Sweet Revenge To The Duke (Book 1)

Chapter One

Hedenham House Suffolk, 1812

Miss Athene Edwards, a unexpected draught extinguished her light as she gazed out the window at the crisp full moon, her mind too occupied to sleep.

She could hear footsteps approaching as the corridor turned dark. It couldn't have been a woman because there was no rustling of skirts. But which among the many guests at the Duke of Burlington's Hallowe'en house party is it?

The man was approaching her with a direct stride. She must, of course, be silhouetted against the starry window. Why didn't he say anything?

Before she could say anything, his hands were around her waist, and his lips were on hers. Then he vanished as fast as he had appeared, leaving her red-faced, trembling, and stunned.

Her candle had vanished, so what had happened to it? She fumbled for a tinderbox along the cobwebby sill, then re-lit her lamp. The passageway's shadows vanished, revealing only a gallery of locked doors and a plinth at the end with a bust of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. She ran down the landing, holding her light high, but a single flame couldn't illuminate the stairwell or the vast, dark corridor below.

He must have arrived from the opposite landing, which housed single gentlemen and married couples. She came to a halt, amazed at how out of breath she was after such a short distance. It was becoming chilly now, and the fires in the reception rooms below had been put out an hour before. Should she return to the warmth of her bed or proceed over the chasm that separates Hedenham House's East and West wings? Because if a gentleman believed her worthy of a kiss, he needed to get to know her better.

It was, in fact, required.

"Miss Edwards," do you ever find yourself wandering the corridors late at night? "I'm guessing you're lost."

At the sound of the male voice, she struggled not to jump out of her skin and fling her candle into the air.

Just.

"Not at all," she says. "I was...taking the air."

With cold grey eyes, Oliver Williams, Viscount Rushbourne—the most despised man on the planet—looked down on her. "At one a.m.?" I'm guessing it's a tryst."

He couldn't possibly have kissed her, could he? No. They'd been bitter rivals since they were kids. He'd been cruel to her on several occasions, and she'd punished by trapping him in a drainage pipe and telling him she'd leave him to die. Her retaliation was minor. He was deserving of more.

To be fair, it would be characteristic of him, the blackguard, to steal a kiss in the dark to taunt her.

Her cheeks flushed, and she hoped it wasn't him. Because the kiss had been surprisingly pleasurable. Please, God, spare us! No. Rushbourne was more likely to suffocate her with a toad than to kiss her.

"What I do and when I do it is none of your business." I'd like to point out that you're also strolling the halls at an absurd hour."

He made her blink by raising his lamp. "I'm not doing it for any malevolent motive." I'm headed to the linen closet to look for a spare blanket. Do you want me to get one for you as well? ”

Indeed? Her pupils constricted. "You didn't just take a kiss from me, did you?" ”

His brow furrowed. "Do you mind if I steal a kiss from you, Miss Heartless?" " He referred to himself by the nickname that had pleased him as a child. And it had enraged her so much. "I'd prefer it if such a thing were handed to me."

"As charming as always," she mumbled, cursing herself for accusing him. She'd never hear the end of it now.

He ran his fingers through his dark, sleep-tousled hair. "Miss Heartless has attracted the attention of a gentleman, hasn't she?" Although in the dark, he might have mistook you for someone else."

"I don't care if it was by accident or plan," she grumbled. "I don't give a damn about kisses, stolen or otherwise."

His voice was hard. “I didn’t think you would, Miss Heart—”

"Don't mention it," she said, unable to stomach the nickname he'd given her when she was ten years old. She had feelings, and she had a heart, of course. Her parents had died when she was young, and she had been obliged to put on a brave face in the face of unsympathetic relatives and ostracizing schools.

Things were significantly different now that she had a new guardian. But she was about to experience yet another bad upheaval in her life, and she was out of options.

"Well, since you've asked, I won't." Dear daughter, old habits die hard. "Old habits are hard to break."

