Page 71 of The Duchess He Couldn’t Resist

There was something terrifyingly novel about obsessing over such small things but not Johnny’s gang. Somehow, he was losing some of his concentration, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

As if summoned by pure willpower, the door of his study burst open, and in walked Marigold. At first, he was alarmed, thinking that she might have been attacked, so he stood up urgently. The fear was so severe that he didn’t even care that no one ever entered his study without knocking.

“Marigold! Did something happen?”

“Yes, and you will not believe what it was,” Marigold said with such enthusiasm that it was enough to calm him down.

Her eyes were radiant, almost sparkling, and there was a smile on her face that he had never seen before. He almost didn’t recognize the young girl whom he had encountered in that alley. But that was not true. He did recognize that fire burning underneath all that awkward, timid shell. It was as if she were out of her cocoon.

“I will not believe what it was, but I am sure you will enlighten me on the matter.”

“Before I got to Lily’s, I met my mother on the streets.”

Brandon’s jaw tightened. He had a physical aversion towards that woman, and his reaction was always a deep frown and utter mistrust.

“She just came out of nowhere,” Marigold continued recounting the incident. “She cornered me on the street. It could be something that she picked up from Donny, now that I come to think of it.”

Brandon went around the desk and stood before her seriously, not appreciating the jest and wondering how his tortured, punished, poor wife found the courage to smile.

“What did she say?” Brandon was having a hard time keeping his reactions in check.

“She was not very original since she asked about the money.”

Brandon stared quite intensely, trying to figure out if Marigold was hurt and how he should finally take Claire out of her life.

“You should have been there, Brandon.”

“I kind of agree although I might not have been able to hold back, and attacking your mother-in-law out in public is usually frowned upon.”

Marigold chuckled, not missing how tense and protective he was.

“Well, I will have you know that I stood up for myself quite admirably.”

Brandon realized that there was something else drawing him to her right in this moment. It was not just the things that he had already found adorable. It was a radiance emanating from her from within.

“Pray do tell,” he said. “How did you respond to the bad witch?”

“Brandon!”

“You’re right, I am being unfair to witches.”

“I told her that there will be no money.” Marigold’s smile widened.

Brandon looked upon her with pride and admiration. He couldn’t even start to comprehend how difficult it must have been all these years, fending for herself alone. He prided himself as being her defender, her savior. Seeing her stand tall before him, he realized he was just being a fool. Marigold didn’t need a protector. She just needed a sword. And that he provided.

“Would it be too much to ask,” Brandon asked, “that your mother just accepted that and moved along?”

“Now, you’re just being unreasonable.”

“I thought so. So what is the, I am sure, breathtaking remark that your mother had on this statement?”

“Oh, she resorted to the usual. She threatened me. Threatened to ruin me.”

Brandon’s face distorted into something shadowy and dangerous. Claire did not know this, of course, but she was not dealing with just an elegant duke who only knew of gentlemen’s clubs and Parliament. His thoughts turned dark, thinking that he would need to take Claire out of Marigold’s life.

“And that’s when I told her,” Marigold chirped, “that I am the Duchess of Voss, and she has no power over me.”

Brandon felt his jaw slacken a little, and that was something that rarely happened to him since he made sure that no surprises were coming at him. But he had come along to accept that Marigold would be the one thing that would always have the ability to blindside him.