Page 37 of Stolen By the Heartless Duke

“I think it is worth investigating,” the duke cut in.

She hesitated. “Why now?”

“Because,” he said evenly, “it is the first time we’ve had anything outside brothels and dead ends. And because Evan used to frequent establishments that valued discretion over spectacle.”

Jane frowned. “Colin wouldn’t go somewhere like that unless he had no choice.”

“I agree,” the duke said.

That surprised her slightly. Her eyes narrowed. “So we go there?”

The duke nodded once. “We go there tonight.”

Jane blinked. “Tonight?”

“Yes.”

She leaned back, absorbing it. The idea should have made her uneasy. It did, but not enough to outweigh the relief of movement. Of direction. Of something new to do besides waiting.

“And you’re certain this is not another… waste of time?” she asked.

The duke’s gaze flicked over her face briefly. “No,” he said. “I am not certain.”

That, somehow, was the most honest thing she had heard from him yet. The carriage jolted slightly as it turned a corner.

Jane exhaled slowly. “Then I will come,” she said.

The duke’s eyes sharpened. “It was not a request,” he replied.

“I know,” Jane said. “It was a statement.”

The air between them tightened again in that familiar, irritating way. Neither of them quite knew where to place their attention when the other was present.

The duke leaned back slightly. “You will do as I say once we are there,” he said.

Jane lifted her chin. “I’ve already agreed to that, Your Grace. You do not need to repeat yourself about danger.”

The silence stretched again, but it was different now. Charged in a way neither of them wanted to acknowledge.

Eventually, the carriage slowed, and the duke glanced toward the window.

“We are close,” he said.

Jane adjusted her cloak so that it covered her face. “Then let us stop wasting time.”

The duke’s gaze returned to her. It lingered a fraction too long. Then he said, quietly, “Good.”

The carriage rolled on in the darkness, and neither of them spoke again until it came to a stop.

The gaming hell smelled of smoke, alcohol, and the metallic smell of coins.

Jane kept close to the duke’s side as they stepped inside.

The doors shut behind them with a heavy finality that made her feel, briefly, like she had walked into a place that did not intend to let her leave unchanged.

Laughter rolled through the room in low waves. Dice clattered. Cards slapped wood. Men leaned in too close to each other’s ears as secrets and wagers were exchanged in tones that never rose above a murmur.

Jane adjusted her cloak without thinking, pulling it tighter around her shoulders and dipping her head so that she could not be seen clearly.