A flutter of panic made Teresa’s heart beat out of rhythm. “Stories?”
She adored stories of every kind, but she had recently learned that fiction and reality were better off separated. Indeed, she was not certain she would enjoy atruestory at all, not pertaining to that man with the glittering eyes and the unflinching demeanor, at least. There was no safety, no protection in a true story.
“Of the kind that would make your blood run cold,” Vincent replied, tossing the crushed scandal sheets toward the fireplace. The crumpled ball missed, but he did not seem to notice. “So, you shall have to pray for me, and hope that I survive your stupidity.”
He began to stride toward the dining room door, but Teresa sidestepped to block him, putting her hands up.
“What are you doing?” she gasped, already knowing and dreading the answer.
“I am going to duel the wretch,” Vincent replied grimly. “I am going to ride to his estate this instant and challenge him. I do not want to have to push you out of the way, Teresa, so stand aside.”
Teresa became aware of a presence at her side, helping her to block the doorway.
“Stupidity begets stupidity, it seems,” Prudence said, linking arms with her sister. “You will die, Vincent. Of the four of ussiblings, you are the very worst shot, and Isolde could never hold a pistol without her hand shaking. If you want us to have to bury youas wellas weather this scandal, then go ahead, be an idiot.”
Thank goodness for you, Pru.The youngest Wilds sister was small and slender, and did not look like she could win a fight with a sparrow, but what she lacked in stature, she more than made up for with her sharp, clever tongue.
Vincent’s eyes—a lighter blue than Teresa and Prudence’s—narrowed in annoyance, a muscle twitching in his jaw as he glowered at his youngest sister.
“Ifyoumarry,” Prudence continued with a smirk, “you will not have to worry about what happens to Tessie and me. We can be spinsters, living here quite happily. Indeed, so what if society spurns us for a while? You do not like attending gatherings, Tessie does not like attending gatherings, and everyone will have forgotten by the time I debut. You are making a mountain out of a reasonably sized molehill.”
Clenching his jaw, Vincent took hold of his sisters’ hands, using no effort at all to unwind their linked arms, pulling them apart to create a gap to walk through.
“I am doing my duty,” he rasped, “since no one else in this family will.”
“Vincent, be reasonable,” Teresa pleaded. “Prudence is right—you will die if you duel that man. Do not make me bear that responsibility. I will never forgive myself.”
At that moment, Julianna grabbed her son by his coattails, grimacing as she tried to heave him back into the room. The sisters took their mother’s lead, grasping an arm apiece, fighting to push him backward, so he would not make a grave and potentially fatal mistake.
“Unhand me!” Vincent snapped, doing his best to throw his sisters and mother off him without harming any of them. It was a delicate balance, and not one easily executed.
Moreover, the moment he managed to get one woman off him and turn his attention to another, the former swept back in to grab him again. And as all three began to pull backward together, no amount of wrestling could help him, not without him risking inflicting an injury on one of the determined trio.
“Not until you agree to stay away from the Duke of Darnley!” Teresa insisted through labored breaths, attempting to wrench his arm behind his back.
“I am the head of this household!” he bellowed. “Iwillsee to it that justice is served. If you do not take your hands off me, this very moment, you shall not like the consequences. And, more to the point, you will not stop me. Whether it is in two minutes or an hour from now or this evening, Ishallbe riding to the Duke’s estate to demand?—”
In the hallway outside, the butler, wide-eyed in astonishment, cleared his throat. “I apologize for the interruption,” he said, clamping his lips together for a moment, as if trying to swallowdown a laugh. “There is a visitor for you, my lord. I have situated him in the drawing room.”
“What visitor? I am not expecting anyone,” Vincent replied, wrenching his arms out of Teresa and Prudence’s grip.
The butler bowed his head. “It is the Duke of Darnley, my lord.”
Teresa’s eyes flew wide, her hand pressing against her stomach to try and suppress the sudden burst of violent butterflies that had just been set loose. She could tell from the way the butler had announced it that he knew about the scandal, which meanteveryonein the manor knew about the scandal. It was no wonder that her lady’s maid had been giving her funny looks earlier.
Indeed, who would have expected it of me?That was what people kept saying, as if she could not possibly be interesting enough to do something so scandalous.
“Here?” she blustered, her voice a squeak. “Why would he be here?”
The butler shrugged. “He has asked to see your brother. I know nothing more than that.”
“He has come to propose!” Julianna cheered, clapping her hands together. “You see, I told you it would not be so bad. I had every faith that he would do the honorable thing.”
Prudence peered up at Teresa. “I suppose congratulations are in order.” She puffed out a breath, adding sarcastically, “Enormous thanks to you and Isolde for putting such unfair expectations on me—it will not seem right if it is not a full complement of Duchesses.”
“But… but I… but…” Teresa could not find a single useful word of protest, her nerves lodged like a whole skeleton of fishbones in her throat.
Smoothing down his ruffled tailcoat and adjusting the askew collar of his shirt, Vincent expelled a breath of relief, stepping out of the dining room unhindered. “Bring His Grace to my study,” he said to the butler as he passed by. “I will speak with him there.”
