Rawlings laughed. "I think he's still praying God will strike him where he lies. Doesn't work that way, fellow. Believe me, I've tried. Now, Renwick, Tempest, let us leave the Devil to his evil doings and have a drink on his behalf. It seems he'll need it."
Katherine wasn't so sheltered that she didn't now understand who the men where. Lord Renwick? The Duke of Tempest? And Lord Rawlings? Two of the most notorious rakes of the ton and the Angel Duke himself.
Well, it seemed there was no escaping matrimony. But by George, she was going to try.
CHAPTER THREE
Down for the Count
Perhaps he could merely pretend to have had an apoplexy. How long, he wondered, could a person hold his breath before he did permanent damage to his body? Perhaps if he passed out, he could make up a story about how the woman, who he would now refer to as Eve, tricked him, tripped him, and clobbered him over the head.
He kept his eyes closed just in case his ridiculous plan would work.
It didn't.
Another throat cleared. He stopped his prayers and opened one eye, then two. His aunt's icy blue stare seemed to penetrate his body with such irritation that his head began to hurt again, or was the throbbing merely a happy coincidence with getting hit by Lady Katherine? Saints alive, she was going to be the death of him.
"Look what you've done." Aunt Agatha shook her head and sniffled. Well, at least she was over her imaginary head cold; now it seemed she had nothing but tears and outrage.
"I did nothing wrong, I merely fell after being struck by a blunt object. You cannot fault me in the matter!"
"You compromised that woman! What the devil is wrong with you? Have I not raised you to at least woo a woman before you lift her skirts? Heavens, we are in public!"
"I was accosted!" he yelled.
"You were seducing her!"
"I was unconscious!" He blinked his eyes and cursed. Pain was now throbbing at his temples. Truly, if God were to call him home, he wouldn't fault Him one bit. He'd merely lift his arms heavenward and thank the Lord for taking him. Then again his thanks would be twofold, for he would be grateful to even be near the pearly gates, let alone given free entry.
Aunt Agatha sighed. "Either way, it was bad form, Benedict. Truly bad form. I shall announce your impending marriage at once. Now, run along and have yourself some brandy. You look awful. Hmph."
With swift movements, she left him on the cold ground, alone and upset. One thing was for certain, he wasn't going to marry the girl. He would rather jump into the Thames in the dead of winter! Although, on second thought, jumping into the Thames would mean he would die of a head injury, considering it was frozen over. Perhaps he could cut out a little hole and jump into it. Sadly, the smile on his face was entirely brought on by his suicide plan, an unfortunate circumstance that. Was marriage truly that ghastly to him?
The woman was a plague, a disease he could not rid himself of! It mattered not that she was beautiful, or that she had grown into those luscious lips and curves. She was still the devil's own to deal with. And he would not align himself with such a lady for the rest of his life. Imagine! Lady Katherine? A Duchess? Married to the Devil Duke himself?
He pushed away from the ground and examined his body for dirt and smudges. Satisfied, he cracked his neck and walked back into the ballroom. A resounding hush fell upon the people dancing and then the whispering commenced. It was the first time in his existence that people had dared talk about him. Most were too afraid to even utter his name, not that he was a rake of any kind. No, he was merely frightening for most women to talk to. He was dark and brooding and according to the debutantes, fiercely handsome. Rumor was that he would most likely marry a woman and kill her in the bedroom with all of the force of his evil presence.
He let out a long sigh and walked in the general direction of Lord Rawlings, but was intercepted by Lady Katherine herself.
CHAPTER FOUR
Innocent as the Driven Snow
"How dare you!" Katherine pointed a shaking finger at the duke, biting back a curse. "I cannot marry you!"
"Finally, something we agree upon," he countered then looked around them. Muttering a curse, he grabbed ahold of her arm and tugged her toward the back corner of the room where they were given more privacy. "Did you think to trick me into marrying you? Was that it?"
Katherine burst out laughing. Banbury did not seem pleased, his eyebrows furrowed. Looking quite offended, he crossed his arms and scowled. "I assure you, I am quite the catch."
"I'll just have to take your word for it, now won't I? Regardless, you've ruined everything and now your cousin won't even give me—"
"My cousin?" he interrupted. "What about my cousin? Don't tell me you hold a secret tender for the Scottish duke."
Heat flooded Katherine's cheeks.