Duke of Chance: Lords of Scandal Page 3

  “I’ll escort Daisy,” he said, keeping his voice low and calm.

  Hart’s lip curled. “What for?”

  But Chance’s hand had already covered Hart’s where he held Daisy in a tight grip. With a bit of pressure, he loosened Hart’s fingers from her exposed upper arm.

  Wherever Hart was about to drag her off to, he meant to hurt her, and Chance couldn’t protect her from that emotional wound. Much as he’d like to, it wasn’t his place. But he could help her in this.

  A memory of the little girl as she cried over her parent’s grave pulled at his chest. She needed protection now. Hell, she’d needed it then.

  He’d been too lost then to be her friend, but he could be one now.

  Hart let her arm go and Chance tucked her bare hand into his elbow. “Steady,” he whispered close to her ear. Her scent wrapped around him, honeyed and sweet.

  She pressed close to him as they followed, the soft curve of her breast against his arm. “What is Hart going to do?”

  “I don’t know,” he replied, pulling her a touch closer.

  “Chance,” she whispered. “I’m frightened.”

  He knew. And difficult as it was for him to admit, he was too.

  Daisy hadn’t been prepared for men like Edgemere, and it wasn’t fair. He didn’t know for certain what Hart would do, but he had some ideas.

  His chest swelled with anger. Daisy was guilty of nothing more than being exactly what society had made her: sheltered, protected, innocent, and sweet.

  The idea of her suffering for having a big heart made his blood boil.

  She was leaning even more heavily into his side, and he didn’t hesitate. He held her hand in his as he slid an arm about her waist, holding her up as they made their way down the stairs.

  Behind them, her aunt cleared her throat.

  Hart didn’t stop in the entry. Throwing open the front doors, he went striding out to the waiting carriage.

  Chance felt Daisy hesitate in his arms. He stopped, looking down at her. “You might as well get this over with.”

  “How angry do you think he is?” Daisy asked, tilting up her chin, and staring up at him with her big brown eyes.

  His jaw clenched as he looked down into her face. Damn, he wanted to kiss her. Stroke her chin and tell her it would be all right.

  “Extremely,” he answered. “But I’ll be with you.”

  “Thank you, Chance.” He watched her lips around his name, the supple flesh dewy soft and so enticing. Somewhere deep inside, something shifted. Whatever happened tonight, Daisy would gracefully exit the other side of this situation. Just as he’d protect Arabella with his life, Daisy was an extension of his family, and he’d see her through this mess.

  Chapter Three

  The silence in the carriage was deafening.

  Daisy sat next to her aunt, Hart and Chance across from them, as the carriage rolled down the dark streets of London.

  She’d attempted to ask Hart what he planned to do, but he’d refused to answer and had stared out the window, not even acknowledging that she’d spoken. His silence frightened her more than his yelling.

  She glanced over at Chance several times. Her questions were surely written all over her face, but he’d stared back with an intensity that left her flustered. What was he thinking?

  And why had his arm about her felt so…right?

  She was in the midst of publicly declaring her affection and intentions for another man. Was it just her childhood infatuation?

  She pressed her hands to her thighs as Aunt Mildred rubbed her arm. Apparently, her aunt could now be sympathetic since her brother had taken over the role of enforcer.

  She swallowed down a lump. He was much better at it.

  Daisy could honestly say she was quaking in her silk slippers as she waited to find out her brother’s plan.

  The carriage finally rolled to a stop, and she peeked out the window. They parked on some quiet street in London, rows of neat townhouses filling her view. “Where are we?” she asked, dropping the lace once again.

  “You don’t know?” Hart asked, finally breaking the silence. “That’s encouraging.”

  Something in his words made her shiver and, once again, she found herself looking to Chance.

  “This is Baron Edgemere’s property,” Hart said.

  Her gasp filled the carriage as Hart snapped open the door, not waiting for the footman. He bounded up the steps of Edgemere’s home, banging the knocker with a force that must have shaken the house. Daisy, still sitting in her seat, covered her mouth even as Chance climbed out.

