Chapter 1

Chapter One

" Y our Grace, this impostor who broke into the house, like a common thief, insists that you know her."

"He does know me!" Miss Violet Crampton snapped at the butler, who had dragged her by the elbow to the Duke's study.

Once she was standing in front of the Duke of Attorton's desk, she uttered the words she had been practicing all night.

"Your Grace, I need your help," she implored, her legs trembling. "If you don't, then my sister and I are as good as dead."

James Bolden, the Duke of Attorton, looked up from his desk with a startled expression on his face. For several long seconds, he stared at her blankly, before recognition finally flickered in his eyes.

"Miss Violet?" he asked, astonishment and alarm coloring his voice.

"This creature is a noblewoman?" The butler frowned, scandalized by the idea.

"Leave us," the Duke commanded before turning to her. "What are you doing here—how did you get in?!" His eyes narrowed as they took in her disguise. "And why are you dressed in rags?"

Violet looked down at the plain gray dress and white apron she was wearing then back up at him. "I snuck in through the servants' entrance, and I borrowed these from one of our maids. I had to get out of Carfield House without being seen, and into yours without being recognized."

"What are you talking about?" the Duke asked thunderously. "Explain yourself!"

His words reverberated through the study.

This was a big, massive mistake. Violet couldn't make him angry. Not when she needed his help.

She steeled herself as best as she could. "Your Grace, please forgive my intrusion and the subterfuge, but I had to see you… My father has escaped from prison."

Silence met this announcement. The Duke continued to stare at her, but whatever shock he felt no longer showed on his face. He had schooled his features back into calmness.

"I would have heard if he had," he said, at last.

"The Crown is trying to keep it quiet," Violet rushed to explain. "At least, that's what my cousin, Niles, the new Viscount Carfield, said. He is one of the few people the Crown informed of the escape. Since he inherited the title when my father was stripped of it, I think they worry that my father will take revenge on him."

"Ah, I see," the Duke uttered slowly. "And you are afraid that he is also coming to take revenge on you?"

Violet nodded. It was thanks to her and her sisters that their father had been locked up in the first place.

"You know what he is capable of," she whispered. "He will not hesitate to kill those he loves. He has done it before. We are not safe."

But instead of looking sympathetic, the Duke frowned. "And why is this my concern?" he demanded. "You have a powerful brother-in-law to protect you now."

"The Duke of Eavestone is on his honeymoon in Italy," Violet pointed out, her temper rising. She tried to steady her voice. "As you very well know, seeing that he is your best friend."

"If not Eavestone, then your cousin," the Duke said dismissively, tapping his fingers on his desk. "You are his responsibility now, are you not?"

Violet tried to choose her words carefully. "Cousin Niles is a kind man, a good man. But he is… not strong enough to take on my father."

The Duke snorted. "You are too polite, Miss Violet. You can admit that the Viscount is a weak man who is overly fond of drink. It is well known. Though surely, even he, having the full force of the law behind him, can keep you safe."

"Well, unlike you, I don't enjoy defaming others," Violet snapped, then immediately regretted it. The Duke would surely refuse to help her now.

Her outburst, however, seemed to amuse him, rather than anger him.

"There's the spirit I expected from a lady daring enough to sneak into a duke's residence at one in the morning," he drawled, smiling softly. "I admire it, Miss Violet."

"I did what I had to do," Violet said, drawing herself up. "To protect my sister and my mother. We are in grave danger until the authorities manage to recapture my father."

The Duke studied her for a long moment, and then, finally, he nodded towards the chair in front of his desk.

"Sit," he commanded.

Violet slid into the chair, trying to mask her relief.

At last, we're getting somewhere.

"What exactly is it that you want from me?" the Duke asked, steepling his fingers on his desk.

Violet took a deep breath. "I want your help to get Rosalie, my mother, and myself out of London—somewhere my father can't find us."

"And why do you think I can help you do that?"

"Well…" She flushed, then determinedly continued. "You have a reputation for your… unrelenting… nature. If the gossip sheets are to be believed, there isn't a lord in England who isn't scared of you or in your debt. If you help us escape, anyone involved will keep the secret because they fear you. And if we encounter my father in the process, you are powerful enough to ensure that he can't harm us."

The Duke sat back in his chair as he considered all this. Several tense seconds passed, during which Violet silently prayed that he would say yes.

At last, he sat forward. "And where exactly do you intend to go that is safe from your father?"

"To Scotland," she said at once, her heart leaping. He hasn't said no! "We have an aunt there who will take us in. She's always wanted us to escape our father's house and come stay with her, but of course, Father never allowed it. She will offer us refuge while we wait for him to be re-captured."

The Duke looked unimpressed. "Surely, if your aunt has asked you to stay with her before, then it will be one of the first places your father looks."

"Perhaps…" Violet bit her lip. "But Scotland is far away."

"Not far enough for your father, I assure you."

"Then we shall?—"

"And how exactly will your aunt keep you safe?" he continued scornfully. "Does she have enough money for guards? Does she live in a fortified castle? Is she skilled with a pistol?"

"No, but?—"

"Your plan is ill-conceived, Miss Violet. You don't need a spinster aunt—you need an army ."

"And what exactly do you suggest I do?!" Violet's annoyance flared at once. "I am trying to come up with the best solution until my sister Iris and the Duke of Eavestone return from their honeymoon! Then, hopefully, he can protect us. But until then, I am on my own! You might not know this, but when you're an unmarried young lady without money of your own, your options are limited!"

