What A Wicked Duke Demands (Historical Regency Romance)

by Emily Honeyfield

  Oh, God. Beth stared at Gerard, who was now staring at them in bewilderment. Had he known? Had he realized who Flora was and planned all this? Was this an attempt to humiliate Flora once again? It sounded far-fetched, and Beth didn’t think he could be capable of that, but now the seed had been planted, and it was growing fast.

  He had to have known something at some point. Beth felt a knot twisting in her stomach. Had everything between them been a lie? Had he been toying with her as well? Oh, God, no.

  There was a rustle of clothing, and Beth looked up to see Flora standing. Her eyes were still fixed on Alexander, who was looking at her like he had seen a ghost. The fury coming off Flora was palpable. Then she lowered her head and hurried towards the door. Alexander hurried to her.

  “Flora …”

  Flora stopped abruptly, flinching away from Alexander as he reached for her. Alexander’s hands froze in the air, inches from her. Flora stepped back, still looking anywhere but at him.

  “Don’t touch me, Alex,” she hissed. “Or I’ll gouge your eyes out. Just …”

  There was a faint whimper, and then Flora was running from the room, her footsteps hurrying away in the foyer. For a moment, nobody moved. The stunned silence hung in the air. Beth watched Gerard, who was staring at Alexander like he had never seen him before. Hermia was standing beside him, looking equally confused.

  Beth was the first to move. She stood and strode towards Gerard, fixing him with a hard stare.

  “I want a word,” she snapped. “Now.”

  Then she strode from the room, not looking behind her. She knew that Gerard would follow her. Beth hurried through the house to Gerard’s study at the back near the library and went inside. Moments later, Gerard followed her in.

  “Beth …”

  “Shut the door.”

  Gerard blinked. But he did as he was told.

  “What was that about with your sister? What’s going on, Beth?”

  Beth took a deep breath. Her first reaction was to attack him, but then she reined herself in. That wasn’t going to solve anything. She wanted answers, and punching the man in the gut wasn’t going to get them.

  “Was there another reason why you brought Flora here?” she demanded. “Because you knew your brother would be here so you could force a meeting? Humiliate Flora again?”

  “Humiliate? Force a meeting?” Gerard was staring at her like she had gone mad. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Of course you don’t,” Beth sneered. “You know my sister was ruined, don’t you? It was your brother who ruined her.”

  Gerard took a step back like he had been slapped.

  “What?”

  “They ran away together. Your brother promised Flora the world. Said they could have a life together, live it out away from anyone who would object to their union. And he left her.” Beth was breathing heavily in an attempt to keep her anger at bay. “He ran away. Flora was left in disgrace, and Captain Alexander Thinesley walked away from it all.”

  As she spoke, Gerard’s face had paled. For a moment, Beth wondered if he really knew what his brother had been up to. Then she discarded it. Families were close, she knew that for herself. Gerard had prided himself in being close with his mother and daughters. That would have extended to his brother as well. He had to have known.

  “I ... I had no idea.” Gerard raised his hands when Beth snorted. “I promise you I didn’t know!”

  “How can I believe you? He’s your brother. Families stick together, don’t they?”

  “If I’d known about it, I would have stopped them before it went too far. Or made Alexander marry her.”

  Beth shook her head. It pained her heart, but she found she didn’t believe him. She wanted to, but she didn’t.

  “No, you wouldn’t. You’d blame Flora for this, just like everyone else. You’re the duke. One below the royal family. You can do anything you want, and no one will lay blame at your door. The same goes with your brother. Because Flora was of a lower station socially, she would have been the one who instigated everything. The harlot. The whore.”

  Gerard winced.

  “Beth …”

  “Flora was lied to and abandoned, left to the wolves, and yet she’s the one who was humiliated and ostracized? That’s not fair.” Beth pointed towards the door. “Alexander Thinesley was the one who started it all. He’s the one at fault. He should be taking the blame, not Flora!”

  Gerard’s jaw tightened. He looked close to losing some sort of composure. But he didn’t. Instead, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he opened his eyes and focused on her. Was there a flash of pain in his expression? If there was, it was gone moments later.

  “How about we calm down and discuss this?” he suggested, gesturing towards the couch by the fire. “I think there is a lot to talk about.”

  “Calm down?” Beth said shrilly. “How can I calm down? I don’t even know who you are anymore. You have to have known.”

