My Dangerous Duke (The Twisted Dukes #2)

Chapter 24

“ I must say, Honey, your forgery skills would be desired by the most devious criminals in London,” Xander mused, watching his wife put the finishing flourish on her father’s fake invitation.

Like the letter she had penned in his name to White’s, the invitation from Almack’s Assembly Rooms she was replicating now was identical. Her plan was brilliant, simple, and most importantly of all, it would work. Eleanor looked up at him, pausing from her work, and gave him a mischievous smile.

“Remember that should you ever get the notion to lie to me again,” she replied slyly, giving him a wink.

Xander chuckled as he leaned down and bit her neck in response. No, he would never lie to his wife again. Nor would he stand in front of her and keep her in the dark. Instead, he would be by her side, protecting and loving her just as equally as she was protecting and loving him.

“A warning I do not need,” he replied with wit, making her giggle.

They kissed, a shock of passion skittering through them, and then Eleanor handed Xander the finished invitation and envelope; both of which looked to come straight from Almack’s. He carefully slid the invitation into the envelope, and then turned and handed it to Jared.

“You have the jacket?” He asked his valet.

The man nodded, taking his part in the plan very seriously.

“I do, Your Grace,” he agreed. “I paid off one of the servers to loan it to me for the day, as you requested. It has the Almack’s insignia on it as you said.”

“And you are sure my father has never seen your face?” Eleanor asked him, rising from the desk with a tense look.

Jared nodded again.

“I am positive, Your Grace,” he agreed. “I have always waited for His Grace in his carriage during any visits and was not present at any of the parties. He will not know I work for you.”

Eleanor gave him a single nod.

“Good, that is good,” she agreed. “And you know what to say?”

Jared repeated his lines perfectly, and Xander noticed his wife relax a little more as she nodded once again.

“Well done,” she praised.

She looked from Jared to Xander, then smiled as she took a steadying breath and squared her shoulders.

“Well then, let’s get this plan underway.”

As Eleanor had predicted, Victor took one look at the Almack’s invitation and the insignia on Jared’s jacket and confirmed his attendance on the spot. Jared had reported that the man had nearly convulsed with pride before turning up a snobbish nose and demanded Jared run his way back to Almack’s with the reply.

That was days ago, and now it was time to put the rest of Eleanor’s plan into play. If it was successful, as Xander believed it would be, then tonight would be the night that they all got their freedom from Victor Langley. Xander looked down at Eleanor and smiled with pride and love as he took her in as they stood inside the doorway of the club.

She had chosen a crimson red gown for the evening, the hue of it offsetting the gold strands of her brunette hair and bringing out the rosiness of her lips. It was a gown fitting for revenge, there was no more perfect evening for it.

She knew now that Rhysand had once attempted to help Xander get the letters written by Richard, and while they had once known the location of them, they had since lost them. It was through Eleanor’s dubious planning that they were able to discover another way to get to them; a servant, who, with little more than the promise of new employment at the Larsen Estate, was eager to help Eleanor.

They now knew that Victor had grown suspicious of his failure to be accepted by the Ton, and had taken to carrying the letters with him everywhere he went in his jacket.

“You look absolutely radiant tonight, wife,” Xander praised, keeping his eyes on Eleanor.

She smiled at him lovingly, affection and strength pouring from her gaze.

“As do you, husband,” she replied, sweeping her eyes up and down his black suit.

“We are a fine match,” he went on, using what little time they had left before they were to put their plan to work, “And I want you to know no matter how much I hate your father, I will always be thankful that he brought you to me.”

Passion flared in Eleanor’s eyes as she nodded, but before either of them could say anything else, they heard their signal. A look of understanding passed between them as Victor Langley’s angry remarks filled their ears, and with a nod, they strolled outside. As predicted, Victor was there, dressed in his finest, with his ruddy face swollen with anger.

“I have an invitation!” He roared, holding up Eleanor’s forged card.

“I am afraid that is impossible, sir, as you are not on the list,” the footman replied, straining to be polite the pompous noble.

“Papa.”

Victor looked up at Eleanor and Xander, blinking in surprise as if he had only then noticed them. The moment his eyes landed on them, he smirked and drew up his nose.

“There,” he insisted, not bothering to greet either of them as he looked toward the footman. “That is my daughter and son-in-law, the Duke and Duchess of Larsen,” Victor continued, pointing at them.

The footman looked over to them as they stood in the doorway, and bowed to them respectfully.

“Indeed, they are,” the footman agreed, “But that makes no difference in your regard, sir.”

Victor turned his glare toward Eleanor as his lips curled into a snarl, immediately igniting Xander’s anger. He went, instinctively, to step between them, but Eleanor’s touch feathered the top of his hand. He stopped, thankful for her furtive intervention, and stepped back into his place.

“Papa, I am sure this is something we can all work out,” Eleanor said sweetly, giving her father a dazzling smile.

“You will make this nasty business go away?” Victor grumbled, his face fading back to its natural pale color as he watched Eleanor walk to him.

