Chapter 30

CHAPTER 30

I t was chilly on the terrace. The Earl was standing with his back to Louise, staring out at the garden.

He did not look around as she stepped out of the house, as though he had known she would follow him—or simply expected it. She stood back, waiting for him to speak.

He finally turned around, his eyes narrowing as he looked over her shoulder. “Close the door please, Louise. I wish to speak with you in private.”

Louise flexed her fingers, but she did as he asked, nonetheless. Her mind whirled as she tried to figure out what he could possibly want from her.

When she was facing him again, he cleared his throat, a peevish expression crossing his face as he stared her down.

“It seems that your marriage is a success,” he noted coldly.

Louise resisted the urge to roll her eyes at his pompousness.

“As successful as five days will allow, yes,” she answered irritably.

“I am pleased to hear it. The Duke was likely displeased that his deal had been for nothing.”

Louise clasped her hands tightly behind her back, keeping her eyes fixed on her father. “I believe it was a deal you made first, Papa. Over a hand of cards, no less.” She kept her expression blank, but her voice rang with emotion.

The Earl’s eyes narrowed as he pursed his lips. He cleared his throat a little awkwardly, but he did not deny it. Louise bit her tongue, attempting to keep her temper in check.

“Do not pretend you have any affection for the man, Louise. Your marriage was a business transaction. Many women have suffered the same fate and live happily until their dotage. You should be thanking me.”

She glanced behind her at Christian, who was speaking with her mother but keeping an eye on the terrace. She moved out of sight, a feeling of trepidation creeping up on her as she considered what her father might want.

“Was there something specific you wished to speak to me about?” she asked. “Because it is rather cold.”

The Earl took a step forward, looking down at her with a haughtiness she knew all too well. “I assume you are aware why I made the deal in the first place?” he asked archly.

Louise frowned, trying to think back to what Christian had told her. He had merely said that the Earl had made her the prize.

“What are you speaking of?” she asked carefully, unwilling to give anything away if she could help it.

“The Duke is in possession of something of mine,” the Earl said briskly. “I want it back. The man is refusing to speak to me on the matter and he is treating me abominably, as you have seen with your own eyes.”

Louise held back the sharp retort on the tip of her tongue. “What is he in possession of? I am sure you are mistaken, Papa. If you ask him, he will return it to you.”

The Earl scoffed derisively. “I am certain he will not. He holds power over me, and men like him will do everything to retain it. He holds the deed to the townhouse in which your mother and I now reside. You will get it back from him.”

Louise recoiled, staring up at him in astonishment. “ I will get it back for you?” she asked. “What on earth do you mean?”

“You are a Dawson, Louise, no matter how pretty a picture the Duke paints of your marriage. He married you because it suited his interests, and he wished to torment me, nothing more.”

“Papa, you have not?—”

“I suppose you know about the animosity between us,” the Earl continued lazily. “It goes back years. Christian and his brother once had the audacity to ask me for an invitation to The Devils. Low-born, worthless, little creatures expecting me to welcome them with open arms because their father decided to acknowledge them.”

Louise was so startled by the venom in his voice that she struggled to speak.

“Their mother was a servant in the late Duke’s household. His wife could not give him children, so he got them elsewhere, and when his wife died, he had the audacity to marry Christian’s mother. A maid! It is unconscionable.”

Louise moved further down the terrace, terrified that Christian or Marcus might hear the vitriol spewing from her father’s lips.

“Whatever your opinions on the subject, Papa, he is the Duke of Egerton, whether you recognize it or not.”

“I do not, and neither should you,” the Earl said impatiently. “This is not a negotiation. You should have already agreed without question. You will get the deed for me. It must be in this house somewhere. He will keep it close—I know his sort all too well.”

“I will do no such thing.”

“Do not be obstinate, Louise. It is unbecoming. Would you see your parents on the street? As you said yourself, you have been married less than a week. And what happens when the tide turns? When the Duke decides he does not need to protect your family? What then?”

“All right, answer this question then,” Louise snapped. “Why does Christian have the deed to our home in the first place?”

The Earl faltered briefly before he snorted and shook his head. “You are your mother’s daughter, I see. All accusations and assumptions without a shred of evidence. I had a run of bad luck and lost it at the gaming tables.”

