Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

N ora sipped a cup of tea, her mind filled with thoughts of the ball. Her mother was beside her, speaking quietly with a guest. The host of the ball had graciously extended an invite for them to stay back and enjoy some extra activities before they had to return back home.

Some had declined, choosing to go home to their families. However, there were many who had chosen to remain. Nora and her family were part of those who stayed behind, a decision she dreaded but could do nothing about.

She knew this was her stepfather's way of getting her to socialize in hopes that she would find a husband, now that there were no eyes on her as there usually were at the balls they attended.

It was the second day. Most had left this morning, halving the number of people who stayed behind. There were those who had chosen to remain in a bid to have more time for romance with those they were interested in, and others who stayed because they were hoping to begin a courtship themselves.

Nora had done as he bid on the first day, taking walks in the gardens and by the lake at the side of the house. There had been a few men, mostly older men who cared not for her virtue and simply wished to marry a younger wife who would keep them company or bear them children in their old age.

Nora had quickly retired back to her room, done with respecting her stepfather's wishes. The only reason she had agreed to do any of this was because her stepfather's threat remained fresh in her mind. She did not want to be sent away to live with his sister, not when there was still work to be done.

However, the thought of being married off to an old man who would treat her like she was only a trophy to be won was enough to send her retreating to her room, not caring whether her stepfather would see her or not. She had done as he wanted, and that would, hopefully, be enough to keep him off her for a moment.

Nora allowed herself to be pulled into the gossip with the ladies at tea. Although she hadn't spoken with any of the ladies present, there had so far been no whispers or eyes staring in her direction.

She turned when she saw a blur from the corner of her eye. Nora's cheeks burned, turning a shade of red as she remembered the night before and the performance he had put on for her. She retrieved her fan, hiding her face behind it as she followed his huge frame with her eyes. He moved with a confidence that couldn't be rivaled, like he wasn't merely a guest but instead the host of the ball.

Nora was pulled out of her thoughts as murmurs swept across the room. She turned in confusion when she saw the ladies blushing like she had been only moments ago.

"Oh, how handsome the Duke looks." Lady Mildred giggled, fanning herself with her hand as she watched with desire in her eyes.

"Yes. He is so handsome and confident. I only wish I could speak with him once," the blond beside her, whose name Nora did not know, added.

"Oh, but he is quite scary," Lady Betsy said, shivering slightly.

"Yes, he is," Lady Mildred agreed, swooning still as she watched him speak to another man. "But a man should be a little scary, shouldn't he?"

The ladies giggled, and Nora joined in, although she did not see what was so amusing about what had been said.

"I hear he has such a good head for business. Whoever he marries will not have to worry about ever going into debt or needing to cut down on trips to the seamstress," a beautiful brunette said, her eyes fixed on him as she spoke.

Nora eyed her with a mix of something else. She did not know the kind of man the Duke was, other than the rumors she had heard about him. However, if what she had seen was any indication, he did not care for women like those sitting here with her.

She looked around the group of women. All of them seemed to be interested in him, their eyes focused solely on him and paying no mind to the men he spoke with.

How do I even figure out who his mistress is, with all of them gushing over him? I didn't even see the face of the woman.

There were so many dark-haired women in the room that it was impossible to know which of them was the woman he was with, especially since they all were red-faced and swooning over him.

Could it possibly be a married woman already?

Nora fanned herself, heated from the direction of her thoughts.

How scandalous!

"Perhaps the Duke has a good head for business, but he is not so handsome to warrant such attention from us," she said before she could stop herself.

They eyed her with looks of shock and disbelief, but she carried on. The Duke was a rake and a scoundrel and would only hurt any of these women if they ever managed to get his attention.

"His, um, eyes are too widely spaced apart, and I don't believe I have ever seen the man smile," she said, although she could tell she was losing them. "Surely, we would all prefer men who have brighter countenances."

"Ah, but wouldn't it be all the more fulfilling if he only ever smiled at the woman he married," Lady Mildred said, swooning once again.

"How romantic that would be. To be the only one he is ever his true self with."