  “And I promise you … I didn’t know anything. Alexander disappeared but he never said why, except that he wanted a new life. Just days after Father died, and I became the new duke, he wrote again saying he was going to France with the army. We never knew about Flora because he never said. You never said.”

  “I didn’t realize you two were related before!” Beth shot back. “And even if I had, you would be defending him like you are now.”

  “I’m not defending my brother’s actions.”

  Beth wanted to cry. She couldn’t believe how foolish she had been. The Thinesley brothers had a certain charm about them that made women swoon. They could wrap any girl around their little finger and get them to do their bidding. Alexander had done that successfully with Flora and put her aside when he didn’t need her anymore. Gerard had done the same with Beth. He had seduced her, taking her innocence, and made her a wanton woman.

  Both sisters were ruined now. And the Duke of Rossdale would make people aware of it. She wouldn’t put it past him to do that.

  “You are defending him, Your Grace.” Beth swallowed back the hard lump in her throat. “You don’t believe that he could be so disrespectful to a woman. Well, he was, and he can be. Flora’s proof. She loved that cad, and he threw her aside.”

  Gerard swayed. He looked dazed. Beth wanted to go to him, wrap her arms around him and soothe him. He had just been given a shock. Then she stopped herself. What was he shocked about? He knew about his brother. This reaction was because his brother had been found out and his family had been called out. Had he ever been called out? Beth doubted it.

  “I didn’t know,” Gerard repeated, somewhat faintly.

  “It doesn’t make me believe you the more times you say it, Your Grace.”

  Gerard flinched. Was it because she addressed him more formally? Beth doubted it.

  “Alexander has been a rake before; I know that much,” Gerard protested. “But I never knew about Flora.”

  Beth wanted to believe him. She really did. But that would have been her soft side coming out. She wanted to see the best in people. Right now, was there even a best side in Gerard? He had played her and had planned to humiliate Flora again. How could he not know about them? Alexander wouldn’t have kept it to himself.

  “I don’t know what to believe anymore.” She stared at him, willing herself not to cry. “How do I know you’ve been telling me the truth? Was what we did together to make me fall for you and make me blind to what you were up to? So I wouldn’t find out about your brother and my sister?”

  “What? No!” Gerard shook his head. “I’m not a cad, Beth. I would never do that to you.”

  Beth felt like the walls were closing in on her. She had to get out of here. She stepped around Gerard and headed towards the door.

  “I have to go and find Flora.” She opened the door and turned to glare at him. “And expect my written notice in the morning. I’ll give you a month to figure out who is going to replace me. That will make Hermia happy now, won’
t it?”

  #

  Gerard was still reeling from the knowledge that Alexander was the one who had ruined Flora when Beth hit him with that. She was going to leave him? Gerard began to panic. She couldn’t leave him. No, she couldn’t.

  He wouldn’t let her.

  Beth left his study, and Gerard ran after her, catching up to her in the hallway. He knew they would be overheard now, and people would witness their interactions, but Gerard was past the point of caring. He grabbed Beth’s arm.

  “Beth, please! Just let me talk.”

  “Let me go, Gerard.” Beth swung around on him, her eyes flashing fire. “Now.”

  Her eyes were also shimmering with tears. Gerard wanted to pull her into his arms and make those tears go away. He didn’t want to hurt her. Instead, he moved her to lean against the wall, letting her go but blocking her way. Beth shrank back from him, even as she never looked away. Gerard’s chest hurt at that sight. He didn’t want her scared of him. Never.

  “Please, Beth, listen to me. I wasn’t aware of what my brother had done. He never said a word. If I had known, I would never have put him and your sister in the same room. If I had known he was coming here, I would never have extended an invitation for Flora to visit you at the same time.”

  “How do I know you’re telling the truth?” Beth snapped.

  “I’m telling the truth on this!” Gerard knew his voice was getting louder, but he didn’t care what anyone thought right now. His focus was on Beth, and he could see her slipping away from him. “I do not condone what Alexander’s done. Absolutely not. He shouldn’t have acted in that way. If I had found out about it, he would certainly have married Flora.”

  Beth flinched. And that hurt. Gerard didn’t want her reacting like this. Then Beth was shaking her head.

  “No. You wouldn’t have done that. You would have paid Flora to keep quiet about what happened. Told her that if she said anything, then you would make it known that she wasn’t innocent for her wedding night.”

