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Richard interrupted my somber thoughts.
“I’m not surprised either. I’ve heard the stories about the young Lord Marsden. The most abominable rake, to be certain. He should be ashamed of himself. But I’m glad the scandal has not touched you, cousin.” Richard said, watching me with protective eyes.
I hastened a response, though my mind was still far away on Lord Marsden.
“Yes, of course. Thank you.”
There was a moment of silence, broken by Louisa.
“You must promise to write!” She cried, grabbing my hands in her own.
I felt my heart squeeze a little bit in my chest.
“Of course, my dear. I wouldn’t dare not to.”
After several hugs and heartfelt goodbyes, I took my leave from Gracechurch Street. It almost pained me to leave the Allen’s modest home, but despite how much they may have loved me, I knew that it was not my own – and it never would be.
No, my place, for better or for worse, was with Lady Radcliffe. I could never abandon Cassandra, and her grandmother was the only person in the world with both the means and the desire (no matter how tenuous) to support me.
As a woman of little education and no money, I could only take the scraps I was given.
Chapter Four
Lord Marsden
Thediceclatteredacrossthe velvet-padded table, landing on a six. From across the table, Lord Arlington groaned, recognizing defeat.
“And, Marsden wins… yet again.” Cavendish announced with a smirk, hitting me across the shoulders congenially, as if we were boys at Eton once again.
I grinned, sliding my new winnings onto what was already a substantial stack. I was notorious for my skills at the card table, and Arlington, the poor bloke, was most definitelynot. I did have to hand it to him, though – it was brave to take me on again and again. Luckily, the Lord was rich enough to cover his debts… which, by this point, were not insignificant.
Cavendish clinked his glass against mine, toasting my success. The burn of the alcohol was welcome in my throat, especially as I looked up to see the last man I had hoped to run into staring at me from a dozen feet away.
Lord Turley.
He didn’t look pleased at my presence, and I suppose I could hardly blame him for it. After all, Ihaddallied with his soon-to-be bride once… or, perhaps, several times…
Regardless of the details, it seemed a fact that he was likely not apt to forget anytime soon.
Ever since I’d been discovered in the Vauxhall Gardens with Juliana, my life had been turned into a bit of a drama. The whole affair was proving to be a social quagmire, if I was honest. Seducing a girl who was already betrothed to the first son of a Viscount was not the brightest of my ideas.
Lord Turley had, understandably, called off his engagement to the girl, makinghisentire family rather unfond of me. Furthermore, Juliana’s family was also not too keen on my person – having ruined her reputation and all that. I had already heard several times through the grapevine that both Turley and Alfred Pembroke, Juliana’s braindead older brother, had challenged me to duels… though no such challenge had ever materialized.
Despite all the headache that Juliana and I’s entanglement had produced, I couldn’t say that I regretted it. Turley had always been the most unpleasant of Lords, all the way back to our Eton days. I distinctly recalled him torturing rabbits in the courtyards, and then, as we got older, bullying the younger boys until they were bloody.
More importantly, I knew quite certainly that Juliana hadn’t regretted a minute of it… and that was reason enough. In fact, she had sought me out – and when I’d cautioned her against the potential repercussions, she’d refused to stop our affair.
She hadn’twantedto marry Turley, the brute.
He was still glaring at me from a few paces away. The room had grown eerily quiet; it was as if all the men in the club somehow sensed the anger emanating off of Turley, directed straight at me.
I shifted in my seat, taking another sip of brandy and locking eyes with him. It was a cocky move, but would I really be the notorious rake of all rakes, William Thorne, without a bit of cockiness?
Turley growled, suddenly drawing a bayonet from his side. I couldn’t help but raise my eyebrows.
Were the rumors true?
Turley was actually going to duel me?
