Page 12 of The Duchess He Couldn’t Resist

“Your Grace!” She stood up.

The Duke stopped his barrage of questions, leaned back against the couch, and drank from his whiskey.

“I am simply doing what you asked,” he said confidently.

“What I asked?”

“You’re looking for a way to repay me.” His eyes went darker. “This is what I want. Information.”

Marigold sat back down on the couch. Her first thought went to her mother. She wouldn’t appreciate Marigold sharing family secrets with someone else, let alone a duke. If she found out, there would be hell to pay. But then again, she did owe all that to the Duke, and information was the only thing of value that she had. She could provide that.

“As I said, I know many of them by name. I have been to their lair, after all, many times. I even brought them some stew now and then.”

“Stew?” he frowned.

“Most of them are just boys trying to make their way, lost in this world, Your Grace.”

He nodded, and he took another sip.

“As for the leader,” Marigold hesitated, “I have never seen him, but I have heard his voice.”

A flash of disappointment went over his eyes. For some reason she would have to ponder on later, she hated to see him disappointed, so she hastened to add,

“I can take you to their lair,” she said, and his eyes lit up.

“You know where they’re hiding?”

“It changes regularly, but Donny makes sure I know where they are, taking pleasure in inviting me to intimidate me in his own territory.”

“Where is it?”

“If you really need to know, I will tell you, but I will need a favor.”

The Duke tilted his head slightly, annoyed but waiting for her request. Marigold took a deep breath as if oxygen itself was essential to mastering her courage.

“This silly rumour of the betrothal…” she explained. “I am still a lady, and precisely because I come from a very lowly family, I will simply not survive any whispers of this engagement and nightly escapades.”

He stayed silent but raised his eyebrow, openly challenging her.

“I mean…” Marigold felt the blush blooming on her cheeks. “… tonight was essential to set some ground rules and discuss the… situation.”

The Duke sipped on his whiskey without saying anything.

“I am sure you will have no difficulty letting people know that everything was just a joke.”

“You mean to tell me,” his voice was very close to a growl, “you’d rather be taken as a joke?”

Marigold looked down and shook her head.

“You are a duke of means, standing, and reputation. But let me explain to you how it is for the other side. My cousin, the one actually carrying the title, is still in the colonies. So my family is basically headless. And despite my mother’s efforts, everybody knows we are in a dire financial situation. So if there was a rumour of you marrying me, everyone would assume that I seduced and trapped you.”

The Duke’s eyes went dark.

“I don’t mind people calling me a penny-pincher,” Marigold said with certainty, “but to be ruined…”

The Duke said nothing, set his glass aside, got up, and sat right next to her on the couch.

“And yet you are here alone with me right now.”