“You would have met the end of one of my pistols before I allowed that,” Lucien growled, a fury in his voice that sent chills up Leah’s spine . She didn’t know how Dubois didn’t look more afraid. However, he merely sneered at her brother.
“Even you are not above the law, Your Grace,” he murmured. “And the law is on the side of signed contracts.”
When no one said anything to this, Dubois turned to go. At the door, he stopped and turned back to Lucien. “You will be hearing from my solicitor. He will make sure that you are moving forward with the authentication in a timely manner. And then, when it is authenticated, I will be back for Lady Leah.” His eyes slid from Lucien to Leah. As he met her gaze, his eyes glittered menacingly. “I very much look forward to that day.”
And then he was gone, closing the door with a definitive snap behind him.
Pandemonium broke out at once. Eve was shouting something, Celeste had started to cry, and Lucien had begun to pace back and forth, muttering to himself. Only Emery remained calm, while on the sofa, Leah was still unable to move. She felt as if she had been turned into a statue.
“Can’t we destroy the document?” Eve asked, her voice breaking through the noise.
“I’m sure he has had copies made,” Lucien said, shaking his head. “Anyway, his solicitor has probably seen it as well.”
“He cannot marry Leah!” Celeste cried.
“Of course he won’t!” Lucien snarled. “I will make sure of that.”
“He seemed so certain of the document,” Emery said. She shook her head, then crossed the room and came to kneel in front of Leah. Carefully, she took her hands and peered deeply into her eyes. “Leah? Are you alright?”
Very slowly, Leah shook her head . “I cannot marry that odious man,” she whispered. “Why would Father do this to me? He always said that he loved me.” “There is no way the document is real,” Emery murmured. “Your parents believed so strongly in love, I don’t believe for a second that they would sell your hand in marriage. They wanted love matches for all their children.”
This time, Leah nodded . This was true. Emery had a good point.
“Lucien will discover the truth,” Emery said, giving her a reassuring smile. “I promise it.”
“I won’t let anything happen to you,” Lucien promised, coming over to her side as well and laying a hand on her shoulder.
I won’t let anything happen to you.It was a good promise, as far as promises went. But in Leah’s experience, no one could guarantee someone else’s safety like that.
No, her brother couldn’t make sure nothing happened to her, she admitted to herself fifteen minutes later, back upstairs and preparing with shaking hands for the ball they were supposed to attend that evening. She hadn’t wanted to go, but Emery had pointed out that if they didn’t, it would only make the rumors worse.
The only person who could really take care of her was herself. As Leah stared at her reflection in the mirror, she felt something harden inside .
She had always dreamed of a love match, and all Season, she had been unable to connect with any of the gentlemen who had courted her. But she no longer had the luxury of a love match. Now, it was either Lord Dubois or someone else.
“I and I alone will make sure that nothing bad happens to me.” Her jaw tightened, and she felt the resolve and determination inside herself build.
“By the end of the night, I will have found someone to marry me.”
Chapter Two
“But you cannot marry a man you barely know!” Lady Vivian Bellmond gasped, as she danced next to Leah later that evening in the quadrille. It was the perfect dance for conversations such as these: lively enough that most people weren’t listening to them, but also interactive enough that several people could continue on a conversation between all the moves. Leah had just informed her best friend about her plan, and of course, she was unsurprised by Vivian’s reaction.
“It’s either marry a man she hardly knows or marry a man she knows is terrible,” Nathan Bellmond— the Viscount of Keatings, and Vivian’s husband— said. He, of course, was in on this conversation. He and Vivian shared everything, and Leah needed their advice before carrying out her plan.
The Viscount and Viscountess were her two closest friends in the ton— in fact, they were her only friends. She’d sought them out the moment they’d arrived at the ball and now she listened as they debated her plan.
“But the new man could turn out to be even worse,” Vivian said reasonably. “And it is just not done! For one thing, you would have to propose to him. And what kind of gentleman would be able to countenance a young lady proposing marriage and not the other way around?”
“Not everyone is as much a stickler for propriety as you are, my dear,” Nathan said, grinning at his wife. She shook her head in exasperation.
“Come now, Nathan, you would not have liked it if I had proposed marriage to you.”
“No, but I would have jumped at the opportunity to rescue a beautiful young lady in desperate need of a knight in shining armor.”
“That is what I am in need of,” Leah agreed. “Someone kind, who will be happy to marry quickly. At least I bring a large dowry with me and connection to the Duke of Dredford. There must be many men who would gladly marry me, considering those qualities.”
“Of course there are,” Vivian said at once. “And while I don’t necessarily approve of your methods, I of course want to help you escape marriage to that dreadful Dubois.”
