Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

He better have a good explanation for his outrageous statement!

“Oh, do not glare at me like that,” he sighed, as if she was the one being unreasonable, when he had all but declared before a flock of dandies that they were to be wed—and Evie knew that dowagers were perhaps the only ones worse than dandies when it came to gossip!

There is no mistake about it—he knew exactly what he was doing when he said that!

As if to further hammer in the fact that this man before her did not care one whit what others thought, he simply turned around and headed up the stairs to his study, as if it was only natural that she heeded his suggestion and followed him meekly.

Well, she had no choice but to follow him if she was to hear what he had to say, but to do so meekly was simply out of the question!

Evie stomped furiously all the way to the study.

If Daniel ever noticed it, he made no mention of it. He simply held the door open for her and then closed it once she was inside.

“Are you sure this is appropriate?” she chastised him, crossing her arms over her chest.

He merely shrugged his broad shoulders. “In your opinion, I have already done something so grossly inappropriate. What does it matter if I add one more to my list of transgressions?”

I knew it! He is hardly repentant for his folly! How am I going to deal with the consequences of his actions if he simply refuses to cooperate?

“Well then, out with it,” she muttered through gritted teeth. “Why did you make such a preposterous claim before Lord Sidmouth?”

He frowned darkly. “You keep mentioning him in my presence. Tell me then, do you like the man so much?”

“I did not say that,” she shot back defensively.

“And you surely would not,” he affirmed. “Once you learn of the more preposterous claims Lord Sidmouth made.”

Doubt seeped into Evie like a devious snake, slithering down her spine like a cold chill.

Lord Sidmouth was the leader of a group of young gentlemen who may be rowdy at times, but generally enjoyed a good reputation amongst the ton.

But there are also a great many who enjoy a good reputation simply because they have not been caught yet, a small voice in her head reminded her.

“Why? What do you know of Lord Sidmouth?” she asked Daniel breathlessly. She took a step closer to him, close enough to see his vibrant green eyes turn a dark, stormy shade. “What are you hiding from me?”

“Nothing,” he muttered harshly. “What need have I to hide such things from you?”

In the space of a few breaths, his cold wrath seemed to radiate from his body to fill the entire room. His lips thinned into a forbidding line, as if he meant to contain his rage.

Strangely enough, Evie did not fear him. She knew that his anger was not directed at her.

Quietly, she took one more step towards him and laid a gentle hand on his arm.

“Daniel,” she told him quietly. “You must learn to trust me to deal with my own problems.”

“It is not that I do not trust you. It is them I do not trust.”

She smiled a little at that. “Then you must trust that I am capable of handling things my own way.”

He drew in a harsh breath, and she could see the conflict in his eyes. For all the world, he seemed so cold and unperturbed by anything and anyone around him, but there were times when she truly believed that it was nothing more than a façade.

That Daniel cared far more than he showed.

“What will you do if you find out that Lord Sidmouth wagered that he would be the one to win your hand in marriage?” he bit out coldly. “That amongst the dandies of the ton, he would make the most successful match because as of this Season, there is no one whose dowry matches yours.”

Evie sucked in a harsh breath.

I knew there was something amiss with him! It seems that he is nothing more than a charming snake, after all!

“That is disgusting!” she seethed.

“Exactly my sentiments.”

“Yes, but you did not have to do something so drastic!” she told him in exasperation. “You should have said something else—anything! Oh, whatever are we going to do now? Colin is going to kill you!”

“He can try.”

Evie was wringing her hands fretfully, but when he made such a statement, she could not help but stop to glare at him.

“Violence is not the answer,” she reminded him primly.

Daniel merely smirked at her. “You were the one to suggest that your brother was going to bring down violence upon my head. What am I supposed to do, then? Stand still and take the blow?”

“Well, no, but⁠—”

“Then what is your problem?”

“My problem”—she glared at him—“is that you are taking all of this too lightly. Do you think this is all a joke?” Her voice rose as she remembered his actions at the park. “My future is in jeopardy just because you⁠—”

Her apparent betrothal to one of the most elusive yet sought-after bachelors of the ton—one of the Wolves, for heaven’s sake—would have all their eyes on her as soon as the news made the rounds. Even if Daniel were to take back his impulsive declaration, how could any gentleman want to marry her now?

It was madness. Pure and utter madness.

“Rest assured, sweetheart, I meant to protect you, and I will,” he told her, his voice dropping to a low growl.

“But you do not want to marry!” she cried out hysterically. “And how can I marry a man who does not want to be married?”

Daniel leaned back, raising an eyebrow.

How can he look so calm when we are talking about my future?

Evie wanted to beat at his chest, for all the good it would do. At least, she would be able to vent out some of her frustration, seeing as trying to make him see reason was akin to screaming at a brick wall.

“Sweetheart,” he drawled lazily. “Whether we get married or not, nothing is going to change.”

Evie looked up at him. “What do you mean?” she asked him suspiciously.

“For one, we are to live entirely separate lives after we are wed. You shall have your own rooms, and I shall have mine. I will not interfere in your business, and you are not to interfere in mine.”

Is he… suggesting a marriage of convenience?

Evie balked at the idea, but a part of her felt thrilled at the thought of it.

