He was beginning to care for her.
He admired her.
He wanted her to feel the same way about him.
He was just about to confess all those things to her when he heard a familiar voice. “I can’t believe she has the audacity to stand beside him in public, can you? After what weall knowhappened at the ball!”
Lady Madeleine must have heard the harsh words because she jerked away from Thomas as if she had received an electric shock. Frustrated, Thomas turned to see who was speaking.
It was Lady Deborah. She was standing only a few yards away—close enough that she must have known she would be heard. Right beside her, a wicked grin on her face stood Lady Cecily.
Thomas was filled with ire. Who did they think they were, talking like that in public?
“If you ask me, she still thinks he’ll marry her,” Lady Cecily said. It wasn’t clear to Thomas whether or not she was aware that she had been spotted. “There’s no other reason for her to spend time with him like this. She must have asked her uncle to arrange an outing, and the poor Duke was too kindhearted to turn her down. Someone really ought to warn him!”
“But he knows of the curse,” Lady Deborah said. “I’ve discussed it with him myself. He knows all about her.”
“Do you think she’s trapped him somehow? Perhaps he needs our help extricating himself from the situation.”
“I don’t know—”
Lady Madeleine was backing away from Thomas. “I should go,” she said quietly. “You shouldn’t have to be seen in public with me.”
Thomas was outraged that she had been made to feel like that. “You’ve done nothing wrong,” he assured her. “I’ll handle this.”
“Wait—what are you going to do? Don’t make a scene, Your Grace—”
But Thomas was already walking over to Lady Cecily and Lady Deborah.
They fell silent as he approached, but neither looked particularly ashamed of themselves.
He stood before them. “The two of you have a lot of nerve,” he said.
“Well, we worry for you, Your Grace.” Lady Cecily was without shame. “You know she’s cursed, don’t you?”
“I’m aware of the ridiculous rumors about her, yes. I’m not foolish enough to believe in such things. I wouldn’t have thought you would be either, but perhaps you aren’t as clever as you think you are.”
“Your Grace,” Lady Deborah said. “Our families have been close friends for a long time. You know that I care about you. I simply don’t want to see anything happen to you.”
“I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank you very much.”
“It’s just that she’s trying to trick you into a marriage.”
“It’s insulting for you to assume I’m such a fool that I could be tricked into something I didn’t want,” Thomas said. “And you’re very rude to speak the way you have of the future Duchess of Westcourt. I ought to make you apologize to her, and the only reason I won’t is that she shouldn’t be forced into having a conversation with the two of you.”
Their jaws dropped.
“The future Duchess?” Cecily repeated. “Your Grace—no, you’re making a horrible mistake. You can’t let her do this to you.”
“It’s done,” Thomas said firmly. “And I haven’t been tricked at all. I proposed marriage to her. It was what I wanted. The two of you had better learn to show respect because this is the only warning I will give. From now on, I expect Lady Madeleine to be treated properly.”
He turned his back on them and returned to Lady Madeleine.
She was staring at him as if she had never seen him before in her life. He took her arm and led her down the street, away from Lady Cecily and Lady Deborah. He didn’t want them to be able to hear any of his conversation with Lady Madeleine.
“You didn’t have to do that,” Lady Madeleine said.
“Of course I did,” Thomas countered. “They can’t speak about you that way. You’re going to be Duchess of Westcourt, not to mention my wife. Of course I’m not going to permit that kind of talk.”