Nora grimaced as the ladies giggled among themselves, her words forgotten so soon.

"Oh, but you do know the darker rumors about him, don't you?" Lady Mariam asked.

Nora watched in fascination as the room turned silent. Her brow furrowed as she looked at them.

What rumors?

"What darker rumors?" Lady Betsy asked, leaning in.

Nora leaned in as well, careful to not seem too interested in the conversation, or the man for that matter.

In the time since he came into view, she had tried to keep her eyes off him as much as she could, although that was proving to be a hard task. The last thing she wanted was to be called out for her interest in him or for more rumors to reach her stepfather's ears, especially since she couldn't exactly reveal what she had seen the night before.

The Duke hadn't noticed her yet. She couldn't tell if it was because half of her face was hidden behind her fan or because he didn't know who she was.

There's no way he can know who I am, right?

She panicked slightly. Her face had been hidden by the mask she wore the whole night. However, her hair had been quite visible, and it didn't help that she was quite tall for a lady.

No, he couldn't have figured it out. Besides, there was no way he could see me clearly enough to know that I was the one.

"Oh, does anyone truly know? There are rumors that he is not who he appears to be and that he keeps a mistress," Lady Mariam said.

"Hmm… I suppose you are right. I have heard it said by so many that he has his father's temperament."

What? His father's temperament?

People were so quick to believe rumors without even trying to find out whether they was true or not. She supposed it was a good thing, since it worked so well in her favor.

Does that mean the rumors about him aren't true?

She stared at him much like the other women, who seemed to assess his every move to determine whether to believe the rumors or not. One thing was certain, however—there would be one here who would decide that they cared not for the rumors and were willing to be married to him if he would simply look in their direction. After all, he had all that they would ever need.

"I heard the previous Duke was much scarier than he could ever be," another lady said.

"Well, they do say that violence in a man never falls far from his son," Lady Mariam said once again, her eyes flicking over to the ladies in a look of conspiratorial solidarity.

Nora stared at her with a curious glance. She appeared to suddenly be the leader of the pack. She looked down at her hair, black much like the lady from the night before.

Is she doing this to keep the other women away from the Duke?

Nora's eyes widened. By spreading these rumors, if she was his mistress, she could dissuade the other women from ever wishing to be with the Duke. That way, she could have him all to herself.

SheNora shook her head.

Come on, Nora. Don't get so ahead of yourself like that.

There was no proof that Lady Mariam was the Duke's mistress, and thinking that would only hurt the lady's reputation if word ever got out. Not that Nora ever intended to utter a word of this to anyone. Not even to Thalia and Selina.

"We shouldn't speak so loudly about it. It could only hurt us. I have heard the rumors also, and my mother seems to think there is some truth to it. She knew his father, after all, and has confirmed that he was a violent man," a brunette who hadn't said a word since the conversation started chimed in suddenly.

Everyone turned to her with loud gasps as their eyes widened.

"Did she really say that?" the ladies asked, their eyes fixed on her.

The Nora's mouth fell open.

Not only is he a cad, keeping a mistress when they aren't married, but he also happens to be a violent man? No wonder he was eager to put on a performance for her. He cared not for whoever the poor woman he had ravaged was..

Nora pitied whoever it was. She hoped it truly wasn't Lady Mariam or any of the women present. They would feel terrible having to listen to any of this, especially knowing that she could end up in a violent situation.

She watched him again, and her face turned red. This time, not because she was embarrassed or shy but because she was angry. Her stomach roiled in disgust, her lips curling in distaste, all of which she was careful to hide behind her fan from the watchful eyes of the ladies, although they were more focused on him than on anyone else.

He was exactly like Timothy. Like the type of men who made a life of whispers and stares seem better than a life of marital security and family.

Will my plan work?

Nora had been thinking about this all through the night and into the morning, but she had decided against it. However, now it seemed like the only thing to do.

I am going to blackmail him. Maybe I can get enough money to run away.

Nora silently shut the door behind her, careful to not make a sound. She adjusted the shawl around her head and slipped into the cover of the night.

