Rex, using his cane, slowly rose from the chair. He placed his hand over his wound, hoping to garner his friends’ undivided attention. “You are here to help us exact revenge. It is a dish best served with malice so no light skirts for you this evening. You’ll need to be sharp and not satiated.”
“Pity.” Key crossed his arms. “From whom are we exacting revenge?”
“Lord Michael Ralston,” Max said, his fists tightening at his sides.
Chase scrunched his brow. “The man’s a degenerate gambler. Did you beat him soundly and then he shot you?”
Rex shook his head. “Have a seat, and we’ll explain.”
Key pulled another chair toward the fire. “Si can’t make it until later but I’ll catch him up.”
“Good,” Max said. “Because we’ll need all of us to make this work.”
Chapter Eleven
“Make what work?” Chase asked.
Rex and Max exchanged a glance. Rex gingerly sat back down. “We’ve come up with a plan to draw him back out in the open, but we’ll need your help.”
“The problem is the man is being chased by a slurry of debtors and so he’s keeping quiet.” Max poked the fire again, not bothering to sit.
“May I ask again why you engaged him in the first place?” Key rubbed the back of his neck. “He’s clearly dangerous.”
Max ceased poking the fire and drew up to his full height. Rex decided to spare him answering by quickly sharing the story of Lily, Camille, and Ralston.
“This is why we don’t fall in love,” Chase rumbled, his eyebrows drawing low over his eyes. “It is a black pit of despair.”
Rex stopped to stare at Chase. It wasn’t the first time his friend had referenced his deep distaste for any emotional attachment.
Max pointed the poker he still held in his hand out toward Chase. “If you don’t want to help, there is the door.”
Chase stood, placing his hands in front of him. “I know you are still angry with me after I forced you into that bet. I am not trying to raise your ire again. My issues with romance are my own. My apologies.”
Max gave a curt nod.
“Besides,” Key raised a brow, “Chase has been shot at more than once himself. He is just usually the one who has offended some cuckolded husband.”
“I have not been cuckolded.” Max’s growl had grown sinister, its rumble low and deep as he pointed the poker toward Key.
Rex heaved himself back out of the chair. “We know, Max. Lily was not a willing participant and it’s completely different than Chase’s antics.” Which was true. Chase would never force a woman to do anything. He had dallied with a few bored wives. A sin to be sure, but still very different from what Ralston had done.
Max drew in a deep breath. “Sorry, gents. My anger is for Ralston not for you.” He gave his head a shake. “I know this will be difficult to understand, but Lily means everything to me and he took advantage of her innocence. One way or another, I want to make him pay.”
“As do I.” Rex’s own anger bubbled to the surface. He ground his fist into the meat of his thigh. “What he did to Camille was just as bad and—”
“Wait,” Key ran his hands through his hair. “Just so that we’re clear, you are not looking for revenge for what he did to you but what he did to Lady Camille?” He scrubbed his scalp. “The gypsy did curse us after all.”
* * *
Camille sat in the carriage, taking in the dark London streets lit by the soft glow of gas lanterns. The steady clopping of horse hooves filled the night as people called out to one another. She’d missed being out.
Lily chattered next to her. “I do miss living at home sometimes, don’t you? It hasn’t been the same not seeing our sisters.” Then she reached for Camille’s hand. “I’m glad you’re staying with us. I love Max but it’s nice to see you every day.”
Camille squeezed back. “I’m glad too.”
They reached Aunt Mildred’s home just as another carriage pulled in the half-circle drive behind them. “Oh, it’s Cristina and Victoria!” Lily bounced a little as she poked her head out the window.
The sisters embraced on the drive before heading up the steps to ring the bell.
“I’ve missed you both so,” Cristina gushed as she held both their arms. Her dark hair and eyes glistened in the moonlight.
Victoria, always more reserved, smiled. “As have I. It’s been too long.” She turned to face them. “Adelaide wished she could be here. Mother insisted she attend some dinner party with an Earl.”
