He gestured to the building, and she turned slowly to look at the destruction.
Daphne understood that while her husband had never loved the Obsidian Card and did not particularly enjoy playing card games, this place was his refuge.
But now…now it was nothing more than a smoking pile of cinders and ash.
Chapter Twenty
“You will not leave the house, Duchess. Not for anything. Not to go to your seamstress. She will have to come here with her person searched thoroughly. Not for a walk at Hyde Park with your sisters,” Adrian commanded; his face was red with strain.
Bringing his wife to the Obsidian Card had been a mistake. He had exposed her to various wrongdoings, giving more people clues as to who he was to the gaming hell. So many people had caught a glimpse at Daphne’s face.
He paced the room, still feeling unsettled even in the morning light. He knew having enemies always posed a danger to him, but it never truly felt real until last night. His eyes scanned the fireplace, its ashes cold just like what was left of the Obsidian Card. Kettering had just confirmed that all that was left of the gaming hell was charred rubble.
“I can’t be imprisoned here just because your business went up in flames. Do you really think that what they tried in the dark of night, they’d do in broad daylight?” Daphne asked.
He knew that she was not the stubborn sort, nor one who enjoyed socializing much, but she did care about the principle of the thing. Freedom. One should be able to decide what to do with one’s own person at any given time.
But they were living in dangerous times.
“I understand, Daphne. However, I want you to understand me, too. My world has stained your own, and I can’t allow it to drag you under. I can’t let you be harmed just because I have enemies.”
“I am aware that the danger is real. Was I not with you when we saw the figure of a man watching us not too far from the Obsidian Card? The man was all menace, Adrian.” She lifted her chin defiantly. “Did you see me cower last night? Am I quaking in my boots now? I am a duchess, and I believe this experience means something else to me than what others may take from it. A duchess does not simply vanish or hide. Don’t you think that hiding may just let our enemies win?”
“This isn’t a damned matter of gossip or appearances, Daphne,” Adrian bit out, his voice a low growl that filled the room. “This is life and death.” He began to pace, every movement taut with restrained fury. “Kettering gave a full report just a few moments ago. Before the fire started, one of his hired men saw a goon skulking near the Obsidian Card. One of Briarwood’s lackeys,everyone’s certain of it. And if there was one man there, then others were, too. They’ll strike again, at another hell, or here if they dare. That bastard doesn’t care who he hurts to get to me… to take you from me.”
He stopped abruptly, turning to her. The air seemed to shift, becoming charged, dangerous. “If you’re out in public, if you walk alone even for a moment, you make yourself an easy mark.” His voice dropped, rough and ragged. “I can’t allow that.”
He stepped closer, his eyes dark with a mix of anger and fear he could barely control.
“Do you have any idea what it did to me? To see that fire, to watch the roof splinter and realize one more inch, one more moment, and you’d have been gone?” He inhaled sharply and exhaled, but he didn’t look away. “It was my fault you were there. Mine.” His hand curled into a fist, then relaxed with effort. “If you hate me for being overbearing, then hate me. But you’ll do it alive. I won’t bury you because of my mistakes.”
Daphne walked toward him until they were in the same space. She stared at him until he could not help but meet her gaze. She placed both hands on his chest, to comfort him and to feel the pounding heart: feel his fear and fury. Yes, he wanted her to feel all of it. A silent conversation. He could see her face soften.
“I will not go against you, Adrian,” Daphne said softly, but there was steel beneath her calm tone. “We will not hide, but I also won’t defy you. I can feel your fear. I understand it.” She took a step closer, her eyes never leaving him. “I won’t go wanderingabout without protection, you have my word. But we cannot vanish from sight, either. We are the Duke and Duchess of Wolfcrest. If we retreat now, not only will people know that the fire at the Obsidian Card rattled us, but they will also think that we’ve been shattered by the experience.”
Her hand rose tentatively, resting against his arm.
“And are you not supposed to be invisible, my mysterious Duke? If you let the world see you rattled, they will start asking the wrong questions. Reacting too strongly to the fire may only confirm their suspicions about who you truly are.” Her voice softened, but her gaze held him steady. “Let me in, Adrian. You don’t have to face this alone. You’ve carried your battles for too long. Let me share the weight. Let me be your strength when you cannot show the world your fear.”
Adrian didn’t feel like he deserved Daphne. She was beauty and light, while he was darkness and agony.
Adrian could not argue with her logic. She was right about how people might perceive his reaction. Even those who knew or at least highly suspected he was the Obsidian Card’s owner would think it a weakness.
He groaned, looking at the ceiling before returning his gaze on his wife and pulling her into a tight embrace.
He didn’t want to let go. This time, it was not just because he loved having her presence so close, but also because he wanted to ensure that she was safe. All the time.
He kissed the top of her head and sounded out words of reassurance, not just her but for himself. “Kettering hired more guards and dispersed them properly. They are everywhere, protecting all that I own. Wolfcrest will have many of our men walking around, taking shifts so that someone is always alert. We also sent surveillance on Briarwood himself. If you insist that we continue gracing Society with our presence, then you should know this. If something happens to you, I will burn London to the ground to show them all my fury.”
“There is no need for that,” she whispered, looking up at him with what he believed to be adoration that he didn’t deserve.
Then, he rested her head on his chest and held him tighter.
“We will go to the Harringtons’ then,” she said, a little bit of her newfound mischief shining through.
Not long after the Obsidian Card burned to the ground, the Duke and Duchess of Wolfcrest stepped into the threshold of the Lord and Lady Harringtons’ home, as if nothing had happened at all.
Chapter Twenty-One