What Daniel was suggesting was that he was going to basically give her the freedoms a married lady would enjoy without burdening her with any of the responsibilities. She would have the protection of his name and status, as well as the wealth that went with it.

Not like I need any money, in any case. Colin has given me more than enough, and that does not even include my dowry…

No one else in the ton was aware of that, of course, and no one would expect it. After all, it was quite rare for an older brother to be so generous with his sister, particularly one who was to be the property of her husband after marriage.

“Think about it, Evie,” Daniel told her, his voice low and hypnotizing as he stepped towards her. “Both of us, by virtue of our status in Society, are expected to do our duties and wed. Would you not rather marry someone you know than someone you are not so certain you can trust?”

He was so close now that if she just raised her hand, she could lay it on his chest. Would she find his heart beating as fast as hers at that moment?

Who am I kidding?

Evie wanted to shake her head.

Daniel Stanton could never be so affected. Look at him—he is as cold and implacable as a block of ice!

“Well?”

His voice was so deceptively charming that she wanted nothing more than to nod her head like a chicken pecking on grains…

But, of course, she could not let him have his way so easily!

She narrowed her eyes at him in suspicion. “You speak of trust, Your Grace, but how can I trust you when you keep making my decisions for me? Will you also be like this once we are married?”

He chuckled softly, the soft vibrations from his chest dancing down her spine as her knees suddenly felt as if they were made of rubber.

Why do I keep reacting this way?

Evie wanted to put up a token resistance at least, but she found that she could hardly mount a decent defense against his heavy-handed tactics. Sometimes, it really felt hopeless trying to fight against a Wolf who probably never lost an argument.

But that did not mean she was not going to try.

Victory was at hand.

He could already see the hesitation in her eyes, the stormy blue-gray wavering. All it would take was one push and he would win this round.

Just like he always did.

He raised his hand and ran a knuckle over her cheek, his touch as light as the whisper of a butterfly’s wings.

“All that will change when you become a duchess,” he assured her. “Nobody orders my Duchess around.”

She looked up at him from underneath her lashes, and he had to fight the insane urge to draw her into his arms and kiss away that stubborn line of her lips.

Instead, he let his hand trail down her jawline to the graceful arch of her neck, delighting in the soft gasp that escaped her lips.

“You can do whatever you want, whenever you want,” he told her, purposefully keeping his voice low.

Sometimes it was much better to use a softer kind of force. He found that it was much more effective.

She licked her lips, and he nearly groaned at the sight. “Anything?”

If he could drag her underneath his body and bury himself in her sweetness, he would give her a king’s ransom in fortune.

Anything… what a dangerous word!

“As long as you steer clear of my tower,” he promised her.

She laughed softly. “What are you hiding in that tower anyway? The corpses of your fallen enemies? Or a roomful of… of…” she trailed off, her cheeks turning a delicate shade of pink.

Of course, he knew what she was thinking, but still, her innocence was such a delight to behold.

“That is for me to know, sweetheart,” he replied.

She pursed her lips. “All right, so I am to stay away from this tower of yours. Am I allowed to pursue anything that interests me, then?”

“You shall have my full support as your husband.”

“And what if I meant to change something in the estate?” she pressed. “Will I be allowed to make them?”

“Ashton Hall is outdated, anyway,” he told her. “You can do whatever you want with it.”

However, her next question nearly made him choke on his tongue.

“What of heirs?” she asked him, her gaze dropping to his chest shyly.

He tilted her chin up with his finger, forcing her to meet his gaze. A teasing smile touched those seductive lips of his.

“Why, Lady Evelyn Fitzroy,” he murmured. “Have you been thinking of making babies with me?”

Just as she was about to open her mouth to voice out a token reply, he took a step back, his features once more an implacable mask that no emotions could breach.

“There will be no such thing,” he said coldly.

Evie blinked in confusion.

Did I just hear that right? He does not want heirs?

“I shall have no heirs,” he reiterated as if to hammer his point in. “So I would advise you to be prudent in dealing with your lovers in the future. There shall be no one left to inherit the title of the Duke of Ashton.”

Her mind reeled as his words sank in. He wanted no heirs… and then, he advised her to be thoroughly discreet with her lovers as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

I truly believe he has lost his mind!

It was the very purpose of the marriage mart for the finest families in England to be able to produce heirs to carry on their titles. For the wheel to keep turning in perpetuity.

And now, Daniel—a duke, no less—was declaring before her that he wanted no such thing! In fact, from what she could gather, he was intent on ending the Stanton line.

It was so preposterous that she would have laughed in his face and called him out on his bluff if he did not look deadly serious.

He truly means it. He truly means to end the Stanton line!

“You advise me to be careful with my… future lovers,” she muttered. “Does that mean you will entertain lovers yourself? No one can tame the Wolf, then?”

The disgust had barely rolled off her tongue when she felt him grab her by the waist, holding her flush against him. She struggled briefly in his grasp, but that only served to heighten her awareness of the hardness that was now pressed against her belly.

“You should be grateful that I am willing to be so considerate of my wife’s needs,” he told her in a low growl. “You would not want me to turn my appetites to you now, would you, my sweet?”

It was supposed to be such a menacing threat.

Why then did she feel thrilled?