  “Edgemere,” her brother’s voice boomed through the night, surely waking everyone on the block. “Open the damned door, or I’m calling you out for a duel at dawn.”

  A window from above slid open. “Stop yelling. I’m coming down.”

  At the sound of Edge’s voice, the ache inside Daisy eased and she dropped her hands a bit. Edge was obviously rushing to her defense. He’d talk to her brother, and all would be resolved.

  But then her gaze met Chance’s again, who stood just outside the carriage. His own features were pained as he held out his hand to her.

  Slowly, she made her way to the carriage door as he helped her down, tucking her hand in his arm. “Stay strong, little one.”

  Little one? He still saw her that way? How everyone saw her.

  She’d thought her courtship with Edgemere would change that, but somehow, they saw her as even more foolish for her actions. Were they right?

  A cold sweat slicked her palms, dampening her gloves. She was about to find out…

  The front door opened, and Edge stood in the door in bare feet and breeches, his shirt untucked.

  His dark hair was tousled, his eyes glassy as though he’d been asleep. That made one of them.

  His gaze flitted from her to Chance, his own eyes hardening. She swallowed, wanting to explain.

  But explain what?

  Hart pushed past Edge and Edge stepped aside as she and Chance followed suit. “My aunt,” she whispered.

  “Can remain in the carriage,” Chance answered.

  She gave a quick nod as they passed Edge, his eyes boring into Daisy. She wanted to touch him. To rekindle the connection she’d felt just hours ago, but they were leagues apart at the moment.

  Edge gestured to the sitting room, just to the right of the door, and then he entered, lighting the candles himself. It wasn’t lost on Daisy that there was no butler, no footman, no maid to help.

  Nor did she miss the threadbare furniture that was apparent even in the dim light.

  Not that she cared about any of that, but still…her brother’s words kept ringing in her ears.

  She let go of Chance’s arms, feeling the loss of his touch like an ache. Shouldn’t she want Edge to touch her?

  But Chance was so solid and secure in the moment. She glanced at him again to find him still staring intensely at her.

  “To what do I owe this pleasure?” Edge asked, his brows rising.

  The coldness in his voice sent shivers down her spine.

  “You know damned well why we’re here,” Hart answered.

  Edge crossed his arms. “I know why I’m here. I live here. And I know why Daisy’s here. I’ve asked her to be my wife, which by extension means I know why you’re here, my lord. But to what do I owe the honor of His Grace’s presence?”

  Daisy blinked, looking at the chiseled set of Edge’s jaw. “Edge?”

  His gaze moved to hers and softened, though his arms remained crossed. “Sit, my love. Make yourself at home.”

  “You don’t get to call her that,” Hart snarled, jabbing his finger in Edge’s direction.

  Edge’s arms dropped then. “And what do I get to call her?”

  Hart stepped in front of her. “That depends on your next answer. You see, I’ve already made up my mind about you. Despite your best attempt to subvert my will, you won’t win. If Daisy wants to marry you, I won’t stop her…”

&n
bsp; For a moment, hope swelled in her chest. “You won’t?”

  “But I won’t allow you to have her dowry either. You’ll marry her for love or not at all.” And then Hart stepped aside, unblocking her view as she met Edge’s gaze once again.

  His dark stare was unreadable, his body taut with tension as he looked down at her. Her fingers twined together as though she were praying as she looked at him. She swallowed down the lump of apprehension in her throat as she attempted to calm the pounding of her heart against her ribs.

  Why didn’t he speak? “Edge?”

  Chance softly swore another string of curses. Tonight’s events would put his profane vocabulary to the test.

  What the hell was Hart thinking?

  Yes, he was teaching his sister a lesson, but in the cruelest way possible.

  He hated every second of this night.

  But most of all, he despised the adoring way Daisy was looking at Edgemere. As though the man were her savior.

  He was the villain. Didn’t she see it?

  But other questions were swirling about his thoughts too. Like why did he feel the need to be her hero?

  He’d always been like that.

