“There is a young lady at the door, Your Grace. She is demanding to speak with you.” Bartholomew, the butler, stood in the doorway of the drawing room. Reuben glanced up at him with a curious expression.

“Is it Lady Adelaide?” he replied. He had been hoping to hear from his future wife, though no letter or word had arrived. Ever since the altercation in the alleyway, he had found himself worried that he may have frightened her away. That had never been his intention. Still, Lord Rowntree had required a lesson in how to behave. What else could Reuben have done but school him?

Bartholomew shook his head. “No, Your Grace, it is another young lady. Her name is Miss Leah Green.”

Reuben frowned. “I believe she is an acquaintance of Lady Adelaide. Please, show her through.” A twinge of hope gripped his heart—perhaps, Adelaide was sending word to him via her friend. Truly, he feared that he would have to do a great deal of work to make amends with her. She had seemed so scared of him, and it was not an expression he liked to see upon her beautiful face. Other people feared him, but he did not want his future wife to.

A moment later, Miss Green strode into the room, casting a scowl back at Bartholomew. Reuben smirked. Evidently, this young lady did not like to be told what she could and could not do. He admired that in a young lady. Indeed, it was part of the reason he adored Adelaide so deeply.

“Miss Green, I believe?” he said coolly.

She nodded and sat down, unbidden, in the armchair opposite. She seemed twitchy, her hands fidgeting on her lap, smoothing out creases in the pale blue gown that were not there. He scrutinized her closely, waiting for her to speak.

Now that she was here, he recognized her from the Assembly Rooms. She was often at Adelaide’s side, though the two young ladies did not appear to share a particularly close companionship. A stiff air always seemed to exist between them. Reuben presumed it was a fault on Miss Green’s part—she looked to him like a social climber, attaching herself to a good family in the hopes of raising her own position.

“Yes, Your Grace,” she replied at last.

“And why have you come here? I do not recall sending an invitation.” He flashed her a tight smile.

“No, indeed. I am afraid that I have come to you with dire news.” Her voice trembled as she spoke. Reuben could not help but lick his lips, a predator stalking its prey. He was aware of the effect he had on women. In truth, he enjoyed the art of alarming them, for then they bent so easily to his will. Adelaide was the sole exception. She was far more fierce of spirit than that.

He turned his gaze into the fire. “News?”

“Yes, news regarding your future wife. Terrible news.”

“I have heard nothing.”

“No, you would not have for it has only occurred this very morning,” Miss Green went on. “Before I tell you what has happened, I must ask something of you. I know you shall want to hear what I have to tell, but it comes at a price.”

He shot her an icy look. “You would seek to swindle me? How do I know you are telling the truth? What is to stop me from going to my beloved Lady Adelaide this very moment and asking her what all of this is about?”

“Because she will not be honest with you,” she said simply. “I will, but it will come at a price, as I say.”

He chuckled to himself. “Who is the devil?”

“Pardon?”

“Who is the devil who has ruined you? Trouble is a powerful motivator, Miss Green, and I believe it is motivating your actions at this very moment.” He leveled his gaze at her. “So, why don’t you begin there, and I shall see if I am willing to aid you. I am not an unreasonable man, and I do so enjoy a tale of debauchery.”

She looked shocked. “I only came to tell you about Lady Adelaide.”

“We shall get to that anon. For now, I want to hear your tale of woe, for I imagine the two stories interweave,” he insisted. “I shall give you fifty pounds for your troubles, and another twenty for your news of Lady Adelaide. How does that sound? Will that satisfy your lust for security?”

She paused for a moment. “Yes, that would be most agreeable.”

“Excellent, then you may begin. Leave nothing out, for I am not the sort of man you ought to be shy in front of. There is nothing you have done that I have not heard or done myself, tenfold.” He sat back in his armchair and folded his hands in his lap. A grin tugged at the corners of his lips. He knew a ruined woman when he saw one; they always had a glimmer of desperation in their eyes. Right now, it was rife in Miss Green’s gaze.

He watched her visibly gather herself. She was rattled by his cavalier attitude, as most young ladies were. He could see that she did not want to tell him the truth of her situation, but security was also a potent motivator. She would tell him everything…they always did.

“I began a courtship with Lord Alastair McGillivray,” she began tentatively. “We met here in London, and he invited me to stay with his sister at their family estate in Scotland. You may not know this, but I was also pursuing the courtship of Lord Gillett, Lady Adelaide’s friend.”

“My, my, haven’t you been the busy little bee?” Reuben chuckled, already enjoying himself immensely.

