Chapter 2

This evening, I fell in love. I saw him from across the ballroom and I knew. Our gazes met and the room, the people, the entire earth stood still.

~Aa

R estless, Lady Raina Goodheart, daughter of the late Duke of Argyll and sister of Gregory Goodheart, 9 th Duke of Argyll took another look out her bedroom window.

A bewigged, crimson-clad servant remained at the head of the enormous black mount whose rider had arrived nearly an hour ago.

Daughters of dukes enjoyed all manner of luxuries.

Such esteemed ladies were bequeathed ancestral jewels and bestowed sizeable doweries. Every door in the kingdom—including that of the King and Queen of England, themselves—remained open. Their presence sought by all the leading hostesses. Their hand in marriage desired by all the most eligible bachelors.

The one luxury her station could not provide was any true, meaningful friendships. At best, they had acquaintances or people seeking to curry favor with their family.

Regardless, ducal daughters and ducal sisters had no one whom they could really trust. Which likely accounted for why she'd been impatiently—and sadly—awaiting the ducal summons.

It'd been more than an hour. Where was he?

Perhaps her younger sister Millie hadn't heard correctly. Or maybe—

"I'm not wrong."

"You could be," Raina pointed out, her gaze still on the streets below.

"I never am," Millie, all too happily reminded her.

No, she wasn't. She caught her lower lip between her teeth. "You're certain you heard—"

"Mr. DuMond told Gregory that they'd both be wise to take even greater caution with you and Lady Violet because Craven intended to ruin Lady Violet's reputation," the little girl said, with all the exasperation of a weary governess being asked to repeat herself for the hundredth time. "And I'm not sure how you go about ruining a lady. It is not like we're a sheet of parchment or embroidery frame."

Millie gave a confused little shrug of her shoulders and resumed her work.

To some men they were. Someday, she'd explain to Millie all about their parents' relationship. She deserved to know, but Raina would preserve her sister's innocence as long as she could.

For nearly the dozenth time, she tugged back the airy linen and lace curtain, and peered out at the gated front drive.

"If I didn't know better," Sarcasm dripped from Millie's voice, "I would say you are actually looking forward to one of Gregory's goons watching after you."

Glancing back, Raina waited until her sister looked up, and then smiled.

Millie's blue eyes went big. "Are you mad ?"

"The opposite."

"Sane?"

Raina frowned. "Elated."

"Well, I wasn't asking if you were upset, I was asking if you were off your head, Raina." Millie tossed her sketchpad down. The disregard she showed that coveted book indicating the level of the little girl's disbelief. "Here I am, put out with a lax governess and you want your freedom restricted."

Raina bristled. "I do not want my freedom restricted ." She paused for emphasis. "Just the opposite."

"I'm only a child, Raina," her sister said dryly. "But it would seem in my opinion, wanting independence and being happy about having a bodyguard assigned to you don't really seem to go together."

Raina folded her arms. "They could."

"In what world?" Millie's question contained a genuine inquisitiveness.

Raina hesitated a moment. "Turn around."

Millie frowned.

" Millie ."

When her sister grudgingly complied, Raina hurried to the right corner of her room. Raina, not taking her eyes from Millie, got onto her knees, and reached under her painted armoire for the loose floorboard underneath.

An exasperated Millie released a long sigh. "Can I turn around?"

"Not yet." Swiftly bypassing the diaries she'd taken and hidden after their mother's passing; Raina fetched the leather folio inside the secret panel she'd personally created years earlier.

"All right," she said, when she'd gotten to her feet and met Millie back at the side of her bed.

With great care for the aged papers inside, Raina gingerly slipped the one out to share with her sister.

Showing a like regard for the yellowing sheets, Millie set aside her pencil, and read.

"Lady Diana Verney," Raina murmured after several moments. "She, too, was a duke's daughter and she found herself assigned a bodyguard by her brother, Mr. Black, who also happened to own a gaming hell." Or he had when Raina's parents were alive and attending those dens of sin.

Eager to finally be able to share her plans with, Raina hurried to explain. "Lady Diana's bodyguard also happened to be Mr. Black's brother and despite that, and despite her father's title, Mr. Marksman's loyalty belonged to Lady Diana."

Looking up from the page, Millie eyed her dubiously. "They were in love."

"Yes, but that is beside the point."

Her sister gave a dizzying shake of her head. "No. That is exactly the point. And you are missing a key difference, Raina…Mr. Marksman was not hired to do a job. He watched Lady Diana because she was his partner's sister."

