A Matter of Duty Read Free Page A

does your brother ignore you?’
    ‘He doesn’t ignore me, sir; we write regularly and meet in Brentford whenever we can. We hope to meet in two days’ time, if Lady Lawrence will allow me to.’
    ‘Which is hardly likely, under the circumstances.’
    ‘The circumstances aren’t my fault, sir,’ she replied stiffly.
    ‘Oh, but they are, Miss Cherington. You shouldn’t be so desirable, should you?’
    Her cheeks were aflame, and her heart was beating more swiftly again. Please let someone come. But all was silent, except for the distant rattle of thunder.
    ‘Don’t look so frightened, Miss Cherington. I’m a gentleman and would no more dream of thrusting unwelcome attentions upon you than I would of flying.’
    ‘You’re forcing your attentions upon me now, sir, by not allowing me to pass.’
    ‘But I only wish to talk to you, Miss Cherington,’ he said reasonably, spreading his hands innocently, but nevertheless remaining squarely in her way. ‘We haven’t finished discussing your brother.’
    ‘I don’t intend to discuss him, sir, not with you or with anyone else.’
    ‘Why not? Have you something to hide?’
    ‘No!’
    ‘Then tell me about him. Does he reside in luxury in London while you exist here in a miserable room on the top floor?’
    ‘He’s sharing a friend’s apartment in New Bond Street.’
    ‘Ah, so the cad’s living at someone else’s expense. No doubt he’s still frittering things away at the green baize.’
    ‘Don’t judge others.…’ She bit the words back.
    ‘By myself? Why not, for it’s my experience that others are like myself, willfully going their own sweet way no matter what the consequences.’
    ‘My brother isn’t like that, he didn’t willfully lose everything; it just happened, and there’s no one more saddened by his dereliction of his family duty than he is.’ Her eyes were angry as she met his. ‘Did you willfully bring about the situation that now requires you to sell the Cyclops or risk imprisonment for debt?’
    He seemed to find this amusing. ‘Of course I did, Miss Cherington. I continued to play even when I knew my hand couldn’t possibly win, just as your worthless brother continued and thus lost you everything. He thought only of his own pleasure, and family duty couldn’t have been further from his mind.’
    Who was Captain Geoffrey Lawrence to pronounce upon family duty? He didn’t even begin to understand what it meant. She was suddenly determined to end the conversation, making once again to pass him. ‘Please let me go, sir, Emma will be—’
    ‘Emma’s asleep,’ he replied, moving to bar her way. ‘Come now, it isn’t often that we’re at liberty to talk like this.’ Without warning, he put out his hand to touch her cheek.
    With a gasp, she recoiled. The candle fluttered and smoked, and some hot wax splashed onto her wrist. She was a little frightened now. ‘Captain Lawrence, we aren’t at liberty at all to speak like this,’ she cried.
    ‘This is 1811, Miss Cherington, not the Middle Ages.’
    ‘That makes no difference, sir, for there are barriers between us. Now, will you please allow me to pass?’
    ‘Only after you’ve paid a small forfeit,’ he replied. It was time to remove the kid gloves.
    Her heart almost stopped. ‘F-forfeit?’ she asked very warily.
    ‘Just a little one,’ he said softly, reaching out to touch her cheek again.
    With a quick intake of breath, she pulled sharply away, but he reached out swiftly to put his other hand to her waist, pulling her roughly toward him. The light in his eyes frightened her, as did the force he used, and momentarily her strength seemed to desert her. She was so shocked that she simply couldn’t move; he had her completely at his mercy.
    As another roll of thunder growled through the night, he was oblivious to everything but the soft, pliant warmth of her body through the thin stuff of her gown. Desire rose sharply within him, arousing him to the point of madness. He