was, Stirling would kill him.
He reached the room and burst inside. A low fire burned in the study’s hearth. Something rustled on the divan that faced the fire. Stirling crossed the room, skirted two chairs and rounded the couch. He halted at sight of the naked woman sprawled on the cushions.
Linda Dorring stared up at him. "I thought you would never get here," she purred.
Confusion quickly gave way to understanding. Chastity didn't intend to compromise herself. She intended to compromise him. He wanted to laugh. The lass had no understanding of the ways of men. She counted on her father protecting her from a rake who would bed a woman on the eve of his marriage. Stirling wouldn’t do something so despicable, and he would wager the duke knew that. His Grace was sure to see through the plot and marry her to Hathaway, as he’d threatened. That, Stirling could not allow.
He turned and headed for the door. Two paces from the door, he stopped when the duke stepped into the threshold. Stirling silently cursed. No matter, he would turn things around.
"Your Grace," he said. "I am in a bit of a hurry."
The duke's gaze shifted past him. Linda Dorring gasped, and a small thud told Stirling she’d fallen off the couch. The duke’s eyes narrowed and swung back to Stirling’s.
"I only just arrived and, as you can see, I'm fully dressed with not a hair out of place—and I nearly collided with you on my way out the door," Stirling said.
The duke’s expression hardened. "Then what is this about?"
"Your daughter’s handiwork, I suspect."
The older man blinked, then his expression turned thunderous. "This goes too far. I release you of all obligation—in fact, I would not wish my daughter off on a man of your caliber. I will marry her to Hathaway first thing tomorrow."
Behind Stirling, something dragged across the floor, but he ignored the sound, and said, "We have an agreement, Your Grace, and I intend to hold you to it."
Surprise shown on the duke’s face. "You cannot want her after this."
Stirling chuckled. "As strange as it is, I want her more."
The duke frowned. "I wonder if Chastity is correct. Are you mad?"
"In all likelihood, I am. What man who wants to marry isn't just a little bit mad?"
The older man’s expression turned speculative. "Are you saying it is not the title you want, but my daughter?"
Stirling nodded in the direction of the hallway. "Perhaps we should speak outside."
The duke backed up two paces and Stirling followed, pulling the door closed behind him. He took several steps away from the door. The duke followed.
Stirling slowed, took a few more steps, then stopped and faced the duke. "In truth, sir, I have no need for the title."
"I'll be damned," the duke murmured. "I love my daughter, but I must ask, why?"
Stirling shrugged. "She is magnificent."
The duke’s brow furrowed, then his expression cleared. "She is more like her mother than I care to admit."
"I imagine, then, she was a rather magnificent woman, as well," Stirling said.
A soft light entered the older man's eyes. "More than I can convey."
"Then you understand how I feel."
The duke gave a slow nod. "When I shared Chastity’s ridiculous scheme to marry off her sisters, you were quick to accept the challenge. I believed you saw the opportunity to elevate your station in life. It never occurred to me you had any other interest."
"You couldn't know. Now, if you'll excuse me, I feel I must deal with my future bride."
To Stirling’s surprise, the duke laughed. "Do what you think best. Take my advice, lad, and remember that the Roxburgh women are as intelligent as they are beautiful."
Stirling grinned. “I am counting on that very thing, sir." He started to turn away, then stopped. "Would you consider helping me teach your daughter a lesson?"
His brows rose. "What sort of lesson?"
"Am I right in assuming that someone sent you to this room?"
The duke reached into his pocket and pulled out a small sliver of paper. He unfolded it and handed it to Stirling. The note read ‘Please meet me in the study. Second door on t
he left down the hallway.’
Stirling nodded. "Lady Chastity believed you would catch me in the throes of an illicit encounter. I imagine she believed you would call off our engagement, and pack her off home, and that would be the end of that. It never occurred to her that had you caught me with another woman, you might feel the need to defend her honor."
A slow smile spread across the duke’s face. "In the future, she might think twice about dabbling in such an idiotic plan if she better understood the consequences. She will spend a sleepless night tonight, wondering which one of us will kill the other in defense of her honor."
"It is a hard lesson," Stirling said.
"One she dearly needs to learn," he replied.
"I will enter the ballroom first and do my best to make sure she sees me leave. If you find her immediately and tell her you're leaving, she will assume you caught me with Mrs. Dorring."
The duke nodded. "She will, of course, try to get me to tell her what happened."
"Exactly. Tomorrow, you can inform her that you spoke with me, and came to understand that I wasn't engaged in a rendezvous with the woman, but that I had tried to extricate myself from the situation. You do understand, I would not have her think that I would do that to her?"
The duke nodded. "Of course. You go along. I will follow in a few minutes."
A moment later, Stirling turned the bend in the hallway and slowed at the sound of voices inside the room to his left. Was that Chastity's voice? He crept to the door and strained to hear the voices beyond the thick wood. He discerned the muffled sound of the man's voice, but couldn't discern the words. The woman cried out.
Stirling threw open the door. Mister Dorring held Chastity pinned against the sideboard located beside a small hearth. Chastity seized the clock from the mantle and bashed the side of his head.
He cried out as Stirling lunged forward. Chastity's gaze snapped onto him, eyes wide. Stirling seized Dorring's arm, and threw an upper cut to his jaw. Dorring flew backwards and crashed into a small table, then he hit the floor, and rolled to his feet as Stirling leapt toward him. Dorring drove a fist into Stirling’s gut. Stirling was vaguely aware of Chastity’s scream as he drove Dorring backward. They collided with another table and lamp.
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