"When did you become so cynical?" Raina muttered.

"I'm not cynical." Millie smiled widely. "I am clever."

"Yes, you are." Raina affectionately tousled the top of her sister's blonde girls.

"Very well, now that we've ascertained your hopes for Mr. Gaoler—"

"May we call him something different?"

"We can." Millie nodded. "The moment he proves he's a ‘Marksman' and not one of Gregory's goons."

Dropping onto the mattress, she brought herself up onto her elbows. "I intend to…do things."

Millie's curiosity became fascinated intrigue; she flipped over onto her stomach, bringing her and Raina face to face. " Things , you say?"

This time, Raina carefully weighed her words. Given Raina had no friends, no confidantes, and no older sisters, there wasn't really anyone whom to truly confide in. Millie was the closest she had but given her tender years, Raina couldn't share completely with her young sister.

Millie flicked her on the forehead. "Raina?"

"Ow!" Raina scowled.

" What things ?" Millie pressured.

"I should have said places; Places to visit." Ones written about in her mother's diary. Establishments the late duchess had patronized and enjoyed attending.

Wide-eyed, Millie urged Raina to share more. "Do tell?"

"I can only say they are places Gregory would never permit me to go," she confided on a whisper.

"Like Forbidden Pleasures?"

She gasped. "Millie!"

Her sister wrinkled her brow. "What? Is it really much of a leap to believe you'd be curious to see his club and what actually happens there?" Millie answered in Raina's stead. " I am and someday I intend—"

" Millie !"

"I don't understand you, Raina. If you aren't curious then why are you even going."

Unless she went, she'd never know the truth…

Are you sure you even want to know…

"It is in our blood, Raina. We were cursed…to be sinners. Or blessed to be sinners…"

Forcibly thrusting away her mother's long-ago profession from her mind, Raina moved closer to your sister. "I'm not going to Gregory's club," she whispered.

"Yes, that might not be the wisest place to visit." Her sister reluctantly conceded. "It would be extremely difficult to get in without someone recognizing you." The little girl chewed at her lower lip.

Suddenly, Millie's eyes lit; she sat up more straightly. "You'd be wiser visiting Craven's place."

Oh, hell.

"I hear his hell is even more wick—"

"Can we stop focusing on where I'm going," Raina quietly begged. "It's better for you knowing as little as possible, in the event Gregory grows suspicious."

Her sister snorted. " Gregory would have to be paying attention to either of us to be suspicious about you or me. In fact, that's the reason he's hiring someone to watch you in the first place, because he doesn't want to be bothered with you."

"From the mouths of babes," Raina muttered under her breath. The days of Gregory being the best friend, older brother always about had ended long ago, and where his defection would never not sting, knowing Millie had never before witnessed that side of him would never not hurt.

"All right, how does Mr. Gaoler configure into your plans?"

She went on to explain.

When she finished, a dubious Millie stared back. "So as to clarify: You have a list of places you wish to go. You intend to share this list with your guard and ask him to accompany you."

Raina nodded.

"I trust you intend to share with Mr. Gaoler this evening." Her sister stretched out a hand. "May I see this list?"

"A-Absolutely not," Raina sputtered.

"I won't even look at it." She gave a little waggle of her fingers.

"Then, why would you need—"

"Just give it over, Raina." Millie gave her a hard, determined look.

Rolling over, Raina fished the folded sheet from within the clever pocket sewn along the side of her dress.

The moment it appeared, Millie wordlessly rescued the sheet from Raina.

In one fluid motion, Millie hopped up, headed for the hearth.

Just as Raina realized what her sister intended, the girl tossed it into the flames.

"Millie!" Raina jumped to her feet and rushed to join Millie. The fire had already blackened the edges and curled the pages. In an instant, the page she planned—or had planned—to give Mr. Gaol —whatever the guard's name was, went up in smoke.

With a grunt, a pleased Millie wiped her palms back and forth.

Raina stared incredulously at her smiling sister. "Why would you do that?"

Instantly, Millie's expression grew serious. "I love you, Raina," she said, concern glittering in her revealing eyes. "But your plan? To ask the bodyguard, our brother, Gregory, the duke , hand-selected for you to escort you to places Gregory won't allow you to go…"

"I don't have any other options, Millie." Not wanting to see the pity in her sister's eyes, she glanced away. "The servants would never do anything to displease him, nor could I even ask them to." Frustration built in her chest. "It is not as though I have…" Raina's skin went hot. She stopped herself before completing that humiliating admission.