  Dashing in and rescuing women in need. Especially those that he considered family. It was a real flaw, he realized with a shake of his head.

  Daisy trembled in her seat, her folded hands lifting in front of her mouth. “Edge?” her voice pleaded again, its wobble tugging at the strings of Chance’s heart.

  She was in love with another man, for fuck’s sake. He shouldn’t want to help her.

  But a plan, like lightning, struck in his thoughts.

  They could help each other. The idea grew, filling every corner of his mind. He could save Daisy from ruin by marrying her. She’d be a duchess, his duchess. No one would question the match. She was his best friend’s sister, and as Hart had said, well-connected, well-dowried, and beautiful. She’d fulfill his need for an heir, and she would be restored to her proper place. Better. She’d be raised up.

  Edgemere cleared his throat and then dropped to his knees in front of Daisy.

  The other man’s proximity had his own body itching to push him away. Cow dung.

  Was he going to propose again?

  Right when Chance had decided to do the same?

  He reached for Daisy’s hand, taking them in his. Chance’s fists clenched into tight balls. “Never doubt that my affection for you is real.”

  “Affection?” Daisy said on a gasp that echoed through Chance.

  “But try to understand,” Edge said, squeezing her fingers. “I have to marry a woman who can provide—”

  All at once Daisy’s hand slipped from his and with a resounding crack, her bare fingers came down on Edgemere’s cheek.

  The sound filled Chance with a satisfaction so deep that he smiled, even as Daisy rose from the chair, her chin high.

  Edgemere stood too. “Daisy. Please.”

  “Never speak my name again.” Chance heard the raw pain in her voice, and he saw the tremble of her body even as she kept her head high. “I’ve just allowed you to ruin my life. The least you can do is respect my title.”

  “I can assure you that was not my intention,” Edgemere started, trying to hold her arms. She slapped his hands away. “I wanted you, Daisy. No one else. But I can’t—”

  “I don’t care,” she yelled back. “You’ll go on to marry some heiress but not me. I’ll spend the rest of my life paying the price.” And then her voice broke, her hands coming up to cover her mouth.

  Chance couldn’t take another second. “Daisy. Come here.”

  She turned to him as he held out his hand.

  “No.” Edgemere tried to reach for her, but he saw the move coming and batted the other man’s arm away. With a quick move, he took Daisy’s hand and pulled her to his side.

  “Your life isn’t ruined, sweetheart.”

  “No,” Edgemere growled again. “Not now. Not here.”

  “What…what do you mean?”

  Chance looked at Edgemere as he spoke to Hart. “Lord Hartwell, I’d like to formerly ask your permission to court your sister.”

  “Granted,” Hart said.

  “Chance?” Daisy asked, her voice shaking. “What are you doing?”

  He looked down at her then. Into those big brown eyes, laced with pain and confusion. “I’m saving you.”

  “Saving me?” she gasped. “Oh, but, Chance…” then she looked to her brother and then to Edgemere.

  “Daisy,” Edgemere bit out. “Don’t do this. Please.”

  “Daisy,” Hart said. “You don’t have a choice. It’s either becoming a duchess, or you’ll be ruined.”

  “You’re right,” she answered softly, her gaze meeting his again as a tear streaked down her cheek. “That isn’t much of a choice at all. I accept, Your Grace.”

  Triumph surged through him. Daisy was going to be his wife.

  Chapter Four

  Daisy clung to Chance’s arm as he half dragged her from Edgemere’s house out into the street. Finally, he simply wrapped an arm about her, lifting her off the ground and carrying her to the carriage.

  The moment she’d accepted his offer of courtship, all hell had broken loose.

  Edgemere had swung at Hart with a snarling fury that had surprised Chance. Was the man that upset about losing a dowry? Angry at the way Hart had handled the situation? Or was Daisy right? Did the man truly care about her?

  That thought made his stomach twist into a tight knot.

  What did it matter?

  The man was not a good match for Daisy, but Chance, now that he’d gone and opened his mouth, had to wonder. Was he any better?