All through the day, Nora had been paying attention, trying to find where he was, and she had managed to catch a hint of where he was staying. She walked down the stairs, her steps light as she headed in the direction of his room.

What if he's with his mistress?

She paused. There was a possibility that his mistress had snuck in to see him just as she had, and she could find her there as well. She turned to go back but steeled herself. This was her last chance before they headed home, and she did not know when next she would be able to do something like this again, or if she would have the confidence to do so.

She had planned out exactly what she was going to say after she made up her mind to go through with her plans to blackmail him—not that there was much to say. It was clear that he valued his reputation, and she intended to use that against him. The Duke would pay her the amount she needed to make sure that all of this went away, and he would never have to hear from her ever again.

Perhaps she should have felt guilty about what she was about to do, but the Duke deserved every bit of it. Men like her stepfather did not need to be pitied, instead they needed to be taught a lesson on how to act.

Nora walked with boldness in the direction of his room. If the mistress was there as well, she would simply blackmail them both. She was desperate as it was, and there was no way she would lose this opportunity.

Nora knocked quietly on the door, looking sideways to make sure that there was no one to catch her in the act and misinterpret what she was doing. She held her cloak tighter to herself, covering her face until the only part of her that was exposed were her eyes.

She raised a hand to knock once again when the door opened a tad bit. Nora took her chance and slipped in through the crack before he could figure out that she wasn't his mistress and shut the door in her face.

She dropped her shawl, allowing it to fall on her neck. Her eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room, the only source of light being the small candle that he kept on the bedside table. She looked around the room that was slightly bigger than hers but held no noticeable difference.

"You are not who I thought you would be," he said, his voice washing over her as he stood with his back to the door.

It was the first time she had heard him speak. His voice was exactly how she had expected it to be. Deep and soothing, capable of luring young ladies into his bed with honey-coated words and fake promises that he had no intention of honoring.

She shook off its effect, steeling herself as he came round to face her.

"I took a huge risk coming here," she said.

His brow furrowed as he stared at her intently. "I don't understand. I don't even know who you are."

"I know your secret," she said, not bothering to tell him who she was.

"Oh?" His voice deepened with amusement and a touch of mockery that grated on her nerves.

We'll see who will be amused in a moment.

"I saw you," she said bluntly, "with your lover."

His eyes lit up, and she hurried to hide her surprise. That wasn't the expression she had expected when she said that.

"Ah, you were the little rabbit that escaped."

His lips turned up in a barely noticeable smile. Nora frowned. Things were not going the way that she had expected them to, and how dare he call her a rabbit?

She stood for a moment, watching him.

Is he putting up a show?

She knew she wouldn't be so quick to admit defeat if someone were trying to blackmail her, so was that what he was doing?

All of this confused her, she couldn't deny that. However, she couldn't give up. Not when this was the only way she could see at the moment that would take care of her problem.

"Everybody is going to find out that you are not as gentlemanly as you claim you are."

Samuel's

Samuel lips turned up in a small smile when the lady finally spoke. He had been so confused about who she was when she walked into his room. When he heard the knock on the door, Samuel had thought it was Lady Priscilla coming to renegotiate the terms of their agreement now that their time together had come to an end.

He knew she had developed feelings for him, although he had warned her against that before their arrangement began. However, that did not stop the sense of responsibility he felt towards her. She had known nothing about the pleasure he could offer her before any of this happened, and now that she knew, it was a given that she would misunderstand the thrill she felt from the pleasure that he gave her as love.

He had been ready to chastise her for her recklessness by coming to his room when she could've been seen by anyone, before he realized that it couldn't possibly be her at the door. Lady Priscilla wasn't as tall as the lady before him. Still, he let her inside, confused as to what she wanted and whether she was in the right place or not.

Samuel had not expected the lady he had spent all of last night thinking about to suddenly come up to him, especially in the darkness of night. In fact, he had expected the exact opposite. She had been intrigued by what she watched, but she was also a lady, and much like most ladies, she would scurry away whenever she saw him, hoping he did not figure out that she was the one who happened upon him. At least, that was what he had expected, until she came up to him.