Louise threw her hands up in despair.

“And that is my right !” the Earl thundered. “I am the lord and master of my estate, and I choose what to do with it. You would not have a roof over your head if it were not for me. Remember that, my girl.”

“Then what you are telling me is that Christian owns the deed because of a bet that you lost. Which means,” she said angrily, “that you do not deserve to have it back.”

“He is hanging the sword of Damocles above my head, Louise. Would you have it so for the rest of my life?”

“You would honestly ask me to steal from my husband?”

The Earl’s face twisted into a snarl as he pointed an accusatory finger at her. “Your husband? I am your father. You honor me above all else, and you will do this, or I will be forced to take matters into my own hands.”

Louise froze, staring at the twisted, angry face of a stranger. Here stood a man she no longer recognized. Her father was gone, and in his place was a frightened, ruined creature who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.

“And what do you mean by that?” she asked, dreading his response.

Her father cast a glance behind her, his jowls wobbling as he jutted his chin arrogantly. For a horrible moment, he reminded her of herself.

“You are aware of the rivalry between The Devils and Orions. It has existed since they started their club. The Duke has encouraged it, I think, for better or worse.” The Earl sniffed and cocked his head, a mocking little smile on his face. “I relished the challenge, at the beginning. I enjoyed the competition, but this is my entire fortune we are speaking of. I cannot delay any longer.”

He took a menacing step toward her, his nostrils flaring.

“If you will not collect the deed, then give me some money so I can pay off my debts. I know the Duke is well off.”

“Papa,” Louise gasped, horrified, “how do you expect me to do such a thing? This is monstrous.”

“I can destroy him, you know.” She watched a sinister smile spread across his face. “I can destroy everything he has built in an instant if I choose to.”

“What? How?”

“I do not think you realize how precarious the Duke’s position is,” the Earl stated coldly. “Apart from his brother’s odd disappearance and reappearance, they are by no means as respected as he seems to believe. I could click my fingers and steal away every member of Orions if I choose. One word from me and he would be destitute.”

Louise had never felt such rage before. Her father was truly mad if he was willing to pursue that course of action.

She stepped away from him, matching his posture. “Papa, are you suggesting that you would deliberately ruin my husband’s life?”

“Two weeks ago, he was a stranger to you. Stop pretending you care for him—it is tiresome.”

“The only reason I have him in my life is because of your shortcomings, Papa.” She surprised herself by the icy tone of her voice, and her father’s face paled considerably. “ You have brought all of this upon yourself,” she hissed. “I believe Christian made it clear to you how he felt about you being in his home, and I second it now. You are not welcome here. Please, leave .”

She stood to her full height, pushing down the guilt that rose in her chest at his expression, and glared at him, determined to see this through.

I do not owe him anything. If he had his way, I would be someone’s mistress, to be used and thrown aside to pay off his debts.

The Earl’s face contorted with anger, and he sneered at her, his lips twisting unpleasantly.

“The Duke is in your life only because he wishes to exact revenge on me. That is all. He might be interested in you now. He might even convince you that he cares for you. But do not be foolish enough to believe it. Men like him are out for what they can get. He has a marriage that will serve him well—that is all he has ever wanted from you.”

The chilly March air seeped through Louise’s gown, making her shiver. Her father’s words cut deep, right to the bone, as she thought of the past few days. Christian’s distance, his absence after they spent the night together. His obsession with his club and only ever wishing to possess her.

Her father was right—her husband did not care for her as she cared for him.

She stepped back, preparing to return to the others.

“That may be true,” she relented, the words tasting like ash in her mouth. “But my loyalties lie with my husband now. You have ensured that more than you ever could with your conduct. Now, I wish you to leave.”

The Earl watched her, his calculating gaze hardening as he glanced at the house. “Are you expecting me to leave without saying farewell to your precious Duke?”

“I expect you to leave regardless of your wishes, but you will not be setting foot in this house again today,” she said vehemently, before opening the door to the terrace to return to Christian, her body vibrating with anger.

I cannot believe that I once assumed if I did his bidding, he would one day treat me as an equal. The only person my father cares about is himself.