She was red in the face, and her hands were balled into fists by her sides. She expected the Duke to start yelling now, but he was still watching her with that same calm expression.

"Well?" she prompted. "What do you propose, if my plan is so flawed?"

"Marriage," he said lazily. "To me."

Violet wasn't entirely sure she had heard him correctly.

"I beg your pardon?" A strange buzzing sound filled her ears, and she had suddenly become light-headed.

Marriage. To me. He didn't really just say that, surely?

Except, from the smirk that was now curving his lips, Violet had a bad feeling he had really just said that.

"Marry me," the Duke repeated. His tone was deadly serious, but the devilish glint in his eyes told her that he found the situation amusing.

Her ire was piqued at once. How dare he?!

"Do you think this is a joke?!" she spat. "This is my life, my sister's life! Is my future a jest to you?"

"It is no jest," the Duke said, his expression becoming unreadable again. "You are in want of a husband, and I am in want of a wife. It's the perfect solution."

"I am not in want of a husband," Violet snapped. "What I need is someone who can protect me, and?—"

"And isn't that the same thing?"

"Not always. My father certainly didn't protect my mother."

The Duke narrowed his eyes at her. "I am not your father."

"But you are known for your ruthlessness." She jutted her chin defiantly. "Or are the scandal sheets not to be believed?"

For a long moment, the Duke didn't answer, but a fire blazed in his eyes, and she wondered if she had angered him.

However, when he spoke, his tone was calm and measured. "I am exacting in my business dealings, yes, but my exacting standards stem from a desire to protect my workers and tenants. If that means a few lords make less profit than they anticipated, then so be it. My loyalty is to the men who work for me, and I protect them at all costs. Anyway…" He shot her a cold look. "Isn't that why you came to me in the first place? Because of my ruthlessness? Or… how did you put it? My unrelenting nature?"

Violet flushed. "I—" she began, but she was at a loss for words.

Yes, I wanted your help because you are ruthless, but I don't want to marry a ruthless man , she wanted to say. But how could she?

The Duke seemed to notice her confusion because he stood up and went to the sideboard, where he poured an amber liquid into two snifters.

"Have a drink," he said, handing a glass to her before returning to his seat. "A man and a woman should always have some alcohol in them when they are discussing business."

Violet took a tentative sip. It was warm and delicious, and it revived her almost instantly. When she looked back at him, she arched an eyebrow.

"I am at least relieved you are not someone who mistakes marriage for anything less than a business transaction."

"Of course not," the Duke said, waving his hand dismissively. "Perhaps for the middle class, it is a more sentimental endeavor, but for people of our class… it is a business transaction."

"And what do we have to offer one another, specifically?"

"Well," he began thoughtfully, "you need a wealthy, titled, powerful man who can keep you, your sister, and your mother safe. And I happen to need a wife."

"Why?" Violet asked, leaning forward. "What need do you have for a wife?"

The Duke smiled slightly, but the look in his eyes remained distant. "Let me worry about that. Suffice it to say that marriage will ensure I can finally finish the work that is most important to me."

"Producing heirs?" Violet guessed.

"Cleaning up the duchy."

"I don't understand." She frowned.

"Nor do you need to. What you do need to know is that I am offering you a solution better than the one you proposed. If you run away to your aunt's, your father will surely find you. And then you will be four women, including two elderly, against one of the most dangerous men I've ever met—and believe me, I have met quite a few. If that is the path you choose, then I will help you, and you, your sister, and your mother will be in a carriage on the way to Scotland tomorrow."

His eyes blazed, and Violet felt her heart clench in anticipation.

"But if you choose to marry me, then I can guarantee that your father will never harm you again. He doesn't frighten me, and I have every power at my disposal to ensure that he cannot get near you."

Violet's mouth had gone very dry, and she had to swallow several times to wet her throat. "Why me?" she asked, at last. "If you will not tell me why you need a wife, then at least tell me why me. You are a duke—you can marry any woman you want."

"That is true," the Duke conceded. "But I had no intention of marrying, until very recently, and I do not desire a love match. Nor do I relish the idea of dashing the dreams of a young lady intent on marrying for love. I would rather wed a woman for whom it would also be beneficial—to have a partnership built on mutual interest." A smile curved his lips. "A woman like yourself. Someone who needs a husband and doesn't waste her time talking about love."

"You certainly know how to woo a woman," Violet scoffed, rolling her eyes.

The Duke smiled. "I admit, I do not know you well, Miss Violet, but I don't think you are like your sister, who never misses a moment to declare her love for the Duke of Eavestone. You are more practical. You are willing to do what it takes to save your family."

Violet clenched her jaw. He was right—she was practical. It had never occurred to her that she would have a love match. But she didn't like how the Duke presumed to know her so well.

"So what do you say?" he asked, his voice like black velvet. "Shall we shock the ton and marry?"

Violet considered it.

She knew the Duke was right. Running away to Scotland would not guarantee their safety. Their aunt could only keep them hidden for so long, and their father would eventually find them. And what then?

He was also right that she needed protection.

The Duke of Attorton was powerful enough to protect her. Terrifyingly so, yes, but that is what would keep her safe. Rosalie and her mother, too.

There were worse reasons to marry. And while the Duke of Attorton's reputation scared her, she trusted her brother-in-law. He wouldn't be friends with a monster.

Violet took a deep breath, calmly sipped the brandy, and then looked steadily into the Duke's eyes.

"Yes," she heard herself say. "I will marry you."

The Duke gazed at her for a moment, his eyes burning with fierce intensity, and then he raised his glass. "Then I think I'll need another drink if I am to become a married man."