If anything, Dear Girl, was even worse than Miss Heartless, especially coming from this handsome, far-too-privileged fellow. It was condescending. Oh, but wasn't he the most despicable man who ever lived?

She rested the candlestick on the bannister rail's curling end so she could put both hands on her hips. "It's too bad I didn't know you'd be here ahead of time." I should not have come if I had."

“What? And you're not getting any of my teasing? "I figured the attention would be fun for you."

It was difficult to keep her foot from stamping. "Thank you for giving me all of your time and attention. If you've followed my background at all, you'll see that I'm used to being alone."

"Would you care if I said I did?" Oscar is here, I should mention. He inquires about you on a regular basis."

Oscar? She imagined a charming young child who was overshadowed by his considerably older brother. When they were kids, Oscar had followed her around as well, but to idolize rather than to taunt her. Athene had no idea if he would have ever stood up for her against his brother, for the clumsy kid typically had to be carried back into the house, his knees soiled and bloodied, and his face soaked with tears.

"Unlike you! Sir, I believe Oscar has grown up to be a gentleman." He expressed his sorrow over my aunt's passing by sending me condolences. "You didn't do it."

"At the time, I didn't think you'd be interested in such a gift."

"Surely, I'm the only one who can decide that."

"Are you implying that you would have appreciated receiving a letter from me?"

" His dark gaze flashed with a glint.

"Absolutely not. It would have been absolutely terrifying. In any case, I don't think the thought ever occurred to you. You probably assumed I didn't care about losing my closest relative in the entire world because you thought I had no heart."

Tears stung her eyes, much to her chagrin. She shouldn't give a damn about what this dude thinks. What made his words so hurtful to her? They hurt her as much now, at nineteen years old, as they did when she was ten, when he teased her and tugged on her ringlets.

She'd promised to loathe Oliver Williams, the future Viscount Rushbourne, forever at that tender age. It still seemed like a good idea. Even so, vengeance would be more rewarding.

"You haven't married yet."

Her chin swelled. "You seem to think I'm deficient in finer emotions." Which, in your opinion, disqualifies me from marriage and motherhood."

What in the world was she doing here, at the top of the steps, arguing with her arch-enemy? She should turn aside and toss her head. By now, whoever had kissed her in the dark would have vanished.

Unless they were paying attention. She hoped they weren't paying attention.

Oliver had approached. She swayed unconsciously towards him as the warmth from his body erased the frost. Because they were so close, she noticed how tall he'd grown. He couldn't have kissed her because the culprit was closer to her own height. And unlike Rushbourne, the mystery gentleman didn't have the same frightening male energy.

He was saying, "I would relish in being proven wrong." "It's all about the feelings." That's not the case."

What had they been discussing? Marriage, oh marriage. "Obviously I'm not married, or I'd have changed my name." If she were married, he wouldn't be speaking to her in such a familiar manner, would he? He had to be aware that she wasn't. He was double-checking the information for some nefarious motive. He probably did it so he could torture her over it. "However, I don't believe my marital status, or lack thereof, is a source of concern for you."

"Shouldn't it be the other way around?"

" The ugly beast was staring at her closely, attempting to make her feel small and threatened.

"Then why do you inquire?" " She was attempting to avoid snapping and sounding shrewish. He had to see that she had matured into a lovely, well-educated, smart woman. One who is deserving of his admiration.

Assuming Viscount Rushbourne was capable of treating others with respect.

He didn't respond to the inquiry. "By my calculations, you must be... what?" Twenty? ”

"Not yet," she says. "I'm only nineteen."

He mockingly bowed to her and said, "My apologies." "I must admit, I'm shocked you haven't married yet."

That was all about to change. She was hoping to meet her future life partner at this house party. She simply didn't know who he was at the time. Maybe it was the guy that kissed her?

Oliver had moved again, forcing her to crick her neck in order to meet his gaze. Why does he have to be so near to you all the time? He'd done it since he was a child. Did he realize how vexing it was? Even if he had, he would see no reason to modify his ways.

"I don't give a damn what you think, Rushbourne. I've never done that before."

