Page 36 of A Troublesome Circumstance

Jude stiffened. “I like women.”

“Do you?” Luca pressed. “You once declared that you would never marry and that I would inherit your title when the time came.”

Jude’s jaw tensed. “Is there a point to this line of questioning?”

“Yes,” Luca said. “If you truly have no interest in Lady Josephine, then it would be best if you returned to your cottage until her family comes to collect her.”

“You have already suggested that.”

“And yet you did not listen,” Luca said, gesturing towards the shooting targets. “Instead, you set up practice for her, as though she were your pupil.”

“Every young woman should know how to defend herself,” Jude said.

“I agree. But why must you be the one to teach her?” Luca asked. “And did I hear correctly that you told her to keep Mother’s muff pistol?”

Jude shifted his stance, looking away. “I did. So she could protect herself if needed.”

Luca groaned softly. “You cannot go about giving a young lady gifts, especially not one you have no intention of marrying.”

“You are overthinking it.”

“Am I?” Luca’s gaze was steady. “Or are you the one not thinking through any of this?”

Jude let out a frustrated breath. “I do not have time to quarrel with you. There is work to be done.”

“Not here,” Luca stated. “What if Lady Josephine stumbles upon you poring over the ledgers? Your cover will be ruined. Go back to your cottage. We will send word once her family arrives. Then you may return home.”

“You want me to leave without saying goodbye?”

“Yes.”

“That would be intolerably rude.”

“This charade of yours will not last if you continue to seek her company,” Luca said firmly. “You carry yourself like a gentleman, not a gamekeeper. It is astounding that she has not seen through you yet.”

Jude clenched his fists at his sides. A part of him knew his brother was right. Every moment he spent with Josephine was dangerous—for both of them. Yet another part of him, stubborn and unyielding, could not bear the thought of walking away. There was something about her—the quiet strength, the wounded pride, the vulnerability she tried so hard to hide—that drew him like a moth to flame.

And that frightened him more than he cared to admit.

Luca stepped closer, his tone softening. “I know about Lady Gwendolyn.”

Jude froze. “How is that possible?”

“Charlotte overheard her boasting to her friends,” Luca said. “She was quite proud of herself for ‘securing the son of a duke.’ It was not difficult to guess which son she meant.”

Jude’s stomach twisted. “Then you know why I left London.”

“No,” Luca replied. “Neither Father nor I know the full truth.”

Jude turned away, staring at the distant tree line. “I was going to offer for her. She was everything I thought I wanted in a wife—kind, considerate, gentle. But it was all a façade. She lied to me, Luca. She wanted the title, not the man.”

“Not every woman is like that,” Luca remarked.

Jude gave a bitter laugh. “You say that because you were fortunate enough to find one who isn’t.”

“Charlotte is proof they exist,” Luca said. “If she had been after rank, she never would have married a second son.”

“She is the exception,” Jude replied flatly. “If Lady Gwendolyn taught me anything, it’s that women will lie, cheat, and manipulate their way into Society’s favor.”