Chapter 2

2

As Rath Hall loomed closer through the carriage windows, Lucien’s unease grew. He wondered whether or not Dorian would invite him to the study immediately for a glass of brandy to soothe his blasted headache—which had only little to do with the previous night’s debauchery and a lot to do with the beautiful woman now sitting across from him.

They’d spent the whole ride arguing. Chastity told him how her request to test her method in a Mayfair hospital had been denied based on her gender.

He felt sorry for his little lioness. But his headache and sour stomach dulled his thoughts, and no matter how hard he tried to concentrate, his mind drifted as he watched her lips move, wondering how they would taste.

She had such a pretty face, with those sky-blue eyes and full lips…and it was a shame she hid her slim body behind dull long-sleeved gowns that were always buttoned to her neck. Heaven forbid she should ever reveal so much as an inch of skin. Spine rigid and straight, she often she seemed cold and aloof, uncaring. She shied away from meeting new people, claiming she didn’t need friends when she had her books, her research…

Lord help him, had her father managed to oppress her so thoroughly that nothing remained but this rigid, science-obsessed woman? He remembered the girl who’d climbed trees and played pirates, whose laughter was infectious and whose eyes sparkled with mischief. That girl seemed lost now, buried beneath a false layer of obscurity that she wore like armor.

Sometimes he wanted to shake her, so that exterior would fall off and she could finally remember who she really was.

A woman. The full and beautiful person he knew she was inside.

And now she was sneaking around in Whitechapel? Working with a doctor?—

Hold a moment! It must be his hangover wearing off. With the shock of seeing her near Elysium and his mind hazed, he’d completely disregarded what was probably the most important question of all.

“Was there someone else with you in the surgery of this man…?” he asked as he narrowed his eyes at her. “This doctor?”

Chastity tore her eyes away from the window. They were about to stop in front of Rath Hall, and the moment the carriage drew to a halt, this conversation would be over. “Why?” she asked, her chest suddenly rising and falling quickly under her gray spencer.

“I’d like to know if I should pay a visit to his surgery and break his neck.”

“You should not. There were patients.”

“Always?”

“Most of the time. You can’t expect patients with wounds and broken limbs to care for my propriety.”

He suppressed a growl born deep in his throat. “Is he old?” Lucien asked through gritted teeth. “Married? Pray, tell me he’s interested in men.”

“He’s your age. Unmarried. As for his romantic tastes, I do not know.”

“What’s his name?”

Chastity eyed him and squared her shoulders. “It seems you have ill intentions towards him, and you expect me to betray my colleague?”

Inexplicable anger rolled inside him. Part of him wondered what had gotten into him. He didn’t usually get vexed. He prided himself on his ability to make light of any situation and to avoid the more disagreeable sentiments.

“Ill intentions is right,” snarled Lucien. “His name, Chastity! Or I will tell Dorian.”

Her expression grew shuttered, and he regretted repeating the threat the moment it left his mouth. “Lucien—” she began.

He interrupted her. “If you want me to keep your secret, you must tell me who I’m dealing with.”

Whose bones he might be breaking later.

“Very well. But you must promise not to harm him.”

“That I will not do.”

“You have no reason to wish him ill! He was always a perfect gentleman.”

A perfect gentleman… The very thing Lucien was not.

His nostrils flared, teeth screeching. What was going on with him? He cared for her, of course. She was Dorian’s little sister, for God’s sake.

The carriage came to a stop. The dark and gothic home of the Duke of Rath loomed in the window, blocking out most of the sky and the afternoon light. The butler and the footmen were lined up before the arched entrance with carved ornaments.

“His name,” Lucien demanded once more.

Gravel crunched under the driver’s feet as he approached the door and put the carriage step on the ground.

In a moment, Dorian and Patience might appear to greet Lucien. The rest of the dukes would follow so that all of them could drive together to Pryde’s house party at his country estate tomorrow. Chastity didn’t have much time, and they both knew it. Her gaze darted to Rath Hall.

“I swear on my honor I’ll tell Dorian,” Lucien said, part of him hating himself for pressuring her.

“Fine,” she spat out. “Upon my word, I hate you sometimes. His name is Brace Sterling.”

