Page 28 of The Duke’s Wager

“Did you hear a word I said?” He sounded angry, and Lucy tried to make herself smaller in the limited space of the carriage.

“No, father. I apologize.”

“Yes, and I’m sick of your apologies! You ought to listen when I speak!”

“Yes, father.”

She was back to the usual phrase – the only phrase that ever truly satisfied him.

“I saw you prancing around with Edward Lockhart.” He said, and she looked down at her hands. It would not do to attempt to claim that she was not prancing around with the man – that they were merely dancing. “Lucy, he was on my list of people you ought to avoid. You know how I feel about it when you disobey my orders! To do so in public! What were you thinking?”

God, she hated his rants. He could go on and on – harping on one thing endlessly.

“I couldn’t say no, father!” Despite knowing that it was fruitless, she had to at least attempt to defend herself. Not that her father’s stern expression gave her much hope. “People were watching, and he was being pushy… I didn’t want to cause a scene.”

It was a blatant lie. But she knew that her father was by no means a reasonable man. He wouldn’t understand – and much less appreciate – her wanting to dance with Edward Lockhart.

“I don’t care how many people were watching, or how pushy and insistent he was!”

Lucy should have known that her lie would not suffice. Once her father made up his mind about something, there was nothing that could change it. She would not be surprised if her father believed that she had danced with Edward merely to get to him.

“He’s a nasty piece of work, that one,” he rambled on, evidently enamored by the sound of his own voice. “You are not to associate with him, Lucy!”

“Yes, father.”

Oh, how she hated those two words!

“He is a nasty piece of work, aye. A foolish brute, with a horrible reputation! What did I tell you about the Beaumont name?”

“I know, father.” Ever the obedient daughter, she kept her voice low and calm, hoping to ease his temper.

“Our name is all we have! If we do not take care of it, we have nothing!”

Lucy suppressed a groan.

“I will not have you tarnishing it by associating with that scoundrel, Lucy. Do you hear me?”

“Yes, father.” She repeated the mantra through clenched teeth.

“Edward Lockhart is a fool!” He finally ended his rant and looked out of the window – a clear sign that the conversation was over.

“Well…” Lucy mumbled under her breath, hoping that her father would not hear her. “At least we agree on something.”

“What was that?”

Of course, in the small space they shared, not even her thoughts would be her own. “I said you were right, father. Edward Lockhart is most certainly a fool.”

It was true, Lucy mused to herself. Edward certainly was a fool, yet… she could not manage to think of him as a brute. She would not admit it – certainly not to her father, and barely to herself – but in the moments they had danced together, she had not thought of him as anything other than a man. A very attractive, very seductive man.

She could feel heat rising in her cheeks at the thought. She had enjoyed the touch of his hands on her body. In truth, if she tried hard enough, she could still feel his hands resting on her waist.

Lucy was by no means one given to physicality – she had heard of women who’d given up their virtue rather easily, and she’d been appalled. No man, she said to herself, would ever make her turn her back on her values.

Yet… in those moments in Edward’s arms, she almost understood. She was ashamed to admit it, but she had rather enjoyed the feel of his hands on her body – enough to perhaps want to feel it again.

When he drew her close, she could smell him. The scent of his cologne sent shivers down her spine. It reminded her of bergamot and ocean mist – transporting in an imaginary beach, picturing they were dancing there.

In those mad moments, it was only her and Edward – no one else mattered, no one else existed. She could disappear into his arms.