A small hand touched hers.

Raina looked at her and Millie's joined fingers and then shifted her gaze to her young sister's.

Somber, Millie peered at Raina. "Friends to help?" she ventured tentatively.

She made herself smile. "Well, with the exception of you, of course, Millie." Raina lightly squeezed the small hand in hers.

"I am not offended. I know you love me. I have Paddy." Paddy being Lord Rutherford's young brother-in-law, near in age to Millie, who'd become her best friend. "You don't have a Paddy, though. I understand."

Rap-Rap-Rap.

They both looked to the door.

Raina's heart jumped.

From the moment she'd caught sight of a formidable, dark, stoic stranger being admitted to Horace House, she'd been prepared for Gregory's summons. Even having been secretly aware of her brother, the Duke of Argyll's plans to sic a bodyguard on her, didn't diminish the eager anticipation when the knock finally did come.

A slight tug on Raina's hand brought her back to the present.

"Do not tell him too much until you know you can trust him and even then, still don't trust him." The girl fired off those advisements like a seasoned military commander. "And when you do, test him. Do not give him—"

Rap-Rap-Rap.

"Lady Raina?" Raina's maid, Lucy, called from the other side of the panel.

"For St. Peter's sake," Millie cried out. "Will you please wait a moment?"

That silenced young Lucy.

Millie lowered her voice. "When you do test him," she repeated, in hushed tones, "do not share with him one of the actual locations you intend to go. Pick some other slightly scandalous, but not outrageously scandalous place like the ones on your list."

Another blush heated her cheeks. "I didn't say they were scandalous."

"You didn't have to."

Rap-Rap-Rap

This time, both young ladies ignored Lucy's more incessant knocking.

"If he allows you the freedom to explore and accompanies you for protection, then you'll know, Raina."

Rap-Rap-Rap

"But I don't have much hope in one of Gregory's minions," Millie tacked on. "As such, my advice for you?"

Raina stared, waiting for her wise-beyond-her-years sister.

"Make him fall in love with you."

With a sound of annoyance, Raina jumped up.

"What?" Millie protested. "That's the only way—"

"Enter," Raina called over her sister's argument.

Raina's lady's maid entered. She cast a deservedly wary glance between the sisters.

From the corner of her eye, Raina caught a glimpse of the mischievous grin on Millie's lips.

With a devilishly naughty grin for the maid, Millie sent both eyebrows lifting twice. Anyone who lived in the Goodheart residence with Millie—no, anyone, familiar with Millie— also knew that look meant trouble.

Raina nudged her elbow lightly into Millie's side. "Behave."

"What?" Millie grumbled.

The maid dropped a curtsy. "His Grace has requested you join him in his office, Lady Raina. He's asked that you dress in your—"

"In my finest ?" Raina spread her arms indicting the white silk organza dress, adorned with pale green, yellow, pink, and blue silk flowers, she'd selected. "I trust this will suffice?"

Lucy's gaze lingered on the light wrinkles from when Raina had lain down earlier. The pretty servant cleared her throat. "Aye, my lady."

Skipping over to the windows, Millie nimbly twirled the Italian lace curtains about her little frame and rapidly twirled herself free. "Always in your finest," she said, with a dramatic arch of her back.

A pained-looking Lucy wrung her hands together. "Lady Raina, His Grace is waiting."

"We mustn't leave the duke waiting, Raina," Millie chided, giving a wag of her finger.

Taking mercy on her poor maid, Raina ended she and her sister's fun. "Good night, Millie."

"Sending me away." Millie sighed. Pausing to collect her things from Raina's bed, she filled her arms. "I see how it is. I shall go, for now."

After Raina's sister left, Lucy cleared her throat. "His Grace also requested you don your tiara, my lady."

She frowned. "My tiara?" The twenty-four karat gold rose-gold crown dripping with gemstones Gregory insisted she wear to the most important ton functions and meetings?

Why would he have me wear it for this meeting?

"I'm afraid I cannot say, my lady," Lucy demurred, confirming Raina had spoken her question aloud.

With a forced smile, Raina took up a seat at the gilded, bronze-mounted Louis XVI Sevres-style dressing table. All the while, her maid tended to an arrangement befitting a duke's sister, Raina stared distractedly at her reflection.