  He lifted her into the vehicle, a surge of self-loathing coursing through him.

  He was a rake too. He didn’t love her any more than Edgemere did, and he was currently in the process of setting up an illegal business. How did that make him suitable for marriage?

  At least he could fall back on a few good attributes that Edgemere didn’t have. He was financially sound and could leave Daisy’s dowry at her disposal. He wasn’t attempting to fool her for his own gain, he’d make the terms of their arrangement completely clear. Tomorrow. Or the next day.

  Not tonight. She’d been through enough for one day.

  He climbed into the carriage, Daisy sitting stiffly on the bench as she stared straight ahead.

  She did not look at all happy to be courted by him. Of course, he couldn’t blame her, and yet… In attempting to save her from the same fate he’d endured, he suddenly realized he’d put himself in the exact same position he’d been in with his first wife, Marissa. If their courtship progressed, he’d be married to a woman who was in love with another man. His eyes closed as he pressed the heels of his hands into the sockets. What had he just done?

  It was like he was trying to repeat his mistakes from the past.

  Her aunt’s voice interrupted his morose ponderings. “What happened?”

  Daisy said nothing. Nor did she speak when Hart tossed himself into the carriage, his nose bleeding and his eye already turning black.

  Chance lifted a brow. “Your aunt would like to know what happened.”

  Hart grunted in response, sinking low in the seat. “I need a drink.”

  That made two of them.

  “Isn’t anyone going to tell me?” Aunt Mildred huffed from her seat. “Is he marrying her or not?”

  “Not,” Daisy softly whispered, her voice sounding so brittle, Chance thought it might break.

  “I told you he was no good,” her aunt started, turning toward Daisy. “You’ve thrown your future—”

  “Enough,” Chance said, meaning no malice toward Hart’s aunt. But Daisy had been battered and bruised enough for one evening. His own feelings aside, he’d done this to protect her and that was precisely what he intended to continue doing.

  Aunt Mildred turned to him, her mouth opening and closing. Finally, her nose lifted into the air. “This
is a family affair.”

  Hart waved his hand in a dramatic swirl. “Chance is joining the family.”

  “What?” Aunt Mildred gasped. “What does that mean?”

  Chance didn’t exactly wish to explain. Besides the fact, he wasn’t accustomed to such displays, he didn’t feel entirely certain Daisy’s aunt deserved to know.

  “His Grace has asked to court me,” Daisy said, her gaze trained down at her clenched hands. “I’m saved after all.”

  Aunt Mildred clapped her hands. “Oh, this is wonderful news. You’re both right. Champagne is in order the moment we return.”

  Daisy made a quiet huff, a small noise of derision that seemed to echo throughout the small space. “You’ll forgive me if I don’t join the festivities.”

  Chance’s jaw snapped closed, his teeth clenching so tight his head began to ache.

  “Not join?” Her aunt looked at her as though she’d gone mad. “Who wants to sleep when we have so much to celebrate?”

  That last words further rankled Chance and he shifted in his seat. Daisy had already celebrated with kisses in the garden over an accepted proposal of marriage. And not with him.

  “Aunt Mildred,” Hart snarled between his teeth. “I’m battered and bruised over here. I want whisky and quiet. Not toasts and celebrations.”

  Daisy looked at her brother then, her hurt shining in her eyes.

  The rest of the ride passed in silence, but Chance made a mental note to never hurt Daisy in such a way that she’d ever look at him the way she’d just looked at her brother.

  Then again…

  He was a man who would surely disappoint.

  The carriage arrived back at Lady Mildred’s townhome and the footman snapped open the door. Chance stepped out, followed by Hart as they handed out the women.

  Hart took his aunt inside, Chance and Daisy following behind.

  When Hart had made it as far as the entry, he bowed to the ladies and made an about-face. “Coming?” he said to Chance as he reached the door.

  Chance looked over at Lady Mildred. “If it’s all same, I think I’ll stay. With your aunt’s permission, of course.”

  She flashed him a glowing smile. “Of course.”