Lucien blinked at her as the door was opened by the driver and he saw Dorian and Patience walk out of the house. Dorian was tall, dark-haired with a striking white streak, and had piercing blue eyes that could freeze a man in his tracks. His best friend since childhood, Dorian was fiercely loyal and protective, with a sharp mind and an even sharper tongue. Patience, the new Duchess of Rath, was Dorian’s perfect counterpart—a petite golden-haired beauty with an angelic face and a gentle demeanor, her blue eyes sparkled with kindness and her cheeks glowed with the first signs of pregnancy.

He turned back to Chastity. “Thorne Blackmore’s man?” he asked. “His associate, his close friend, his named brother?”

“Yes,” she said with pride, which annoyed him even more.

Breaking the bones of Thorne Blackmore’s associate would complicate things. For one, it would likely mean Lucien would never be allowed back into Elysium. But as much as he enjoyed the club where all manner of pleasures could be experienced, he could live with that. Chastity’s honor was more important.

But the other thing was that Sterling actually was a skilled doctor and did much good in Whitechapel, from what Lucien had heard. It would be a pity to harm someone who helped people.

Damnation, this woman was going to be the end of him.

“Lucien?” called Dorian as he approached, seeing that Lucien was not descending. “Is everything all right?”

“This conversation is not over,” Lucien hissed.

Chastity’s mouth straightened in a stubborn line. “Fine,” she said and emerged from the carriage.

“Chastity!” said Patience in surprise.

Dorian’s eyebrows snapped together as he glared at Lucien through the window. Lucien descended after Chastity, every step resonating with another slam of his headache.

“What are you doing, alone with Lucien?” Dorian demanded.

Chastity scoffed softly, her cheeks blushing. “I’ve been alone with Lucien plenty of times. We grew up together.”

“In the privacy of our home,” Dorian snarled. “If anyone saw you in Mayfair?—”

Lucien offered one of his easy smiles. “I saw her browsing the shops on Bond Street,” he said, “and offered her a ride back home. I was heading here anyway.”

“Bond Street!” Dorian exclaimed. “The busiest street in Mayfair!”

“No one saw us,” said Chastity and Lucien in unison.

“Are you certain?” demanded Dorian.

Chastity sighed. “I’m a spinster, Dorian. Even if someone saw us, no one cares enough about my reputation to start a scandal. Besides, the whole ton knows Lucien is a close family friend.”

“Even if you’re older than most young ladies on the mart,” Dorian said, “there’s always danger for an unmarried woman. Everyone wants to hear the gossip. Everyone is waiting for the next scandal. What were you doing shopping anyway? It’s not like you to be interested in clothes.”

“I needed some things for Pryde’s house party,” she said.

“What things?” asked Dorian, narrowing his eyes.

“Ah, darling, she probably needed lady things,” said Patience. “Didn’t you, sister?”

Dorian scowled at that and turned his gaze away.

“Indeed, I did,” said Chastity. “Lady things.”

“I never heard you mention anything ladylike in my entire life,” growled Dorian. “And why were you not chaperoned on Bond Street? Where was your maid?”

“I just went to visit Aunt. And I thought I’d make a quick visit to Bond Street.”

“You should be more careful, sister,” said Dorian as the four of them walked towards the entrance into Rath Hall. “I’m only trying to protect you. Are you sure no one saw you in his company alone?”

Lucien took offense at the way Dorian had emphasized “his” company. “What, Dorian, are you afraid that if people saw us, I’d have to marry your sister?”

Dorian looked over his shoulder and threw a glare in Lucien’s direction. “Anyone but you, Lucien. You shall never marry her, nor touch her, nor so much as gaze upon her in an improper manner.”

That hurt.

Lucien threw a glance at Chastity, who was entering the house alongside him. Unlike him, she was not offended at all. Her back straight, her eyes strictly in front of her, she looked like a walking statue, the perfect representation of a woman’s grace.

“Anyone but me…” he mumbled.

“Come, Chastity,” said Patience, hooking her hand through Chastity’s arm as they reached the entrance hall. “Let us retreat to your laboratory, and you can tell me how your study is progressing…and also what lady things you bought!”

