Marquess of Malice (Lords of Scandal 2)

Malice gave Daring a sidelong glance. The answer, of course, was yes. “I asked her to marry me, if you must know.”

Daring didn’t relax as Malice had expected. In fact, his fists clenched at his sides. “Then why did she come in here crying?”

Malice tossed up his hands again. “You want me to explain women? A complete bluestocking rejected me and I’m supposed to know why she’s upset?”

Daring didn’t say another word as he charged at Malice. Knowing what was coming, Malice ducked just as the other man’s large fist swung at his head. “For feck’s sake,” he swore as he dodged another beefy fist.

Daring pushed him instead of answering, sending Malice crashing into the door. He could hit back at his friend but he wouldn’t.

“Did you not hear yourself? A bluestocking rejected you and you can’t understand why?” Daring stepped up so that his face was inches from Malice’s. “You don’t like or respect her. She’s a kind and gentle woman, but she’s not stupid.”

Malice grimaced. That was a valid point. And he had figured that out all on his own. Without being punched, even. Especially the part about her being quite smart. “I’m not interested in a romantic marriage. Is it so wrong that I didn’t lie to her and tell her falsehoods?”

The contours of Daring’s face softened. “No, that’s not wrong. But you hurt her feelings and you’re going to make that right.”

Malice frowned as he looked Daring in the eye. “Is that absolutely necessary?”

“Yes,” Daring growled back. “Consider it your wedding present to me.” Then he shoved Malice back into the door. “You couldn’t have picked a different day to ask her?”

That made Malice wince. “I’d thought she’d say yes.”

Daring shook his head. “Didn’t you learn by watching me? These Chase women hold their own.”

“Point taken,” Malice answered as he slid out from Daring’s pin against the door. “I’ll apologize. I’m sorry I asked you to marry me.”

Daring narrowed his gaze. “That’s not what you’re apologizing for.”

“Fine.” He pulled down his waist coat. “I’ll apologize for upsetting her, which was not my intent.”

“And don’t forget. You’ve promised to keep an eye on her after that scandal with the club and the countess.”

Now that was pushing it too far. “I only promised that because I thought I’d be marrying her.”

“Too bad for you,” Daring replied. “All the other men are keeping an eye on one Chase girl because it’s in the best interest of the club and the ladies.”

Malice slapped his hand against his thigh. “I made her cry. I’m not the right man—”

Daring pointed his finger. “If there is nothing between the two of you then you are the perfect man. Besides, you only need go to events with all of us in attendance. You’ll be perfectly chaperoned. You’re just the set of eyes designated specifically to her.”

That was an awfully good point. But it meant he’d have to spend time with the little chit who’d just rejected him. And he would have to give a solid apology so she’d tolerate his continued presence. Damn, he’d made a mess of this.

* * *

Cordelia sat in the family sitting room, attempting not to cry. How did one explain that a marriage proposal had been the cause of her distress?

Diana sat next to her, her arm about her sister’s shoulders. “Don’t be upset. No one will ever know you were alone with him. It’s just family here and we’ll never tell a soul.”

“That’s very comforting. Thank you.” She drew in a deep breath. She was glad that she wouldn’t end up married to Malicorn simply because of their conversation in the garden. But her worries ran deeper than that.

She covered her face. He might be the first man to ever really consider her as a marriage prospect. He might be the last too.

Since she was a girl, people had noticed her sisters. How could they not? Emily was full of life while Diana was a dark-haired beauty and Grace was a stunning blonde. Cordelia had always been like a wall hanging. That is to say, she’d faded into the drapes, no one ever paid her notice. Even her own family forgot her at times. She was far quieter than any of her other sisters. And her glasses, she sometimes thought they made her invisible.

She’d had one thing, her imagination. Since she was little, she’d dreamed of the man who would see the real her. Look behind her glasses and see all that she had to offer. As she’d grown older, her love of reading had blossomed into a desire to write. She’d began her own stories. Not of romance, of course. She didn’t fully understand the subject, if she were honest. But she’d written stories of children. Tales of the forgotten child, the less pretty one, the broken birds whose wings needed to be healed.

Ada, her cousin, held her hand on her other side. “He’s a little frightening anyway.”

Cordelia raised a brow. She supposed Malice was a bit intimidating. In fact, she was scared of him too. Not because of his looks or his demeanor but because of her physical reaction to him. He effortlessly made her heart thump wildly. He was the sort of man who would normally be interested in Diana or Grace. Not Cordelia. She dropped her head at the thought. “Why do you think that?”