“Mother still has plans for her three remaining daughters, I see,” Camille said as she averted her gaze into the bushes.
Lily tapped her foot. “For being expected, it is taking an exceedingly long time for the butler to answer the door.”
Just then it swung open. “My apologies, ladies, and good evening.” But even as he said the words, he held up his hands to halt their carriages from pulling out of the drive.
“Is everything all right?” Lily asked, her eyes squinting.
“Nothing is amiss but your aunt has come down with one of her headaches.” He held his hand for them to come in. “She’s left instructions for you to have dinner without her, but I was holding your carriages to allow you to decide.” He took another step back. “But please come in while you do.”
The ladies filed into the entry, and Camille glanced up the stairs toward her aunt’s chambers. The poor woman had suffered these headaches most of her life. She could be fine for months and then one would send her to bed for a day or longer. “I hope Aunt Mildred recovers quickly.”
“As do I,” Cristina replied. “I think we should leave so as not to disturb her.”
“Agreed.” Lily turned toward them. “Let’s all go to my home.”
Victoria gave a little shiver. “How exciting! You have a home you can now invite us to. It’s so grown up,” she sighed. “I don’t think I’ll ever be that lucky.”
“Don’t be silly. Of course you will.” Camille soothed her sister, taking her hand.
Victoria shook her head. “I’m not so sure, Cami. If you can’t manage to come out of a season unscathed, how will I? We all know I can’t stay out of trouble no matter how hard I try.”
Camille’s chest constricted. Damn Michael and the seeds of doubt he’d planted everywhere. “The other day I thought about Michael,” she said as she held Victoria’s hand. “The effect of the pain he’s caused has rippled through our family. Don’t let him touch you, Vic. Please.”
Victoria drew in a sharp breath. “I won’t,” she answered. “I suppose it’s just touched all the places we naturally doubt ourselves. For me, I don’t mean to cause trouble, but I see something I want and I forget to factor in the consequences.”
“Like the time you stole an entire pie from the kitchen?” Cristina grinned.
Lily laughed. “Or the time you climbed a tree in your best dress to rescue a kitten?”
“Exactly. Cristina warns me every time but I disregard the likely outcome.”
Cristina wrapped her arm about her sister. “Stop worrying so much. That is my job, remember?”
They all laughed at that. Then Lily, giggling, added, “Cristina can make a chart of all possible scenarios and rate them by likelihood.”
They all chuckled at that as they climbed into Lily’s carriage.
Chapter Twelve
Rex sucked in his breath as Key’s words reverberated through his mind. The gypsy did curse us after all. Had she? Was he fighting against a match that was now his fate?
He thought about being married to Camille. He didn’t give a lick about his past or his rakish ways, he’d give them up in a moment to be with her. But what if he inadvertently did to her what his family always did? Hurt her…abandon her….
He looked over to Max. His friend would keep him honest. Max might have to use that fire poker to do it but he’d make sure that Rex was a good husband to Camille. “What we want is for you to set up a closed-door gentlemen’s game.
The list will be for the best gamblers and by invitation only. In that way, Ralston will feel comfortable enough to join and motivated by a large potential pot.”
Max nodded. “We can’t touch it, he’s seen us. But he might participate if he doesn’t know we’ll be there.”
Chase raised one eyebrow, his eyes gleaming in the firelight. “I like this plan. What will you do with him?”
Rex growled. “I honestly considered tearing him limb from limb and tossing the parts into the Thames. But, I think a trip to the tower affords a lot more time to contemplate his sins.”
Max sat down for the first time since their friends had arrived. “A most excellent plan. Though he’ll go with a few more bruises, don’t you think?”
“And a broken nose,” Rex added. “Camille’s request.”
Key choked on his own spit while Chase let out a low whistle. “Camille sounds like she’s got a fair bit of personality. I like that in a woman.”