After the two women left, Dorian led Lucien into his study. As he poured brandy into two glasses, Lucien studied him, his headache forgotten.

“Were you serious back there, Dorian? Anyone but me?”

Dorian gave him a puzzled glance as he handed him the drink. “Are we still talking about that?”

Lucien took a sip. “Yes, I suppose we are. I’d like to know what’s wrong with me. I’ve known you two since childhood, ever since I could remember. I’m your best friend. I know you and her like no one else. Save for Patience, of course. I helped you cover up a murder, for pity’s sake, and never made a peep. I’m a duke, just as you are, and, dare I say, possess a fortune not much less than your own. Why not me?”

Dorian winced in confusion. “Why is it bothering you? Are you interested in marrying Chastity?”

“No. No. I’m just a little offended by ‘anyone but you,’ and would like to know what it is about me that’s so offensive to you.”

Dorian’s face softened. “Lucien, you are not able to let a skirt pass by you. You spend your life in Elysium, chasing debutantes and widows during the season, and rolling around in the hay with maids when you’re in the country. If you were me, you wouldn’t want your sister to get hurt by a scoundrel, would you?”

The softness in Dorian’s voice hit him harder than if he had yelled at him or punched him, like pre-Patience Dorian would have done.

And Lucien agreed with every word, no matter how much part of him wished it wasn’t true. He was a complete disgrace. A rotten man, good for only one thing.

Seduction.

Chastity didn’t deserve someone like him.

“I wouldn’t hurt Chastity, Dorian,” he said. “Ever.”

As Dorian nodded, satisfied, the doors to his study flew open and the rest of the Seven barged in. They looked tired but still seemed to be in a good mood after the night of debauchery.

“Rath,” said Eccess as he slapped Dorian’s shoulder. “We missed you last night…”

“I suppose he will never show his face in Elysium again,” said Fortyne, “as he is no longer possessed by wrath.”

“That’s right,” said Enveigh. “Your little wife performed a miracle.”

“Who cares?” said Irevrence as he plunked onto a sofa and spread his arms along the back of it, stretching his long legs and crossing them at the ankles. “We’ll never change, will we, Luhst?”

Lucien chuckled, but it didn’t come out true. He was a little envious of Dorian’s change. The inner peace and contentment that radiated from him… Lucien had only known him to be like that in the rare moments of his childhood before Dorian’s papa had destroyed the sensitive and emotional boy his son was.

What would it feel like to not be crippled by the need for physical connection? What would it be like to be free? To be a full and complete person, like Dorian?

He couldn’t even imagine.

No, that was not for him. That would never be him.

“Right,” he said. “We’ll never change.”

Dorian served drinks, and they exchanged news, taking their places around the study.

“Except Dorian did,” said Pryde, picking up the conversation. “He’s going to be a father. And I must be excused from this desire to stay the same as I will have to take a wife soon, as well.”

“You’re excused…” said Irevrence.

“You must continue your proud lineage or you’ll explode,” added Eccess with a grunt.

“Unlike Lucien,” added Enveigh.

The thought of having a child made Lucien’s gut tighten.

His mother’s furious yelling echoed through his mind like thunder… I should have aborted you like I wanted to. I never wanted to bring another Luhst vermin into this world.

Enveigh was right. How could Lucien ever take responsibility for another human being? For a wife, for a child, when he was vermin. He’d only mess up the innocent child just as he had been messed up by his parents. Prove once again—to everyone and to himself—how worthless he was. How could a man with no morals do otherwise?

Lucien chuckled and emptied the glass. “You know me too well.”

Quietly, so only Dorian could hear, he continued, “It’s not me you need to worry about with Chastity. ‘Protect each other’s family as your own.’”

The second point in the credo they had all signed one wild night in Elysium. The credo was sacred. Anything else could happen in their lives, but the credo was one thing to which they all agreed on to the bottom of their souls.

“Of course, Lucien,” said Dorian softly. “I know I can trust you.”

And yet, hadn’t Lucien just betrayed this very principle to protect Chastity’s secret?

It was fine. What could one little white lie do to a friendship like theirs?

Besides, he would protect Chastity as his own.

Only, his own…what?