"Benedict."
"Yes?" His voice felt shaky. Devil take it, he was nearly trembling with fear, shame… all of the above.
"Why have you had seven housekeepers in the last two years? Why would a man need that many replacements… unless…"
She was assuming the worst, not that he didn't deserve it. "You should sit back down."
"I don't want to sit back down!" she yelled, her arms clenched at her sides. "Explain to me why you would need so many housekeepers." Her eyes pleaded with his. It was as if she was begging him to lie, to tell her that her suspicions were not correct.
He looked down at the floor. He couldn't bear to look at her, not now.
She walked toward him then. He saw her shoes beneath her dress, and slowly raised his eyes to meet her face.
"Tell me," she said.
"A man doesn't need seven housekeepers in two years, not unless he's the absolute devil. Not unless he hires them to be his live-in mistress. Not unless he's so deranged that he values convenience above all else."
"Alright." Katherine bit her lip. "Alright." She repeated, her head nodding up and down as if she was trying to make sense of the information.
"But…" Benedict grabbed her arms and pulled her against him. "I'm not that man anymore. I cannot be that man."
Katherine said nothing.
"I-I…" Benedict ran his hands through his hair. " Damn it, I promise you, I had every intention of getting rid of Maria last night when—"
"When?" Katherine's eyes narrowed.
"When I was in his bed," Maria's voice announced from the entryway. "Isn't that right, Benedict?"
Katherine jerked back in horror.
"You are a witch." Benedict glared at Maria. "Leave my house this instant."
"But what about your promise?" Maria tilted her head.
Benedict groaned.
"Promise?" Katherine asked.
"Yes, you see, his grace here is so brilliant in the way he hires mistresses. We live and work here, and then when he cuts us loose, as he's doing this moment, he settles us a grand sum of money for our troubles. I take it…" Maria looked Katherine up and down. "…that you will be housekeeper number eight?"
"That's it!" Katherine yelled and surged forward. Benedict didn't stop her, mainly because he knew he deserved whatever physical blow she would deal him.
But it wasn't him she was charging after.
Nor was it him that she hit, repeatedly.
He really shouldn't be amused. It wasn't the time to laugh, but seeing Katherine claw at Maria was a proud moment for him.
Maria screamed until finally Katherine relented and pushed her. "If you ever speak of me in that way again, I'll kill you."
Benedict wanted to add how truthful she was being. After all she had nearly killed him, how many times by accident now?
Katherine continued to push Maria until she was out of the room. "And if I ever see you here again, I'll not hesitate to shoot you. His grace will stay true to his promise. He will give you the money you deserved, spreading your legs like a whore. But know, this man," she pointed back to Benedict with fire in her eyes, "is mine. Do I make myself clear?"
Maria nodded several times before gathering her skirts and running out the front door.
Katherine's whole body shook.
Benedict couldn't comfort her, couldn't touch her, not after everything. Never had he felt so dirty, so debased. To see his innocent fiancée yell at his former mistress after revealing so much about his affairs. He could not bear it. Could not fathom it.
He truly was the Devil Duke.
"Benedict," Katherine said without turning. "You will still marry me."
It wasn't a question.
"If you'll have me."
"One question." Her hands opened and closed at her sides as if she was trying to regain feeling in her fingers.
"Yes."
"Last night, did you—"
"No!" he yelled, and then, "Absolutely not! You must know how I feel about you, Katherine. I would not do that to you. I have not touched another woman since that first night at the ball."
"Good," she said tersely.
"Good?" He shuffled closer to her.
"Yes." She whipped around and charged toward him.
Here it comes.
"You are mine. Mine, you devil! If I ever catch you with another woman, if you as much as grin at a woman in the next ten years of our marriage, I'll castrate you. Do I make myself clear?"
His body responded to her in such a violent way he he nearly fell to the ground. Groin tightening, he couldn't help the growl that passed through his lips at her possessive words. "Crystal." Heaven help him, he loved her. He wanted to tell her, to fall to his knees. It wasn't the time. Would it ever be the time?
"Fine." She pushed away from him and walked to the door.
"Katherine," he called.
She stopped.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." The words seemed too shallow, not deep enough to convey how wretched he felt, how he wanted to cut himself open and bleed all over the floor.