  “I wouldn’t. You know that.”

  “No, I don’t.”

  Beth tried to step around him, but Gerard put his arm up to block her way, slapping his hand against the wall. Beth stopped and closed her eyes as she took a shuddering breath.

  “Let me out, Your Grace.”

  Your Grace. Gerard would be happy if he never heard that form of address directed at him again. As long as Beth didn’t leave his life. He didn’t think he could cope with her walking away.

  “Please, Beth,” he pleaded. “Don’t leave. We need you here.”

  “You need me?” Beth snorted and shook her head. “Your daughters can manage with a governess who isn’t me. Hermia doesn’t even need a governess at her age. You’re just forcing her to take lessons to put her back in line, and it’s failing miserably.”

  “I’m her father, and I want her to behave appropriately.”

  “You can’t make a girl who’s trying to grieve for someone she loved and hasn’t got anyone to talk to behave appropriately. That’s not on her list of priorities.” Beth looked up at him. “With a steady hand and a patient person, she will be fine. You can manage perfectly fine without me.”

  Maybe he could. Gerard had coped before. But that was before. This was now, and he knew that he wouldn’t be able to manage without Beth around. She lit up the room when she came in, and her influence was everywhere he looked. He swallowed.

  “I can’t. That’s the problem.”

  Beth’s anger faltered. Just a little. Now she was looking at him in slight wonder. Was he getting through to her? Gerard could only hope. He had to get her to stay.

  “I will make things right for you,” he said desperately. “For us. Anything to get you to stay in my life. Just tell me what I need to do.”

  “All right.” Beth drew her shoulders back and lifted her chin. “You need to let me go.”

  “That I can’t do.”

  Beth stared at him. She took a deep breath.

  “All right, then. Tell me why.”

  “Why?”

  “Why you can’t let me go. Then I’ll rethink my decision. If you can’t, then let me go.”

  “My children need you. They adore you.”

  “I see.” Beth’s jaw tightened. “And what about you?”

  “I …”

  Then Gerard felt it slam into his chest. He knew why he couldn’t let her go. He loved her. With everything he had. If she walked out of his life now, he would just feel empty. But he couldn’t say it. Much as he wanted to, he couldn’t. The last woman he had declared he love for was his wife, and even then, Gerard hadn’t said it much. Those three words to anyone who wasn’t his blood family were difficult. Allegra had understood, and knew that he loved her. But Beth wasn’t Allegra. She needed to hear it.

  But it couldn’t get past Gerard’s lips.

  His hesitation was a moment too long. Because Beth’s expression shut down, and he could feel her emotionally pulling back.

  “I thought so. Let me pass.”

  “Beth …”

  Beth growled and thumped her fists into his chest. Gerard grunted and staggered back. Beth squared up to him, fists clenched and her fury building again. The hurt was there as well, and that was more painful than her physical attack.

  “I can’t believe I thought there was something meaningful between us,” she said. “And that is my fault. You drew me in, manipulated me. I made a promise not to do anything foolish while I worked for you, and I broke it. You will get tired of me if I stay here, and you’ll throw me aside, just like your brother did to my sister. I won’t go through with it as well.”

  “Oh, Beth.” Gerard stepped towards her, pausing as Beth drew back sharply. He lowered his hands. “I do need you.”

  But Beth was shaking her head.

  “No, you don’t.”

  Then she turned and stormed off towards the back of the house. Towards the servants’ stairs. Gerard contemplated going after her, to make her see reason, but he didn’t think it would make any difference. Beth had her mind made up, and he knew women were very stubborn in their mindset.

  Much as he didn’t want to do it, Gerard went back into his study and rang on the bell pull. He needed a drink. A lot of it. Maybe that would help him figure out what to do. All he knew for certain was that he wasn’t going to let Beth go. She wasn’t going to leave him.

  Gerard just didn’t know how he was going to persuade her to stay.

  Chapter 21

  “Miss Beth?”

  Beth rolled up. Then she sat up. Isabel and Rosamund were in the doorway to her room, watching her. Isabel looked solemn, and Rosamund looked as though she hadn’t stopped crying.

  “Isabel? Rosamund.” Beth swung her legs over the side of the bed. “What are you doing up here?”

  “Rosamund wanted to come and see you.” Isabel cleared her throat and gestured at her little sister. “I told her that we should leave you alone right now, but she was insistent.”