Least Likely to Marry a Duke (Liberated Ladies)

‘As you say, Your Grace. Miss Wingate is a most attractive, lively and charming young lady, but—’

‘Do have a care, Mr Harrington.’ Will did not move.

‘But she is not what she seems. Miss Wingate, I must tell you with great sorrow, is a young lady of experience, if you follow me. I—Aagh!’

Will stood toe to toe with the man he had dragged from his chair by his neckcloth. ‘I did tell you to have a care, Mr Harrington.’ He let go and the clergyman sat down with a thump.

Will resumed his seat, crossed his legs. ‘Continue, sir. Carefully.’

Harrington tugged at his neckcloth, cleared his throat. He had gone pale, but he hung on to his composure. ‘Some years ago Miss Wingate and I were...close. I was on the verge of offering for her hand. I was young and, as a theological student, inexperienced in carnal matters.’

And I’ll believe that when the Prince Regent takes holy orders.

Will wanted to strangle the bastard, but he needed to discover just how much venom this particular viper contained.

‘A chaste kiss one evening by the summer house became... I tried to be strong, tried to resist, but her attractions overcame me, her wantonness—’

‘So you ate the apple,’ Will said. ‘This certainly has a theological theme to it. Genesis three, if I am not mistaken.’ He stood up and Harrington shot to his feet. ‘I should call you out, of course, for slandering a lady, but duels are for settling matters of honour between gentlemen and you are a worm, sir. I think I will adjust your features until you are ready to apologise for your sordid accusations.’

‘If you lay another finger on me I will make certain that all of London knows that Verity Wingate is no virgin,’ Harrington said breathlessly. ‘I can describe the mole on her thigh, I can repeat what she says in the throes of passion—’ He slid rapidly around the desk when Will took a step forward. ‘I will not fight a duel with you, even if you offer one. It is beneath the dignity of my cloth.’ He eyed Will warily. ‘And I do not think that such a perfect gentleman as yourself, a premier nobleman, will stoop to murder.’

For Verity I might.

But there was more that Harrington wanted to say, he could tell. He would not have risked a beating just to spread his trail of slime over Verity’s good name.

‘So you paid me a call out of the goodness of your heart to tell me the touching tale of how an innocent young cleric was debauched by a wanton and all to protect my good name?’

‘You should be forewarned if you are interested in the lady. I mean only a friendly warning in exchange for a small favour.’ Harrington’s confidence was returning with every second that Will kept his hands by his sides, but he could smell the nervous sweat, see the tremor in his hands.

‘Yes?’

‘The deanery in the diocese of Elmham is about to become vacant, the present Dean is unwell and unlikely to recover. The influence of a duke—your influence—will secure it for me.’

‘Now, why did you not marry Miss Wingate? I wonder. Do not give me any nonsense about being repelled by her falling prey to your seduction. Could it be that her father’s illness meant there were no favours to be got from your prospective father-in-law? Yes, it must be that. And now you believe you can use her again because you have picked up the gossip about the two of us being stranded overnight on an island and assume that Miss Wingate will become my bride.’ He moved a little closer, smiled. ‘You should make certain of your facts before you show your hand, Vicar. The lady has refused me.’

The colour ebbed and flowed in Harrington’s face before he recovered himself. ‘But you care for her, she is your neighbour.’

Will told himself to tread warily. Short of murder, he could not be certain of shutting Harrington’s mouth. There had been something Will could not quite identify in the other man’s tone when he spoke of Verity: anger, perhaps? Certainly, spite. Somehow she had wounded him, because this was not merely disappointed hopes of a marriage schemed for and foiled when the Bishop had been forced to retire. Now he was determined to secure his prize or damage Verity as a reprisal.

There were a number of possibilities for drawing Harrington’s teeth, more or less within the law, but he needed to make certain he knew precisely what was at hazard before he showed his hand. ‘That is true,’ he conceded.

Harrington had edged his way right around the desk and Will reached the great carved chair behind it, the chair that had been his grandfather’s. He sat down and took a moment to recall the old man and his teaching. With a wave of his hand towards the seat opposite he steepled his fingers together, bent his head as though in thought and waited until the Vicar had seated himself, rather more warily this time.

‘The lady’s welfare and good name are important to me,’ Will admitted, his gaze still on his fingertips. The urge to fling Harrington through the window was almost overpowering and that might show in his eyes. Let the man think he had the upper hand for a while; it might dent Will’s pride, but that was a small concern now. ‘I have no influence with the present Bishop of Elmham, who was present when Miss Wingate and I returned from the island and severely displeased him by failing to marry. However—’ he raised his eyes and looked directly at Harrington ‘—the Archbishop of Canterbury is one of my godfathers.’

Greed, triumph, calculation—they were all there in the other man’s dark eyes. He thought he had won the lottery. This was far better than he had imagined, Will could see. ‘I would have to proceed carefully,’ he pointed out. ‘He has many requests and this must seem perfectly genuine if it is to succeed. We must allow a little time to pass for it to appear that I am becoming well acquainted with your virtues.’

Harrington smirked. ‘Of course. I could allow a month, given the state of the present incumbent’s health.’

A man is dying and you calculate how many days he has left so you can step into his still-warm choir stall. I am going to destroy you, Vicar.

Will reached out for the bell-pull. ‘Come back in one week, unless I send for you sooner.’ The door opened. ‘John, see Mr Harrington out.’

Now, the important thing was t

o deal with this without letting Verity find out. She had enough to deal with as it was, she did not need to know that her treacherous lover was using her as a bargaining chip. Will picked up a pen and scrawled an urgent note to Fitcham.

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