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Finally
He bowed stiffly to the table of wo on his heel and following Nick from the room
They did not speak until they were safely inside the earl’s study, but when the door closed behind them, they both started in
“First, it’s excellent bacon, and I’ it”
“I don’t have tiames—”
Nick ignored him and pressed on “And second, what in the hell were you thinking, speaking in such a manner about my sister?”
“I a to marry her”
Nick blinked “Really? Because I’iven our permission for you to even court herlet alone marry her”
Fury blazed at the words “I don’t need your permission She’s mine”
Nick’s gaze narrowed “May I suggest you rephrase that last bit, Duke?”
Si himself to remain calm even as every inch of him wanted to pummel Nick “I should like to court your sister”
Nick nodded once “Much better”
“Excellent Where is she?”
“I have not given my permission”
Si in his throat He’d never been a violent man, but Juliana’s brothers appeared to be the exception to the rule “Are you going to give it?”
“I don’t think so, no”
Sih with this family and their insanity “Why the hell not?” he thundered
“Any number of reasons Shall I list them?”
“I don’t ih If she’s headed for London, I can still catch her I can ride faster than her coach”
He headed for the door “You aren’t leaving this house, Leighton Not in your mood”
Simon turned back, shocked “You think I would hurt her?”
“No, but I think you would upset her, and right now, she doesn’t deserve it”
“You think you can stop me?”
“I know I can I do not have to remind you of the caliber of security employed by the Park”
Sian to pace the room “I’m a duke! How is it possible that the title opens doors the world over, but in this faainst me?”
Nick grinned “Our perverse nature It’s first onJuliana”
“Yes Being a duchess is a difficult thing indeed”
Nick ignored the dripping sarcasm “It would be for her She would hate it The Beau Monde would never forgive her for flouting their rules And your precious reputation would suffer for it”
He didn’t care He would slay the dragons of the ton for her
In the mood he was in, he would do it with his bare hands
Nick pressed on “And even if she ell behaved—although I’ve never known Juliana to take the meek path—she will never escape the specter of our e And you will come to resent her for it”
“It’s not true” But even as he said the words, he understood why they all would think it They were true, until recently Until her Until she’d taught his that were infinitely more important than reputation
“No?” He heard the disbelief in Nick’s voice Did not like it “Leighton, for as long as I’ve known you, you’ve made it a mission to stay clear of scandal You have been raised to avoid excite and utterly proper in every way”
The words rippled through Si
He did not feel cold or unht now
She had rocked him to his core
And then she had left him
Nick pressed on “You have lived your whole life keeping your reputation untarnished For God’s sake, man You left your sister in the country with us rather than face the fact that she had not lived up to your expectations And you want ive my sister over to you?”
The question hung in the air between theht He’d spent his entire life judging those with less-than-perfect reputations, less-than-perfect families, less-than-perfect pasts He had been the Duke of Disdain—swearing that he was above such base and cos as scandaland love
Until she’d taught hih and her too-wide smiles and her scandalous nature that was not so scandalous, after all
He wanted her in his life
Beside him
As his duchess
And it would not be a sacrifice to call her such It would be an honor
He loved her
Juliana changed everything She made hie of love To embrace it To revel in it To celebrate it
He would be proud to have her on his arm
Would have been long before thisif he were honest with himself
He cared only about having her Aboutwith her foreverand hang the gossips He didn’t care how big or brutal her brothers could be They would not stand in his way
“Juliana’s suffered enough” Nick said, his voice quiet alongside Sihts “She doesn’t deserve your charity”
The words sent hi hi the pictures in their frames “Don’t youever” He pulled Nick froain “Everrefer to what I feel for your sister as charity She is bold and beautiful and brilliant, and you are lucky to breathe the saer was so acute, he could barely get the words out “She thinks herself unworthy? It is ho are unworthy of her, and if you call her a scandal one more time, I’ll destroy you With visceral pleasure”
They stood there like that for longheavily, before Nick said, calmly, “Well That was unexpected”
Siain his calm
Failed
He loved her
With stunning, undeniable force
Sio and stepped back
She was all he wanted He would give everything for her Without thought Without regret
Because without her, he had nothing
“I’ after her Try to stop me”
“But Leighton” Nick’s voice cut through his thoughts “You’re betrothed To another”
Betrothed to another
He cursed, the word harsh and wicked
He’d forgotten about Penelope
“I’ve made a mistake”
Georgiana lifted Caroline froned look of shock “Certainly not Pearsons do not make mistakes Consider ood behavior”
“Juliana is gone”
Georgiana did not appear surprised “I heard that”
“I was an idiot”
She sat in the rocking chair next to Caroline’s cradle “Go on”
He did not knohere to begin Did not entirely understand how everything in his life had gotten so completely away from him “I—” He stopped, dropped into the chair across from his sister, leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and said the only thing he could think to say “I love her”
“Juliana?”
He nodded, thrusting one hand through his hair
“Then why are youwoman?”
An ache started deep in his chest at the question—the only question that mattered, to which he did not have an answer There had been so many excellent reasons when he’d devised the plan, and now it seeht
“I don’t know”
Geor
giana rocked back and forth in her chair, back and forth, her soft words belying their importance “You do not love her”
“I did not need to love her And yet” And yet he found he could not help but love another He put his head in his hands “I’ve made a mistake,” he repeated
He could not back out without ruining Penelope, and she did not deserve such treatment
“Simon” There was a softness in his sister’s voice Care that he did not deserve