Everything about Raina's brother, every part of his existence revolved around appearances. For one of London's most powerful, most sought-after bachelors, his entire existence had to shine—and that included Raina.

Maybe this is what it had been like for her mother. Just like the late duke had expected the duchess to garner the world's notice, so, too, did Gregory put Raina on display for all society to see.

Nor was Raina na?ve. It wasn't just about appearances. Millie had been correct when she'd said Gregory neither wanted nor needed sisters about. Between their brother's single-minded obsession with his gaming hell and the current feud he had going with his former business partner, the Duke of Craven, Raina and Millie were nothing but an albatross about his neck.

Millie could be left to governesses—for now. Raina, on the other hand, needed to be squired about London.

"My lady?" Lucy's tentative voice cut across her musings.

"Hmm?"

"Your hair, my lady. Is it… acceptable, my lady?" Lucy ventured.

Raina followed the girl's gaze to the looking glass. Time and time again from servants and members of society alike, Raina heard just how much she'd come to resemble the late duchess. The portraits on display in various halls throughout the household confirmed daughter and late mother's shared likeness.

A burning started in her throat.

She wrenched her gaze away.

Lucy made a nervous clearing sound with her throat. "I can redo it, my lady," she offered. "Maybe something a touch more elaborate?"

The young woman was already reaching for the gilded crown she'd placed upon Raina's head.

"No, Lucy." Raina offered a smile for the young woman's benefit. "It is lovely. His Grace will be most pleased with your efforts."

After all, the duke's approval mattered most to all.

"The duke will be waiting," Raina murmured.

Lucy's deep-set eyes flared. "Yes, my lady. Of course, I did not mean to take so—"

"It is fine," Raina spoke the same way she did when soothing her younger sister.

Desperate to escape yet another reminder she was viewed as more an extension of her brother than her own person, Raina quit her chambers.

She made her way below stairs. When she reached the ducal office, Raina took a moment to arrange her features into a smooth, serene mask—the proper, regal lady persona, she adopted for the world. Then, with a steadying breath, she let herself in.

" Hello , Greg—" Her cheer-filled greeting cut out, as her gaze slid away from her brother to the imposing figure standing just to his right.

Raina's heart sped up.

She didn't know what she'd been expecting of the guard who'd been assigned her. But she'd not been expecting him .

Breathing became an onerous chore.

Dressed in the black finely cut garments of a gentleman but scarred like a fighter who'd grown up on the streets, the dark-haired stranger was a compelling figure.

With her hedonistic parents, libertine brother, and the long line of debauched Goodheart's before them, Raina prided herself on being in full control of her senses and sensibilities. Except, she realized now, she'd never faced a true test of her temperance until this dark stranger.

In fairness, the warrior who stood before her, however, was unlike anyone she'd ever set eyes upon.

An enigma.

A sorcerer.

A dark devil.

Between his bronzed skin and the vicious scar bisecting his noble brow and cheek, the guard put Raina in mind of a savage ruler of old; the kind of warrior whose only thought and goal was cutting down his enemies and drinking those lesser men's blood.

Possessed of a hawkish nose and heavy jawline, the gentleman wouldn't be considered handsome by conventional or even unconventional standards.

A fluttering sensation started in her belly; the one she'd never experienced before now—before this man. The same tingling her late mother had written about in her diaries.

Her brother's voice cut across her musings. "Raina?"

Heart pounding, Raina pulled her attention from the compelling stranger.

Raina cleared her throat. "My apologies. I did not realize you had company," she lied. "I will return—"

"No. No." Her brother motioned her over. "Please, join us. Allow me to present, Mr. Cadogan," he said when she reached them. "Mr. Cadogan. My sister, Lady Raina Goodheart."

Mr. Cadogan bowed at the waist. "My lady."

Three years earlier, back when Gregory had time for them, he'd escorted Raina and Millie to the opening of The Rotunda Museum in Scarborough. Raina had wandered about, taking in all the various stones—until she'd caught sight of a large piece of cobalt. That deep blue-grey mineral had shone with a metallic gleam that'd mesmerized. She'd never before gazed upon such a magnificent shade of blue—until this moment.

Gregory cleared his throat. "Raina?"

Dazed, Raina forcibly pulled her attention away from Mr. Cadogan. "Hmm?"

Her brother stared concernedly at her.

Oh, hell. Introductions .