She blushed. “A lady has to do what she can to secure a place for herself in this world, Your Grace. I merely pursued several options, in the hopes that one would conclude the way I wanted it to. I am no fortune hunter, but I am not averse to chasing security,” she said stiffly. “As it turned out, Lord McGillivray was the safer choice. At least, that is what I thought. I accepted his invitation and traveled to Scotland.”

“Were his grounds splendid? Did you see yourself as the lady of the manor?” he teased.

“They were, and I did,” she replied defiantly. “He gave me every inclination that he was going to propose. Had it not been for his meddlesome mother, I believe he would have. In order to solidify my position in his heart, I…did several things that I am not proud of. However, believing that he would become my husband, I did not feel that my actions were ungodly. To me, we were already wed.”

Reuben grinned. “Let me guess, he changed his mind once he had taken what he pleased from you?”

“Actually, he did not. It was several days before things began to alter between us. I have a feeling his mother knew what was going on and urged him to cast me from the house before I could trap him into marriage. I was not suitable, by her standards,” she explained bitterly. “He did as she asked, leaving me in a troubling state of affairs. I immediately sought to rekindle my affections with Lord Gillet, believing I could garner his proposal before anything…unfortunate could happen.”

“A child?”

She shrugged. “It is too early to say, but I must protect myself against any eventuality. I thought to seek Lord Gillet’s forgiveness for abandoning him in a rather cruel manner, and I wrote to enlist Lady Adelaide’s help in the endeavor. As my friend, I was certain she would help me.”

“She did not?”

“Oh, far worse, Your Grace.” Miss Green lifted her gaze, a hardness shining in her eyes. “She sought to have Lord Gillet for herself. I went to her house to speak with her, to urge her to assist me. When I happened upon her in the gardens, she was in the midst of an emotional discussion with Lord Gillet. They were confessing their love to one another.”

Reuben froze. “What did you say?”

“Lord Gillet confessed his love for Lady Adelaide, and she confessed hers in return,” she said. “It would seem that you have been fooled, Your Grace. It would not surprise me if Lady Adelaide had planned this all along. She has entranced him—she is a spiteful vixen, who has sought to replace me in Lord Gillet’s heart. And he has fallen for it, the pathetic ingrate.”

“This cannot be so,” Reuben muttered.

“Well, it is. I heard it with my own ears.”

He thought back to the way she had looked at him in the alleyway. Her gaze had held a terror and regret that he had never seen before. Still, he could not quite believe that it was his brutality that had driven her into the affections of another man. No, there was more to it than that. Evidently, Lord Rowntree had poisoned her mind against him. He had managed to ingratiate himself, somehow, and reveal his knowledge to Adelaide.

All those men I have killed and wounded—I would not be surprised to learn that Lord Rowntree told her everything. He has ruined this for me. The one lady I might have found happiness with, and he has ruined it all. She will only look at me with fear from now on…she is marred. He glowered into the fire, wondering what he ought to do. Nevertheless, she will be my wife. I will not relinquish her now. Who knows, maybe in time I shall win her respect again. If not, I shall have to find enjoyment in terrorizing her. I had not hoped for that, with her. Alas, needs must.

“I have put too much time and effort into this engagement,” he announced. “She will not find herself freed of our contract. I shall make sure of that.”

“You still wish to wed her, after what you have heard?” Miss Green stared at him in shock.

“Of course. It shall make the chase all the more exciting,” he replied, with a dark smile. “Besides, I am not the sort of gentleman who allows other men to take what belongs to me. Lady Adelaide will be my wife, whether she likes it or not. I have the means to…persuade her.”

“You do?”

“Oh yes. And do not fear, you shall be suitably recompensed for what you have told me,” he said. “Who knows, perhaps there shall be a position for you as a mistress in my household? I imagine that would teach Lady Adelaide a suitable lesson. Any children would be well cared for.”

She looked taken aback, just as he had known she would. “I shall have to think about that, though I thank you for your offer. Perhaps, if the time comes, I shall have no choice.”

“Do let me know if such an idea tickles your fancy.”

She cast a shy glance at Reuben. “What means do you have to persuade Lady Adelaide? Truly, I should like to see her as miserable as possible, for what she has done to us both. If she were to wed you against her will, I would imagine her heart would be broken in twain. A truly wondrous thought.” A cold expression twisted her pretty features into an ugly mask of bitter vengeance.

“I have news of her father that will shake her to the very core,” he replied evenly. “I have some cards left to play, though Lady Adelaide and her father do not know that I am in possession of their secrets. You see, Miss Green, I have the power to blackmail. With the information I have at my disposal, she will be forced to agree to my terms.”

Oh yes, my love, you cannot escape me. You will be mine. You will bend to my will, as all do. If you do not, your family shall fall. It is your choice, my love…your choice.