Rex jerked his head around to glare at Chase. Camille was not a woman that Chase was permitted to…well…chase. “You’re not to like a single—”
“Hello,” Lily called from the hall. “Max, are you in there?”
“Bloody hell,” Max rumbled, jumping from his seat to race to the door. “I didn’t tell her Key and Chase were coming.” Then he opened it and stepped into the hall, blocking the entrance to the room.
“Are we a problem? Does the duchess not approve?” Chase stretched his legs out in front of him, placing his hands behind his head.
“Of course she doesn’t,” Rex answered. “We’ve vowed to try and ruin her sisters…all of them.”
“Bloody good point.” Key scrubbed his face. “Though, if the gypsy is right, they’ll ruin us.”
Rex looked at his two friends. “Perhaps you should think of it in another way. You wouldn’t be ruined. You’d be saved.” At least that was what he was wondering himself.
Both men stared at him with slack jaws.
“You’ve gone mad,” Chase said, recovering first.
“Who is that?” Lily asked in the doorway. “Did you bring them here? Which ones? Why would you do that?”
“Oh, who is here?” Another female voice that Rex didn’t recognize filtered into the room. Cold fear washed down his spine. Had more Ducat sisters arrived? Damn it all to hell, this couldn’t be happening.
“Victoria,” Max’s voice bit out sharply, “no one you need concern yourself with.”
“Victoria,” Key croaked, his voice sounded strangled. He pushed off the arms of his chair, sending it crashing to the floor.
One of the ladies gave a yelp at the noise.
Chase, always poking open wounds, leaned back even further. “By all means, Max, let’s see the ladies then.”
“Over my rotting corpse,” he sniped over his shoulder.
“It’s all perfectly chaperoned,” Chase replied. “It would be rude if you didn’t. What would your mother think if she were alive?”
Max spun about and stomped into the room. “Lily,” he said between gritted teeth. “I thought you had a dinner with your aunt tonight or I never would have invited them.”
“Aunt Mildred is having one of her episodes.” Lily looked about the room as she nibbled on her lip, her hands pressed to her stomach. “We won’t disturb you. I’ll take everyone to the front salon.”
“Now don’t run off.” Chase slowly rose from the chair. “I know Lily already.” He scanned the other three ladies. “Let me see if I can guess who is who.”
Chase had been Rex’s friend for several years. The man actually had a good heart, if one could get past his troublesome tongue. But in this moment, if Chase said a single cross or crude word to Camille, he’d beat the man with his cane. With that in mind, he pushed himself from his chair and stood to his full height before crossing the room. The two sisters he didn’t know took a step back until they were on the threshold of the hallway. One gave him a slightly curious side-stare while the other assessed him from top to bottom as though she were calculating his height-to-weight ratio.
But he didn’t heed either of them a bit as he stepped to Camille’s side and turned to face Chase. “Lord Averstone, I think it is time for you to move on to your next activity.”
Chase cocked a single brow. “But it has only just gotten interesting here.”
“Lord Averstone?” Victoria stepped forward. Her eyes travelling up and down him. “Oh. I thought you’d be more handsome.”
Key’s hearty laughter filled the room and Victoria looked over to him. A flush turned her cheeks red and then the color travelled down her neck. Key stared at her like a thirsty man in front of a tankard of ale. “Lady Victoria,” he said low and deep as his shoulders straightened and his chest broadened.
She only turned redder as her gaze lowered to the floor. “How did you know?”
“It was surely fate.” Chase folded his hands and clasped to one cheek. “Obviously this lovely blonde vision is Camille. If I hadn’t known it before, the way that Rex is standing guard would give it away. And judging by the resemblance of our fourth female companion to Victoria, I am going to guess that she is Cristina. Which means Adelaide isn’t here. Pity.”
Camille stepped away from Rex and slowly walked over to Chase. Part of Rex wanted to call her back, or follow her, or beat Chase. She kept going until she was within inches of him. She tilted her head back, and Chase looked down at Rex’s little angel.
