smile on his face, one that indicated he was more than a little pleased with this turn of events.
"How dare you come here and speak of money?" Adam hissed, now radiating power and seeming every inch the Devil Duke he was rumored to be. "After you sold these jewels, taking that money for yourself and leaving your ward nearly destitute?" He shoved the gems back in the bag and returned it to Harry, who promptly tucked it back into his coat for safe keeping. "Then you dare attempt to sell the daughter of an earl to the highest bidder, as if she was a common trollop?"
This time, Adam did move closer and Lucy saw her uncle wince. "You would have made her a whore, turning a profit that would line your pockets so that you could dally with opera dancers and bar maids and worse! You would take someone so precious and perfect and throw her away as if she was trash! Well, now you will never be able to harm her again."
Then her husband did something that Lucy never would have suspected. He lunged for Wellsford's throat, seemingly intent on strangling the other man.
Someone screamed, and Lucy knew that it was probably her, but it forced the other men to spring into action. While Harry pulled Adam away from Wellsford, Tafford was busy pushing the other man out the door and into the hall. It appeared that events would begin to settle until Wellsford made another comment about Lucy and her virtue, which sent Adam into a mad rage once more. Before Lucy realized what was happening, all of the men were out the door and disappearing down the hallway, leaving her alone in the breakfast room once more.
She had no idea how long she stood there and only came to her senses when she heard the brisk footsteps that could only belong to Adam's sister.
"Well, that was ugly," Amelia said as she calmly moved to the sideboard and began selecting breakfast items as if the previous ugliness had never occurred. "I knew Adam was furious, but I had no idea he was that angry."
"Neither did I," Lucy agreed, moving back to the table, needing to sit down for a few moments and gather her wits. She'd had no idea Adam was capable of such violence. "I can't believe he just did that."
Amelia plunked a sugar cube into her tea with more force than was necessary. "I can." When Lucy was too stunned to reply immediately, Amelia simply raised an eyebrow and looked at her new friend. "He's in love with you, Lucy, even though I'm certain he has no idea that he is."
Shaking her head, Lucy took a sip of her now cold tea, not really noticing its tepid, weak flavor. "He's not. He cares for me, yes, but he doesn't love me. I'm not the type of woman men fight over. I'm simply not. Besides, one does not fall in love that quickly." Placing her cup back in the saucer, she sighed and looked in the direction where the man had gone. "I think that we all realize Adam married me to save me from his brother and the fate that was to befall me. He did it out of kindness and nothing more. He did not wish to see me become a whore."
"Funny," Amelia said with a sly smile as she picked up a few pieces of bacon and a muffin, "but for all that you have just said, I did not once hear you say that my brother's feelings were irrelevant because you didn't love him. Not to mention that, well, he isn't known for his kindness. Yet you claim him to be kind, among other attributes." She moved a bit closer, her smile widening as if she'd just discovered a lovely secret. "No, I think we both know that there is more to this than merely wishing to keep you from harm. So do you love him?"
Lucy wanted to protest the blunt question and tell Amelia that it was really none of her business. She wanted to say that no, she had not come to love the man she'd married, even though she'd known him only a few short days. However, to say those words would be to lie, and Lucy did not lie.
She was surprised when Amelia reached out to touch her hand. "I saw
"How dare you come here and speak of money?" Adam hissed, now radiating power and seeming every inch the Devil Duke he was rumored to be. "After you sold these jewels, taking that money for yourself and leaving your ward nearly destitute?" He shoved the gems back in the bag and returned it to Harry, who promptly tucked it back into his coat for safe keeping. "Then you dare attempt to sell the daughter of an earl to the highest bidder, as if she was a common trollop?"
This time, Adam did move closer and Lucy saw her uncle wince. "You would have made her a whore, turning a profit that would line your pockets so that you could dally with opera dancers and bar maids and worse! You would take someone so precious and perfect and throw her away as if she was trash! Well, now you will never be able to harm her again."
Then her husband did something that Lucy never would have suspected. He lunged for Wellsford's throat, seemingly intent on strangling the other man.
Someone screamed, and Lucy knew that it was probably her, but it forced the other men to spring into action. While Harry pulled Adam away from Wellsford, Tafford was busy pushing the other man out the door and into the hall. It appeared that events would begin to settle until Wellsford made another comment about Lucy and her virtue, which sent Adam into a mad rage once more. Before Lucy realized what was happening, all of the men were out the door and disappearing down the hallway, leaving her alone in the breakfast room once more.
She had no idea how long she stood there and only came to her senses when she heard the brisk footsteps that could only belong to Adam's sister.
"Well, that was ugly," Amelia said as she calmly moved to the sideboard and began selecting breakfast items as if the previous ugliness had never occurred. "I knew Adam was furious, but I had no idea he was that angry."
"Neither did I," Lucy agreed, moving back to the table, needing to sit down for a few moments and gather her wits. She'd had no idea Adam was capable of such violence. "I can't believe he just did that."
Amelia plunked a sugar cube into her tea with more force than was necessary. "I can." When Lucy was too stunned to reply immediately, Amelia simply raised an eyebrow and looked at her new friend. "He's in love with you, Lucy, even though I'm certain he has no idea that he is."
Shaking her head, Lucy took a sip of her now cold tea, not really noticing its tepid, weak flavor. "He's not. He cares for me, yes, but he doesn't love me. I'm not the type of woman men fight over. I'm simply not. Besides, one does not fall in love that quickly." Placing her cup back in the saucer, she sighed and looked in the direction where the man had gone. "I think that we all realize Adam married me to save me from his brother and the fate that was to befall me. He did it out of kindness and nothing more. He did not wish to see me become a whore."
"Funny," Amelia said with a sly smile as she picked up a few pieces of bacon and a muffin, "but for all that you have just said, I did not once hear you say that my brother's feelings were irrelevant because you didn't love him. Not to mention that, well, he isn't known for his kindness. Yet you claim him to be kind, among other attributes." She moved a bit closer, her smile widening as if she'd just discovered a lovely secret. "No, I think we both know that there is more to this than merely wishing to keep you from harm. So do you love him?"
Lucy wanted to protest the blunt question and tell Amelia that it was really none of her business. She wanted to say that no, she had not come to love the man she'd married, even though she'd known him only a few short days. However, to say those words would be to lie, and Lucy did not lie.
She was surprised when Amelia reached out to touch her hand. "I saw
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