“For once and for all,” she promised, opening her arms to him.

Eleanor did not recall ever hugging her father once in the last twelve or so years, but as she opened her arms, she saw a look of affection on her father’s face she had never seen before. Sweetly, she slipped her hands around between his jacket and shirt and embraced him. It was a bittersweet moment, feeling her father return the rare form of physical affection. If only their relationship could have been different…

“I will take care of all of this, Papa,” she promised as her fingers crept around her desired query.

Eleanor hugged her father tighter, mentally whispering goodbye as she pulled her prize away and deftly slipped them behind her back. As planned, Xander’s hands came to her, one at her wrist, the other at the letters. Once he had a firm grasp on both, he pulled Eleanor out of the embrace and walked toward the carriages.

“Where are you going?” Victor asked, his face growing red again in confusion. “You just said you would take care of this! Now you are walking away?”

At this, they turned around, and Xander held up the key to their freedom.

“We just did, Langley,” he replied dryly.

Victor’s eyes grew so wide that there was whiter than iris. His face then turned from crimson to purple as he began to vibrate with fury. With a roar of rage, his eyes narrowed murderously at Eleanor and bared his teeth in disgust.

“You little wretch,” he growled, stalking toward them, “You will beg me for forgiveness and mercy after I-”

Xander was between them in a heartbeat, staring the man down. This time, Eleanor made no move to stop him, and as Victor drew nearer, Xander raised a dagger from his pocket and lodged the tip to the man’s double chin. It was small, discreet so that anyone in the gathering crowd would think that Xander was just holding his fist to him- but with the proper force… Victor stopped immediately, his face going sheet white.

“If you finish that sentence, it will be your last,” Xander warned. His tone was low. Calm, even. But yet somehow full of menace.

“You would not hurt me here,” Victor tried to argue, but Xander only pressed the dagger in a little more.

“My wife knows you carry a pistol, I am merely defending us,” Xander replied in a calm tone, smirking. “Seeing as how every member of the Ton knows how aggressive you can be, no one will negate me.”

Realizing his options had completely run out, a look of resignation crept across Victor’s face, and he nodded.

“Good,” Xander approved in a sharp tone.

“Now you leave my family alone,” he continued, “and that includes my wife. She does not belong to you any way anymore, do you understand? You, nor anyone else of your household will not come near us ever again.”

“You deserve so much crueler punishment than what I am going to give you,” Eleanor stated, her voice turning cold as she turned her full attention to her father, “But I refuse to be like you.”

She put a gentle hand on Xander’s arm and he lowered his fist. His gaze had filled with hatred as he once more turned to Victor, and he sent her father a silent warning to keep his calm.

“In a few weeks’ time, you will receive a letter from White’s, casting you off their list of members. If you make a fuss, I will make sure to humiliate you in the Ton. As my husband said, you will stay away from us. For if you do not, it will be I that will be blackmailing you, father.”

She took a step closer to him, raising her chin in defiance as she met his hate-filled gaze with a fearless expression.

“I know of many of your misdeeds, Papa,” she said threateningly, his face paling even more, “I will only be too happy to bring them to light.”

“No one would believe you,” he hissed, dark red veins appearing in the whites of his eyes.

“Perhaps not,” Eleanor said with a shrug. “But they will believe my husband. He might be known as a brutish man, but he is still very respected and trusted among many. His words have much weight, Father.”

“Now laugh,” Xander commanded from Eleanor’s side before Victor could muster another reply.

“Then hug your daughter. Say loudly that you are sorry for the confusion, and get in your carriage. Then go home, wait for your letter, and speak of this to no one.”

Victor’s face turned various shades of red and purple as he seemed to desperately think of a way out of the trap. Finally, though, he seemed to realize he had no choice but to comply. He drew in a shaky breath, let out a convincing laugh, and said the words verbatim and with gusto as he gave Eleanor the lightest of hugs. They too dawned their own bright smiles, feigning amusement and forgiveness, and let Victor walk toward his carriage. Most of the people gathered frowned as the scene ended with no more drama, and within seconds, it had dispersed.

“To the carriage?” Xander asked, offering Eleanor his arm as they watched Victor drive away.

Eleanor felt dizzy with euphoria as she slipped her arm over his, and hugged herself to his side. Xander leaned down as they walked, brushing a kiss atop her head. She had done it. She had taken control of her life just as she had always wanted, and she had succeeded.

“You did wonderfully, Honey,” he praised, his hot breath sending shivers down her neck as he whispered into her ear. “How do you feel?”

“Free,” she breathed, then opened her eyes to look at him. “Freer than I have ever felt.”

Xander’s eyes shined with pure love and admiration as he stood in the rain with her, pulling her into his arms.

“And what do you wish to do with your new freedom?” He asked, grazing his knuckle ever so softly across her cheek.

“Spend it with you,” she replied, meeting his gaze with the same intensity.

There, in the rain, on the street, Eleanor and Xander sealed their lips in a passionate kiss; neither of them caring what anyone thought or saw.