Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Philip loved being in love.

He thought himself foolish for it, but then he quickly decided that if being in love made him a fool, then so be it. He had not needed to propose, as one day she came to breakfast wearing his mother’s ring, which he later discovered his mother had given her, and he hadn’t been able to stop looking at her finger since.

He loved Jackie, and now that they had said as much to one another and were to be married there would be nothing in their way. Not even a ball, which would be that evening.

He had almost forgotten about it with everything that had happened, but now that it was approaching, he had to admit that he was quite concerned. He was not one for parties, and he did not wish to disappoint Jackie, who was readying herself with Elizabeth.

However, he aided himself by remembering that she would soon be arriving in a gown with her hair done perfectly and looking her best, which he considered his reward for attending.

And what a reward it was. Her hair was not tamed into submission, which pleased him greatly as he preferred its natural glory, and her gown fit her perfectly, a far cry from the ones she wore upon her arrival. She was almost unrecognizable from the woman he met, yet she was exactly the same lady that he had fallen for.

“My girls,” her father sighed when they appeared. “You are both so beautiful. You shall have the most wonderful evening.”

“We shall indeed,” Jackie smiled. “Should we ever arrive, that is!”

They all bundled into carriages and left for the ball, Philip fixing his mask for the first time in a long time. It almost felt foreign to him, and he was unsure of what to think about that. It had been the one thing he wore at all times until Jackie came, and it was familiar to him until then.

“Will you be speaking with Ophelia?” Elizabeth asked Jackie in the carriage. “After all, nobody would blame you if you wished to show your little victory in front of her.”

“It is not my style, Sister, and you know that. Besides, I believe that the duke and I arriving together and dancing only with each other is all the proof that she would need to say that she lost.”

“Ah! So there is that spirit in you. Tell her, Your Grace, that it would be the perfect vengeance.”

“It certainly would,” he considered. “And I think it would be best for us to announce our engagement to all those in attendance, so that it is on our terms.”

“Well, when you put it like that,” Jackie nodded. “I suppose it would be the right thing to do.”

Philip would enjoy it, he knew that much.

He knew that he would enjoy it all the more when they arrived to see Ophelia and Lucien in the corner, sipping their drinks with faces like thunder. They had no way of knowing that he and Jackie were engaged, as they had kept it secret, but he had not gone back to Ophelia as she had hoped, and she was no doubt furious about that. Perhaps that was why they were together?

Upon their entry, the two of them stormed over, Lucien almost purple in the face.

“Do not make any further trouble for the two of us,” Philip commanded. “For one, it will not work, and for another it is not wise to anger a duke.”

“But Philip,” Ophelia began. “You must know that—what is that?”

She was looking directly at Jackie’s left hand, to which Jackie turned her hand carefully so that the ring sparkled in the light.

“Please tell me that is not your mother’s ring. It was meant for me.”

“It was, and then you handed it back to me if I recall correctly, saying that you couldn’t marry a man as terrifying and deformed as I am.”

“I have already told you why that was, and how sorry I am. Philip, please tell me that it is not too late for me.”

“It was too late for you the moment you rejected him,” Jackie pointed out. “You made your choice, and now you must live with those consequences. I shall no longer fall victim to your schemes, Ophelia. He does not love you, and he has not for a long time now. It is time to leave him be.”

“But I need him!” she wailed. “It is all well and good you saying he doesn’t love me, but I love him, more than you ever could, and more to the point my family needs it.”

Philip gave Jackie a look, which she reciprocated, though she seemed a little more knowing than he was.

“Why might you need it ?” Philip asked. “Not that I know what it is.”

“Money!” She exploded. “My family is in financial straits, and for years I have suffered the blame for it because we did not marry. I was supposed to come back and win you again, but she kept getting in the way.”

“She has done nothing to you,” Philip sighed. “She made me feel like a person rather than a dog, something you never did, even before the fire. Marry another one of your suitors.”

“They do not want me. The only man to ever have taken me seriously was you.”

“That is untrue,” Elizabeth said brightly from nearby. “You received four proposals this year, and you turned each one down.”

“Because they could not help me. The duke can.”

“The duke could have,” Philip reminded her. “Had you not thrown me to one side. What’s done is done, Ophelia. It is time for you to move on as I have done, and find another poor soul’s life to ruin as you did mine. I will say, though, that it is good to know that you never loved me —only the things I could have provided for you. Especially as those things never changed.”

