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“A duke? I know.” She nodded. “Your men threw the fact right on our face when they asked us to clear out of our lodging.”
Arthur frowned. Lodging? “I have no idea that you lived there. I had simply meant to acquire the place.”
“You mean the music hall,” she said, shaking her head. “I didn’t know why you have done it before, but it is now abundantly clear to me that you’ve done so out of spite!”
She couldn’t be more wrong. But Arthur knew that he couldn’t tell her the truth, either. He looked at the woman who stood proud, with no fear on her face. She was wearing a light gray gown weathered with age, but the material clung to her curves. As she heaved to catch her breath, Arthur found his eyes straying to her bosom. He looked away, cursing himself. What on Earth was he thinking? One look at her and it was as if he had lost his senses. He had seen that happen to men who drank too much spirits, but never to him…
He gripped his fist tighter. He needed to regain his composure, ground himself and definitely not wonder if she was wearing a corset under that dress of hers.
But she was far from shutting up. “Is it because of our encounter on the street that fateful day? Because I want to state one thing before we get into the deep of the matter. It wasn’t my intention or otherwise to embarrass you. Probably a man of your stature—”
He stood up and strode towards her. Something inside compelled him to be nearer to her. “You speak too much,” he murmured.
* * *
Carmen was aghast at the audacity of the man. He had violated all norms of polite society and now stood looming right over her. He was at least a good foot taller than her and she practically had to crane her neck to look up at him. He was standing so close that she could even smell the hint of his aftershave. “I beg your pardon.”
He narrowed his eyes as he looked down at her not knowing quite what to make of her. Her heart began to hammer under his scrutiny and palpitations broke out on her skin. And yet she had the oddest urge to reach out and put her hand on his chest.
“Don’t you ever run out of breath?” the Duke of Davenport asked. She fumed. He was making light of her. How dare he?
“I was trying to put my point forward. The fact remains—” she said.
He walked away from her, facing the window instead. “I have bought the music hall and that is the end of it.”
Carmen noticed the portrait that hung over the fireplace. The picture was of a beautiful raven-haired woman. His wife? Something about the painting made her feel uneasy. Had the little girl lost her mother already? Poor child.
She faced the Duke. He spoke as though her life and that of the other women were of little to no consequence to him, which was probably true. Men like him didn’t see anything past their own profit. “You could have bought any other building.”
“I liked that one. Besides, the landlord was eager to give it away.” He turned to look at her. “I always get what I want.”
“What about us?” Carmen said. “I have twenty other women living with me. We had built our lives and our livelihood in that building.”
“You will be compensated thoroughly,” he said. “As a matter of fact, I’ll talk to my lawyer about it right away. All of the occupants of the building shall get the amount they ask for.”
Carmen shook her head. “I’m not here for your money,” she sneered.
He smiled at her sardonically. “Do you speak for yourself or all of the women out here?”
Carmen wanted to scream in frustration. Why was he being so difficult? Nothing made sense anymore. She knew that there was a specific reason why he had bought the music hall, but he was alluding to the fact and she was determined to find out the truth. She wanted to scream and raise the world, but it was important that she remained in her sense. It wouldn’t take much to provoke him, and the last thing she wanted was to be thrown out into the streets without getting what she wanted. He was her last resort.
“We love the music hall. We have built it from scratch with hard work. We need it, now more than ever,” she said.
He looked back at her. The sunlight streamed down his back, creating a halo over his hair. He looked angelic and achingly handsome. Carmen felt something inside her clench as she looked at him. His eyes moved to hers and she could tell right away that something was wrong with him. He looked as though something was tearing at him from within and something else…But before she could look closer, the shutters came down over his eyes and any trace of vulnerability vanished almost immediately. He was a cold man again. Carmen had managed to get a glimpse of the man she thought he was the first day she met him, but he was replaced by the cold, heartless duke again.
“I suggest you leave,” he said. “I’m not going to change my mind.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Carmen said, folding her hands in front of her chest. She wasn’t going to beg, but she was determined to show him reason.
When he turned around, he was scowling at her. He walked towards her again and she felt her breath hitching. Why did he have such an effect on her? She felt her heart beating erratically as he stood just inches away from her and leaned towards her. If this was his way of intimidating her, it wasn’t going to work.
His eyes narrowed to slits as he scanned her face. She licked her lips, anticipating his next move and his eyes followed that action. When his eyes heated, she felt an unexplained knot form in her stomach. He reached for her and Carmen allowed him. Two of his fingers brushed away the hair from her forehead. She closed her eyes against the touch. “You vex me, but I cannot possibly fathom why,” he murmured. Carmen felt the same and she had just met him only twice!
She leaned against his touch, something inside her craving more of it when the door opened, and she heard a loud gasp.
