He turned his furious gaze back to Selina. “There is only one thing left to do now.”
“If you would just permit me to explain, Father,” she urged. “It is not what it seems. It is silly, really.”
“Silence!” her father barked. “I have heard andreadmore than enough. It is decided.”
Her heart sank at his words.
Please, she prayed, do not let it be what I think it is.
“We are going to Ashbrook Manor this instant!”
Her head snapped up.
“Ashbrook Manor?” she croaked, but her father did not respond.
He was already storming out of the room, his footsteps echoing in the hallway beyond. She flinched when she heard the creak of his study door opening and the rampant slam of drawers.
“It really isn’t what it seems,” she begged, turning her pleas toward her brother, Reuben, who stood statue-still by the parlor window. “Do you remember the rumors of that book club? It was mentioned in the scandal sheets some time ago.”
Reuben raised his head. “I remember no such thing, dear sister.”
“Oh, why is it so hard to explain?” she muttered to herself as the study door slammed so hard that the entire Mayfair townhouse trembled.
The footsteps returned, and Selina’s heart dropped into her stomach as she saw the pistols in her father’s hands. He tossed one to Reuben, who reluctantly caught it.
“The vile defiler will either marry you or die by my hand! Iwillhave satisfaction for this wretched insult!”
“John!” her mother gasped. “You must not! If anyone hears of it, Selina will be ruined! Perhaps… Perhaps we could invite the Duke to tea and see if a resolution can be reached civilly?”
“Civil?” her father snarled. “After what I have just seen, you expect me to be civil?”
Her mother shrank again, shaking her head.
“As for ruination, my traitorous daughter should have thought ofthatbefore accepting his advances.” With that, her father turned on his heel and walked out of the parlor once again.
This time, his footsteps were headed directly for the front door.
Selina could only sink onto the settee, her legs numb. Rage, she had expected from her father. However, she had not anticipated him to demand that she either marry the Duke of Ashbrook or give him the satisfaction of shooting the man who dared to corrupt her.
A great, horrible miscalculation on her part, that one.
But he did not even corrupt me. I do not know him at all.
Her hand reached for the hidden book and, as discreetly as possible, folded it into the fabric of her skirts.
“Reuben!” she gasped, turning toward her brother. “This is madness! You must stop Father! It truly is just a… terrible, terrible mistake.”
Her brother’s answering sigh was hardly reassuring.
“There is nothing that can be done about it now, dear sister,” he told her. “You know how Father is—he will not let this matter rest until you are wed to Ashbrook or he has the satisfaction of a duel.”
“A duel!” their mother gasped, turning white as a sheet.
Selina had to wonder what her mother had thought her father was taking the pistol for, if not for that.Obviously, he meant to duel the Duke of Ashbrook if an agreement could not be reached.
“Yes,” Reuben said somberly. “I do not know the truth of this matter, and maybe it is a misunderstanding, but that will not matter to Father. It isthatfamily. He will never let the Duke of Ashbrook get away with any slight, however small or… silly.”
Oh, but it was no slight at all!