"Forgive me." She sank into a belated curtsy for the nighttime visitor. "How do you do, Mr. Cadogan?"

He inclined his head.

Up close, the guard her brother had chosen for her somehow managed to radiate an even greater aura of menace and mystery.

"You are likely wondering why I've requested an audience."

"I confess to some curiosity," she murmured, the lie slipping out easily.

She knew why. She'd known long before this late-night summons. Her brother could never imagine a world where when he was off all hours of the night, she had free reign of the entire household—his office included.

Gregory clasped his hands behind him and rocked forward on his heels. "As you are aware recent developments at my business resulted in…tension with the Duke of Craven."

While he revealed details she already knew, Raina made a show of paying close attention.

His mouth formed a grim line. "DuMond and I learned Craven intended to ruin DuMond's sister-in-law, Lady Violet."

In pretend shock, Raina touched a hand to her mouth in pretend shock. "Surely not."

Gregory gave a brusque nod. "I am afraid so. Craven is not the same gentleman you, or I, or DuMond, once knew." Then, he went on to furnish additional details—all of which Raina, also already possessed.

Feeling a prickling sensation on her skin, Raina stiffened.

She made the mistake of glancing at Mr. Cadogan.

The square-built guard regarded her; his unswerving gaze incisive; the kind that could see through a person, and extract their deepest secrets and—

"As such, I've made the decision to assign you to Mr. Cadogan's protection," Gregory finished.

This is where she needed to tread carefully. He'd expect her to meet his announcement with indignation.

First : the protestations.

"Protection, Gregory?" She pressed a hand to her heart. " Surely that isn't necessary."

"Where Craven is concerned," her brother said, regretfully, "I'd rather be cautious than taken by surprise."

Momentarily forgetting her objections were merely for show, she frowned. "You don't truly believe Edward would harm me, Gregory?" The two men may be rivals now, but they'd been best friends since practically the nursery.

All the while she and Gregory spoke, the guard's piercing gaze moved between them. It was all Raina could do to keep from squirming under his unflinching scrutiny.

"Edward wouldn't have," he said. His expression grew grim. "As the Duke of Craven, now?" He shook his head. "I no longer recognize the man he's become."

"I'll have a moment alone with Lady Raina, Your Grace."

Raina whipped her gaze back to the one who'd remained quiet—until now.

Gregory stiffened.

With the title of duke, no one offered him anything less than fawning respect. Raina had never believed she'd see the day someone went ordering him about.

"A private meeting is hardly necessary, Cadogan." Her brother in a clear attempt to reassert control of the exchange motioned to the seats situated near the hearth. "We three can speak."

"I wasn't asking , Your Grace," he said, the ghost of a smile on his lips.

Her brother frowned. "I am not leaving you to speak with my sister alone, Cadogan."

"On the contrary. Isn't that exactly what you are proposing to do, Your Grace?" the guard drawled. "Unless you are planning to guard me while I guard her."

She found herself spellbound at the way he commanded power—and she envied him more than a bit.

Mr. Cadogan clasped his hands behind him. "I'm laying out the terms here."

"We already did," her brother gritted out between tightly clenched teeth.

"If you're trusting me to on this assignment," the formidable bodyguard continued over her brother's outburst, "you're going to trust me to conduct my business the way I do."

As the Duke of Argyll, everyone was beholden to Gregory, and he knew it, too. From, the men who courted Raina. To the servants who tended her. To the modistes who dressed her. Everyone answered to Gregory.

Here, though, stood an implacable Mr. Cadogan, the only person who'd not bowed to the duke's demands; who'd instead gone toe-to-toe. Perhaps she was a rotted sister for a complete lack of sibling loyalty, but in this moment, she found herself reveling in Mr. Cadogan's power over the duke.

The hope Raina carried for her relationship with the guard assigned to her flourished bright and vibrant. That was, if Gregory's ridiculous male pride didn't get the best of him first and he sent Mr. Cadogan on his way.

Fearing just that, Raina touched her brother's sleeve. "Gregory," she murmured. "It is fine."

A muscle ticked at the corner of her brother's eye. "I'll be right outside this door, Raina."

She nodded.

Gregory leveled a warning look on Mr. Cadogan. As if her brother, a duke, let alone the king himself would be any kind of match against the lethal, dominant guard.

Raina trembled—and not, with fear.

Fear, she suspected would be far less dangerous a response to Mr. Cadogan than whatever this sensation he stirred inside her.