“You lied to me, you bastard.”

Anthony came to a halt in the hall. Though desperate to outrun the demons chasing him, he could not go. Not now. Another wave of self-loathing crashed down upon him as he slowly turned to face a man he respected more than most.

Jack Eversleigh, Duke of Hunt, stood at the end of the hall bathed in the light of a single taper, his face a mask of fury and grave acceptance. “You lied,” he said again, the words a barely audible crack down the hall.

He had. Not intentionally. He’d promised to stay away from her. He had not.

“My study,” the duke instructed. “Now.”

They descended quietly, Anthony having no will to argue. He was in the wrong and there was nothing for it. What was to be done? His mind thundered with the possibilities; all grim until one rang clearly.

He would marry her, of course.

That’s what a man did when he compromised a woman’s virtue.

They entered the large study, its fire crackling. Holly and pine decked the mantel and bookshelves.

Jack placed the taper down on his desk then glared. In fact, he said naught. Worse, he allowed the weight of his disdain to weigh upon him.

It filled the room with its darkness.

Yet, Anthony didn’t truly feel it. He was feeling something else. That thing that he had been so certain he’d forsaken. Hope. It was lifting him up.

It hadn’t been what he wanted. To marry. But this was his chance, was it not? Now that the choice had been made. All along, that had been there. The distinct possibility that he would be caught.

“I will marry her,” he said, giving his thoughts voice.

“Will you, by God?” another voice called from the shadows.

The Duke of Aston popped up from a chair facing the window. “And what debauchery have you done tonight, young Basingstoke?” Aston inquired, though his usual joviality was gone.

“None,” he defended before he realized the inanity of it. “Almost none. But I behaved as a cad does.”

“You are a cad,” Aston pointed out. “A likable cad and a good fellow but—”

“Yes,” Anthony cut in, ready to take responsibility. Ready to do what he must and make the very best of it. “I don’t deny it. But I’ve never hurt anyone and I won’t start now.”

“Then you won’t marry her,” Jack said tightly.

Anthony whipped to the Duke of Hunt. “I beg your pardon?”

Jack’s lip curled. “Is that what you thought when I caught you? That I’d force you to do the honorable thing?”

“That’s not what we do, lad,” Aston drawled. “Forcing. And if Jack says you’re not marrying, then he’s likely in the right.”

“But—”

“But what?” Hunt demanded, his voice a whip. “Now that you’re forced, you’ll have her? Good God man, what do you think of her? You wish to shame her? Or do you think she’ll leap with joy that now you’ll deign to take her?”

His gut clenched. “No. But you saw me leave her room.”

“Yes,” Jack drawled with a shocking amount of disdain. “I saw you. No one else.”

“Someone could have seen me enter,” Anthony pointed out.

“You wanted to be caught, didn’t you, old boy?” Aston said softly. “Take the whole thing out of your hands. Not well done. But I understand it. I’ve done something similar in my life. But you might find the lady will not cooperate.”

“If she were ruined then she’d be trapped with her awful family.”

“You should have given that more weight before your clandestine meeting.” Jack folded his arms over his broad chest. “I take it she didn’t invite you?”

Anthony shook his head. “I went to. . .”

The words stuck in his throat. What an arse he was. He’d gone to push her away. Instead, he’d taken her in his arms. The lies he’d told himself were astounding.

“What do you wish me to do?” he asked. “I cannot abandon her.”

“Ellesmere is best for her,” Jack said tightly.

“She won’t marry him,” Aston said with a smirk.

“The devil you say,” Jack retorted. “They seem a good match. It’s early days.”

“No spark,” Aston declared with no room for question.

Jack rolled his eyes even as he seemed to retract from his certainty. “Many people marry with no spark.”

“Fools,” Aston condemned.

Jack pointed to Anthony. “Well, they could start a blaze and that would be a terrible marriage.”

“Would it?” Aston challenged softly. “The way he’s gone about it, I suppose you’re correct.”

“I thought you were on my side,” Jack replied impatiently.

“I’m on the side of the lady,” Aston said. “I always have been. I always will be. The three of us standing about deciding her future makes me long for a drink.”

Jack shifted uncomfortably then cursed. “Cordelia will murder me if she hears I’ve been acting like this.”

“Only after she kills me,” Anthony said.

“You’re deserving,” Jack gritted.

“True.” He wouldn’t argue. He’d behaved abominably.

“This will make for a most interesting Christmas dinner,” Aston quipped.

“Sod off,” Jack snapped before wiping a tired hand over his face. “What’s to be done then?”

“Let her decide.”

Aston and Jack swung their gazes to Anthony.

Aston laughed. “Let is not a word to use with ladies. You can’t let them do anything.”

“Poor choice of words,” Anthony agreed. “But, she can still choose.”

“I still say you should cry off,” Jack said, “if this is the only way you would have married her.”

“I can’t explain it,” Anthony said, his voice rough. “I want her more than anything and yet I’m—”

“Terrified,” Aston supplied.

“Bewildered,” Jack added.

“Yes.”

“Welcome to love, old boy. Welcome to love,” Aston said, but he wasn’t grinning now. “But if you can walk through this, then there will be quite a reward on the other side.”

Anthony nodded, still struggling to believe in happily ever after.

But somehow, he was going to have to learn, because he did not think he could learn to live with the hell that had opened up before him as soon as he’d strode from her arms.