"Such horrible words, coming from such a lovely voice."

Oh, my goodness! Is that a compliment? It's an insult, not a compliment. Is it a combination of the two? She took a step backwards, perplexed. "As I already stated, I am uninterested in your opinion, good or bad. You have no authority or justification to question me. "Good night," she said.

She reached for her candle and returned to her corridor, only to discover that the horrible man had blocked her path. He's cursed for his big shoulders and powerful presence. His banyan was a great fit, tapering in at the waist and closing across his deep chest with silk-covered buttons. The clothing brought attention to his well-proportioned body, which was likely his goal in wearing it.

"Are you leaving so soon?" He sounded dissatisfied.

"I'm tired," she said, resisting the temptation to scream at him. Giving a bully the fight they wanted simply made them want more.

"We haven't done talking yet." Over the last seven years, I've barely been able to get close to you. I believe I've seen you at least fourteen times, and you've avoided me at each and every one. As a result, there's a lot of catching up to accomplish."

"Even if I wanted to talk to you, this isn't the time or place." I, on the other hand, do not."

"However, the mystery surrounding your mysterious beau and the stolen kiss in the dark are intriguing subjects. I can't picture you putting the situation behind you and not thinking about it for days. "You were always a terrier."

She had no intention of ignoring the incident. Trying to figure out who had kissed her was crucial, given that her goal for attending the party was to find a husband. If only she knew the man who had kissed her was looking for a marriage. The kiss had been chaste enough, so he wasn't a rake. Could the motives of a sly kiss-thief, on the other hand, be regarded honorable?

“Hah! You're as intrigued as I am. I had a feeling you'd be. Was he a young or old man? Should I call him out if we find him? ”

With a deep breath, she stifled her anger. She should probably shout. It'd get rid of Rushbourne in no time. When they were younger, it had. But could she still make the same piercing sound she could as a kid?

"I don't want to discuss it." Now, are you going to move out of my way, or are you going to bully me into staying, just like you did when you were a kid? ”

Damn. What had happened to her refined demeanor?

His cheeks darkened when the light from his lantern flickered. "Are you being bullied?" Obviously not. I'd never make you do something you didn't want to do. What exactly do you mean when you say I bullied you? ”

She'd be gnashing her teeth in no time. Alternatively, you may push him down the stairwell. She figured that if she set fire to his banyan, she'd be able to get rid of him.

"Miss Heartless, you seem amused. Is it fun for you to make unfounded charges about? ”

“Enough!" She raised her hand. She was preoccupied with far more significant issues than he was. For one, her entire future. "I'm going to bed," she says.

"It's a pity," he said softly. The intimate tone was unsettling coming from him. "I had thought that we could work together to study this strange phenomenon." After all, our host couldn't reasonably approve of men prowling the dark passages looking for unsupervised young females to kiss."

The irritating man hadn't changed a bit. Regardless of what anyone else wanted, he was always determined to get his way. And the fact that he had the audacity to dispute the claim of bullying was incredible.

"As I said, I'm exhausted," she remarked, refusing to engage in any further debate. "And if you had any semblance of gentleman about you, Viscount Rushbourne, you would stand aside and allow me to pass."

His eyes sputtered out of light, and he took a step back, a soldier standing to attention. She dashed by him before he could reconsider, almost extinguishing her light in the process.

He must have walked swiftly, too, since she heard a door close in the opposite corridor before she even got to her room.

She worried about the shadow that had crossed his face as she halted with her fingers on the door handle. Was she able to influence him in some way? If it was the case, it meant he was vulnerable to her viewpoint.

And if he was vulnerable, she might finally get her revenge on the guy who had made her young life so miserable after all these years. And who, despite the fact that she'd never told him, had had such an impact on the woman she'd become.

It wasn't enough vengeance. The misdeeds of Viscount Rushbourne's youth had to be atoned for.

She was going to find a method to bring him to his knees, Miss Athene Edwards, called after the goddess of battle.