Samuel stared at her excitedly, although his excitement was masked by the stoic mask he always wore, save for a small smile that played on the corners of his lips.

She was beautiful. More beautiful than he could have imagined her to be under that dratted mask that had stopped him from seeing her face and expressions the night before. Her long, curly auburn hair fell around her face in bouncy waves, giving her a sultry look. She was a seductress if he'd ever seen one, but it was obvious to him that she knew nothing of the power that she possessed.

"I have requests, and I will reveal everything I saw if they are not fulfilled," she said.

He could hear the quiver in her voice although her green eyes stared deep into his soul like she would not cower if he approached her.

Samuel was intrigued. He had never encountered someone like her. He had begun to find the rest of his stay here boring. However, now that she was here, he was glad that he had stayed back.

"Oh, really? And what requests might those be?" he asked her, leveling her with his most damning stare to test her will.

How low would she go to blackmail him? Would she scurry off if he didn't seem intimidated by her?

She lifted her chin, folding her hands behind her back in a way that pushed up her breasts. Samuel's eyes strayed down, but he quickly looked up at her. She was tempting. However, he was a gentleman, until he did not need to be.

Samuel folded his arms over his chest, utterly amused by her efforts to threaten him. He did not know why she thought this was a good idea. He was a duke, and if she thought his reputation wasn't as clean as he pretended it was, then she should be more afraid of him instead of coming into his room to threaten him. It put her more at risk than it did him, in more ways than one.

Still, this was the most entertained he had been in a while, and he wasn't about to put an end to it by telling her the truth that nobody would believe her over him, and even if they did, the only person the rumors would affect would be Lady Priscilla, whose face she hadn't seen. His reputation would not take a hit because of this rumor, even if it came out.

"There is only one, really," she said, looking away.

Her cheeks turned red, as if she were ashamed to have to say it or hadn't truly thought out her plan on how to state her demand. Samuel was not sure which, but he had a feeling it could be both.

"I see. Can you tell me what this request is, then?" he asked. "I would like to know the price for your discretion."seriousness."

He took a step in her direction, forcing her to take another step back, but instead of advancing towards her, he sat down on the bed, watching her. He gestured to the chair behind her, and she stared at it like it was something foreign.

"I would rather stand if you don't mind," she said in a snarky tone.

Samuel shrugged.

"It is rather simple, what I want. I want you to give me money." Her voice faded out on the last bit, but he was able to make out what she said.

He stared at her curiously. It was clear to him that she wouldn't be doing so if she did not need to. Perhaps he should be irritated by her blackmail attempt, but instead, he was simply curious to know what exactly had caused her to be so desperate that she would resort to this.

"Would you mind telling me what you want the money for?" he asked curiously.

She stared at him, her mouth opening and closing over and over again, although no words came out of it. She looked away for a moment, her jaw clenching.

What is your secret, little rabbit?

Samuel leaned in as her lips parted. "I don't believe that it is any of your business what I wish to do with it. You need only worry about your own reputation, Your Grace."

Samuel leaned back in disappointment. He had hoped that this would be done the easier way as opposed to having to force the answer out of her, but he was intrigued by her, and there was no way he would allow her to go without answering his question. Nor would he be giving her any money.

"It is very much my business if you intend to blackmail me for it. I have no intention of giving you any money if you don't tell me exactly what it is that you intend to use it for," he said.

"You cannot do that." She bristled. "I will tell everyone about the?—"

"Yes, you will tell everyone you saw me with a woman. Perhaps you will tell them exactly how much time you spent there, watching me." He stood up, slowly walking towards her.

He chuckled as she took a step back from him. "I must admit, My Lady, it is quite bold of you to venture into my room so late into the night to try to blackmail me. I cannot decide if I'm more irritated or impressed."

He turned away from her. "Go back to your room before anyone finds you here."

"Wh-what?" She balked.

He could hear the tiny note of desperation that seeped into her voice.

How fascinating.

"Did it excite you to watch what I was doing with her? I did ask you if you liked what you saw. Perhaps you can tell me now. Did you?" he asked, encroaching on her personal space until there was nowhere else for her to go.

