“I am not going to let you throw your life away, especially not over some silly game of cards,” Lydia hissed at her brother, tugging free of his grip.
Landon’s face blanched. “It is not that simple, Lydia. I—how did you even find out about this?”
“It does not matter.” Lydia turned to face the Duke.
“Lydia—stay out of this.” Landon tugged at her, but Lydia shrugged him off.
“Loathe as I am to say it, your brother is right. This is no place for a lady; it is too dangerous.” The Duke made to turn from her, and his dismissal stoked an anger in her.
Without thinking, she took a step towards him. “Clearly, it is only a place for fools.”
“Lydia!” Landon glanced between her and the Duke.
“What did you say?” The Duke took a step towards them, his voice dangerously low.
“Only fools would think it was worth throwing their lives away over a silly little game of cards.” Lydia glared up at the Duke.
The man gazed down at her, his expression half hidden by shadow. Up close, Lydia could see just how powerfully the Dukewas built. The muscles of his arms rippled beneath his shirt as he folded them across his chest.
Only an idiot would pick a fight with this man.And yet she could not bring herself to back down. Not when the stakes were so high.
“Apparently wading into situations you do not understand is a family trait.” The Duke’s lip curled. “This is about more than a card game.”
“Whatever it is, I cannot believe that it is worth dueling over. If my brother dies, my entire family will be ruined. He has no heir to speak of, and there is every chance that whoever inherits next would not allow my family to remain on the estate. More to the point Landon is just a child—” Lydia began, but Landon cut her off with an indignant growl.
“I am seventeen.”
“A child.” Lydia glared at Landon before turning back to the Duke. “Which makes this whole thing even more ridiculous. What kind of grown man challenges a child to a duel?”
The Duke ran a hand across his face, his voice dispassionate. “Your brother is the one who challenged me to a duel. And as a gentleman, I am honor bound to accept it.”
“Oh yes, terribly gentlemanly of you to try and kill each other.” Sarcasm dripped off Lydia’s every word. “Both dead, but your honor intact.”
“I had no intention of dying.” The Duke’s words were a dagger to her heart.
“And if you had killed my brother?” Lydia met his gaze. “Dueling is illegal—if anyone found out, you would be an outlaw or worse!”
The man canted his head towards her, an eyebrow raised. “Is that a threat, Lady Lydia?”
“No.” Lydia swallowed but forced herself not to back away from him.
The Duke looked down at her, his face impassive. “I do not take kindly to threats.”
“Nor do I,” she answered, trying to match his own cool tone, even as her heart beat around her chest like a rabbit fleeing a fox. “So it is a good thing neither of us is threatening the other.”
She thought she saw the flicker of a smile cross the Duke’s face, but it was gone too quickly for her to be sure. She heard Landon muttering something behind her, but she ignored it, focusing on the Duke instead.
“I will not let you duel him. I will stand here all night if I need to, but I will not let you kill each other needlessly.” She heard Landon mutter angrily under his breath but ignored him.
The Duke moved forwards, his tall figure dwarfing her as he looked down at her. “And what makes you think I would not move you?”
“It is not very honorable to manhandle a lady.” Lydia shrugged. “Unless you plan on tying me up, there is very little you can do to stop me.”
The smell of spices and pine assaulted her senses, clouding her mind as the Duke’s mouth quirked into a smile. “You are playing a dangerous game, Lady Lydia. Take care with your next move.”
“You will not scare me away.” Lydia swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry, yet her voice did not shake.
She heard Landon mutter something indignant behind them, but she held out a hand to stop his interruption.