She didn’t speak for a moment and when she did, her voice was soft and yet everyone heard it. “If you hurt my sister…if you go anywhere near her, I’ll—”
“You’ll what?” Chase grinned. He was now enjoying this exchange. “Will you kill me?”
Rex’s gut tightened and he started to follow, wanting to protect her, but Max reached out his arm and gently held him back. “Let her go.”
“No,” she replied. “That would be too kind. But I will have you castrated.” She moved even closer, rising on her toes. “Then you can go through life never being able to enjoy what you seem to want the most.”
“Bloody hell,” Chase answered, his jaw slack.
Rex filled his chest, enjoying Chase’s surprise. He glanced over to see Max wiggling his brows. “I should have warned you that there is a little devil underneath her angel façade.”
Camille spun around and swept past him to the door. She hardly looked at him as she called to her sisters, “Let’s go.” Then she turned to her right and marched down the hall.
The other women followed suit with Victoria leaving last. She gave several glances at Key, who held completely still, his face set like stone.
“I think that went exceedingly well,” Max said next to him.
Rex partially agreed. Chase deserved far worse punishment than Camille had just handed out, but Camille hadn’t given him so much as a glance.
Chapter Thirteen
Camille pressed her hands to her stomach. She wanted to kick herself. She shouldn’t have spoken that way to Lord Averstone. It was unbecoming. Her mother would have fainted on the spot. Her mother. Her heart throbbed again. When had life gotten so difficult?
The rapid tap of footsteps alerted her that someone was attempting to catch up to her. Cristina came up on her left, holding her skirts in her hands. “Camille,” she panted. “Slow down.”
“Chase made me so angry,” she huffed. “And he thinks he is clever and that women will just fall at his feet and he probably leaves broken hearts strewn about in his wake.”
“Remind you of someone?” Cristina asked.
That made Camille stop. “Oh my,” she said, staring at her sister.
“He is very like Michael. Clever and handsome and rakish to his core.”
Camille drew in a trembling breath. “I suppose that is true.”
Cristina linked her arm through Camille’s and started down the hall once more. “Rex, however, looked like a knight about to go to battle to defend his lady’s honor. At one point, Max even held him back.”
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br /> “What?” Camille asked, her stomach flopping over.
Cristina gave her upper arm a pat. “Can’t you see? That man is smitten with you.”
“He told me that he never wanted to marry. He’s been very clear about it.”
Cristina looked up at the ceiling, her brow pressing together. “Max didn’t want to marry either, if I’ve heard the story correctly. More often than not, unless they are in need of funds, I don’t think many do. They need persuasion.”
“But Cristina, I am ruined. He wouldn’t want me.” But a little hope was blooming in her chest, making her warm.
“Dear sister.” Cristina gave her a soft look. “I don’t think a man with his reputation is as concerned with that as you. Try to consider that your reputation might be more of a black mark for you than it is for him. You are your mother’s daughter after all. We all have some of mother in us.”
Would Rex really consider marrying her? Somehow she doubted it. Perhaps he wouldn’t care about her reputation but his own past was something different. He held deep wounds that had never healed.
But she was her mother’s daughter and she’d been thinking about her relationship with Rex in very definite points. Either he’d marry her or he wouldn’t. He cared or he didn’t. But perhaps she needed to shed some of her own precursors. She was ruined, and despite Lily’s plans, she doubted she’d marry. But if she were about to lead a life of spinsterhood anyway, who was to say that she couldn’t indulge in a little pleasure before she was put on the shelf forever?
Camille steered them into the salon and Lily and Victoria joined them. Lily rang the bell to have a meal prepared. As she did, the other three sat down but they were all rather silent. Victoria had gone from bright red to ghostly white. And Cristina moved her lips softly, though she didn’t speak out loud. She was clearly working something out in her mind.
Meddle in a Marquess’s Affairs: How to Reform a Rake Page 6