Her eyes held shock and confusion from the sudden change of topic. This was not what she had thought would happen.

"I did not mean to watch you," she said in a small voice.

"Ah, but you did. You could have run away and returned with people if you truly were interested in doing what was right, but you did not. Instead, you stayed and watched. You must have enjoyed it. Did you wish to be in her place?"

"I beg your pardon, Your Grace, but it is not as you say," she said, affronted.

"But who will believe that you didn't enjoy it? You say that you wish to blackmail me, but it is your word against mine. I could implicate you in this, and you will never be able to face any member of the ton as well," he said.

"Your reputation is as bad as people say," she said, her eyes blinking rapidly.

"You would do well to remember that before you choose to refuse my request once again," he said, batting off her snide remark.

She nodded, looking away from him. "I wish to run away."

Her voice was small, and Samuel had to strain his ears to hear her. His eyebrows rose. There were not many women who tried to run away, no matter how terrible their situations were. He looked her over. She did not look like she was suffering. However, he knew from experience that not every punishment could be seen.

He sighed, moving away from her, his ears detecting her sharp exhale of breath.

There was no way that she could ever destroy his reputation, no matter what she said to whoever. As unfair as things were, the truth was that he was a man, and a powerful one at that. He would escape unscathed and could make her life a living hell if he wished to. Still, when he had imagined her, this was not how he had pictured things to go.

His eyes snapped towards her as an idea occurred to him. He could use the situation to his advantage. They would both get what they wanted, no matter how much of a cad that would make him.

His seven nights with Lady Priscilla had come to an end, which meant that he was in need of a new lover. It had crossed his mind to have the little rabbit, although the situation had proved impossible, since he did not know who she was, but things were different now. Perhaps she was desperate enough to accept his offer.

"I will give you the money," he said, watching the slight movement of her hands, the only sign that she was excited.

He smiled. She truly was magnificent.

"However, you must do something for me in return."

She blinked, waiting quietly for him to continue.say what he wanted.

"In return for the money I give you, I will have seven nights with you."

With his request laid bare, Samuel watched as the lady pondered on it. She slowly lowered herself onto the seat he had offered moments ago, staring at her hands like they held the answer that she needed.

She looked up at him, and Samuel sighed when he saw the uncertainty in her eyes. It was obvious that she had no choice.

"I don't think I can do that," she said. "I've heard the rumors, and I don't know if I can…"

"There is something that you must know," Samuel said. "You never had any chance of ruining my reputation. This is the only way you can get the money that you need from me. I will not pretend to know the reason why you wish to run away, and I will not ask either. However, this is your only chance of getting money from me."

He waited patiently as she thought about it. He could see the wheels turning in her head as she weighed her choice. She did not seem like the type to blackmail a person no matter what she had heard about his reputation, which led him to believe that she was desperate for the money.

He was confident that she would agree to whatever he wanted. That much he could see from the fact that she was still here with him.

"Does- does that mean that you want me in the position I saw you in during the ball?" she asked as her cheeks burned.

Samuel frowned. She was more innocent than he had thought she would be after how long she watched them.

Perhaps I need to be more patient with her. She's certainly not like the other ladies I've been with.

"I usually prefer my ladies with a little more experience." He frowned. "However, whatever position we get up to completely depends on what you want. You do not have to end up doing what you saw last night."with the other lady."

She was jumpy. Telling her otherwise would only send her out the door without giving any consideration to his proposal.

She nodded slowly. "I have heard so many things about you."

"Oh? What have you heard?"

She looked away as a slight blush crept up her cheeks. "I have heard that you're a dangerous man, and I have seen the way people act around you. They fear you."

Samuel chuckled. "Then you should've been scared as well and stayed as far away from me as possible."

She blushed, biting her lip as she looked away. "I need the money."

Samuel remained silent as she considered his proposal. The conflict in her eyes was clear for him to see.

"I accept," she said through a shaky breath.

"Splendid." Samuel grinned. "Before we move further, how about we start with you telling me your name, little rabbit."