"I just needed space," she said to him. "I wanted to take a break from all the noise, the people..." She trailed off, grasping for words that might make her presence here seem less suspicious.
"And you came here? To a stranger's room?" he questioned.
"Yes." She cleared her throat. "I guess I wasn't thinking. I only meant to be alone for a moment."
"But you know who I am?" he questioned.
Lavinia hesitated, unsure if she was falling into a trap. "Yes, Your Grace," she answered. "You are Andrew Haskett, Duke of Hargrave."
"And you understand why it would be incredibly compromising if you were to be found here?"
Lavinia swallowed hard. "Yes, Your Grace," she said. She knew all too well what being discovered here would mean—for her, at least. For a man of his reputation, a scandal like this would roll off his back with little consequence. Everyone was privy to his promiscuous habits after all. But for her? It would be the final nail in the coffin of her already precarious reputation.
"All right, go on," he said to her, gesturing for her to pass.
Lavinia sighed in relief and nodded, eager to escape before the conversation could spiral further. She reached for the door handle, her hand trembling as she turned it. But as the doorcreaked open, her brother, David, was standing right there, his eyes locking with hers in an instant.
Her breath caught in her throat. She froze, the realization crashing over her like a wave. David stood there, motionless, his gaze flicking between her and the room behind her. His eyes slowly started to widen, and she could see a flash of anger passed over his expression as his eyes locked onto hers. He started to take slow, deliberate steps toward her, his movements measured, as though he were trying to process what he was seeing. The air between them thickened, and Lavinia felt a surge of panic rise in her chest.
"Lavinia," he said, his voice low and filled with disbelief. "What on earth are you doing in here?"
CHAPTER THREE
Andrew had experienced his fair share of moments where things had gotten...complicated. But this? This was something else entirely. In all his years dodging meddlesome mamas and scheming papas eager to secure their daughters' futures, this was the first time what seemed like a ploy to trap him had left him flabbergasted.
Here he was, standing in the middle of what could only be described as a farcical disaster. The man with fire in his eyes strolled into the room, and on seeing him, the fire tripled. Andrew could feel the storm brewing.
The man's gaze flicked over to Lavinia, then to Andrew, his expression a mixture of fury and confusion. When Andrew's eyes locked on him, he instantly squinted, recognizing the familiar face in an instant. David Webbs.
It seemed as though David had seen enough to draw his own conclusions, and there was no mistaking the anger that flashedacross his face. It was the kind of fury Andrew was all too familiar with. Primal, instinctive, and difficult to reason with.
Andrew stood silently, watching as David's fury grew. The tension in the room was palpable, the anger practically crackling in the air. David's eyes never left Lavinia, his jaw clenched tightly as he crossed the room in long strides.
"David, hold on. There is a good explanation for this," the lady stuttered, visibly panicked.
"Good explanation?" David spat, his face darkening with fury. "Good? Explanation? What in blazes is going on here, Lavinia?"
Lavinia, pale and visibly shaken, seemed frozen under her brother's wrath. Her hands trembled at her sides, and her wide eyes darted between David and Andrew, searching for a way out of the storm. But no words came.
Andrew remained still, leaning casually against the wall as though this were all a minor inconvenience to him. His sharp eyes, however, missed nothing.
David's voice cut through the silence like a whip. "Don't you dare lie to me, Lavinia. I know exactly what this looks like." His tone was sharp with accusation. "Have you truly stooped this low? Has it come to this?"
"I— I didn't—" she began, but David cut her off.
"Don't insult me by denying it!" he thundered. "Do you think I'm blind? That I don't know how desperate you've been?"
Lavinia flinched as though struck, her cheeks burning with humiliation. "You don't understand?—"
"No, Lavinia,youdon't understand!" David barked.
Finally, Andrew straightened, his arms uncrossing as he stepped forward. His deep voice sliced through David's tirade like a blade. "Perhaps you should temper your tone, David. You seem to have forgotten where you are—and more importantly, who you're speaking to."
David turned on him, his face red with anger. "Don't you dare lecture me, Hargrave! This is your doing. I don't know what debauched game you're playing, but?—"
Andrew's icy laugh interrupted him. "My doing?" His voice dropped, laced with unmistakable menace. "David, I have never had to compromise a woman. They come willingly...and quite eagerly, I might add. If Ihaddecided to seduce your sister, you wouldn't have found us in such a compromising position."
The room seemed to shrink under the weight of Andrew's words. He took a deliberate step forward, his towering frame and sharp gaze making David falter slightly.