Lucien laughed, and it was exactly what Philip needed.

“As for you,” he continued. “I would love to know what persuaded you to tell such dreadful lies about me. I know that you have some feelings toward Jackie, but that does not give you any right to slander my name and reputation, especially when such attempts are made to her.”

“Do you truly wish to know why?” Lucien sneered. “I cannot believe you did not work it out for yourself. Quite simply, you are not good enough for her, and you never will be.”

“I am more than capable of deciding what is right for me,” Jackie protested, but Lucien laughed at her.

“Then tell me what is so appealing about a man who cannot even show his face in public? Lady Jacqueline, you are a beautiful lady, intelligent and kind. You deserve so much more than this. You deserve a whole man, one that will love you utterly and completely.”

“A man like you, you mean?” she asked. “Is that what you are referring to?”

“Who else could I possibly mean? I have truly fallen for you, and because of who you are, rather than the fact that you tolerate my presence. If he knew what was best for you, he would have given you to me willingly instead of forcing my hand.”

“Even if you were right, I am not simply something to give away and accept. That, My Lord, is why I could never love you, or anything even remotely resembling it. If you want what is best for me, then you need to accept that I love Philip, exactly the way he is, and I have no intentions of changing him.”

“More to the point,” Philip said suddenly. “What do you mean by ‘forced your hand’?” What exactly were you forced to do?”

Lucien and Ophelia looked at one another for a moment, both in surprise and a small amount of fear. Philip wondered who would break first, though he had a feeling he knew which it would be.

“It was his idea,” Ophelia replied, confirming his suspicions. “He knew of my problems and told me that if I could seduce you, and he could steal Lady Jacqueline away, then we could both have what we wanted.”

“And you wanted to marry me, did you not?”

“It is as you said, I wanted your money. In all honesty, now that I can tell you my true feelings, I can admit that it pained me every time I had to look at you. It is a shame, because you were so handsome once before.”

A few years ago, those words would have devastated Philip, but they no longer held any meaning. She was a pitiful girl and nothing more—desperate to claw back what she had lost, but Philip could not bring himself to pity her.

“You,” Lucien said, pointing at Jackie. “are a fool. You could have had me as your husband, a man of wealth and intelligence that is not afraid to hide in the shadows, and instead you chose him. You will regret that in time.”

“I shall do no such thing,” Jackie argued. “For it is precisely as I said. I love the duke the way he is, and I would not change him for anything, no matter how much you wish I would. I certainly would not change him for some dreadful and bitter man who cannot fend for himself, that is for certain.”

Philip did not think it was possible for her to be so scathing, but he had to admit that he was pleased to see it. Lucien had earned a few biting remarks from her, and biting they clearly were as Lucien had nothing to say in response.

“Enjoy your life in the shadows,” Ophelia snarled.

“That will not be necessary,” Philip said suddenly, surprising even Jackie.

She had not known what he had planned to do, because he had not planned to do anything of the sort, but it was time. He had a lady that he loved more than anything, and if nothing else then he would at least have that.

He took her hand, leading her to the middle of the ballroom.

“Philip, it isn’t time for the dances yet!”

“I am not going to dance as yet,” he smirked. “It is time for our announcement, I believe.”

Her eyes sparkled when she smiled at him. The mere word that an announcement was to be made caused those in attendance to look directly at him, which he had not considered when the idea came to him.

“You all know me,” he began, “as a recluse, an elusive duke that lurks in shadows and refuses to see anyone about anything. That was true for far too long, and it is time for it to come to an end. I came to know Lady Jacqueline three months ago, when I had never felt worse, and she taught me what it meant to be truly happy, and truly in love. She and I are to be married, and the date cannot come soon enough.”

There was applause from the guests, and Philip hoped that the hosts would not be angry with him for distracting them from their night. It had not been his intention, he simply adored his fiancée so much that he wanted everyone to know about it.

“How foolish of me!” he exclaimed dramatically. “It is a masquerade ball, and thus you do not even know who I am. Well, how about I bring my life in the shadows to a close, and reveal myself to you once and for all?”

Jackie’s eyes widened, but he gave her no time to protest before raising a hand to his mask and taking it off.

There were varied responses from the crowd, some applauding, some taking a step backwards, but he did not see any of them. All that he could see was Jackie, smiling brightly at him.

And that was the only thing he cared to see at all.