Page 41 of Reforming the Rakish Marquess

Jude lunged towards the man and Drummond stepped in the way, encouraging him to stand down. He clenched his fists at his side and bore his hard gaze at the viscount.

“Why are you bothering the viscountess? Didn’t you give her a week?”

The blackguard laughed. “Of course her lover would be aware of her situation. I’m a man of my word and I will give her the week, but the price has increased. Now you are going to pay me an extra ten thousand pounds to buy my silence at this shocking revelation. I have no doubt the gossip sheets would pay handsomely for this tasty morsel of information.”

“Why are you doing this?” Jude asked. “You would bring ruin upon this kind woman who did you no wrong?”

The man laughed. “She is of no matter to me. She just happens to be the one in possession of what I need. A fortune.”

Jude fought from raising his fist and knocking the man prone. It would serve no benefit to rectify the situation, but it would certainly make him feel better to see the pompous man lying on the floor.

“You may leave now.” Jude practically spat at the man.

“You have no authority here, my lord,” the viscount challenged. “She shouldn’t even own this townhouse. It should have been part of my inheritance. She should be grateful that I am not making her give me this house, too.” The man inspected his hands with a smug expression.

Juliana descended the stairs with all of the elegance and grace he loved about her. Not loved, liked a lot.

“But I do, and I ask you to leave my home,” she said, her voice surprisingly calm.

Jude stepped closer to the viscount. “Do not make the lady repeat herself. And do not return until the week is out.”

The man laughed and waved him off. “Calm down, my lord. I have no desire to come to fisticuffs with you. Not that it would change the outcome. I’ll be back, and I expect the extra ten thousand pounds to be ready for me.”

The odious man turned on his heel and departed the same way he entered, Drummond following him to escort him out. When Jude heard the door open and close, he shifted his attention to Juliana.

“I don’t want you to worry about this,” he said. “I have a runner on the case and we will make a plan very soon.”

She shook her head, and the defeated look on her beautiful visage made his throat go dry. “Jude, rumors about you in my bed are the least of my concerns if he should tell the whole of society about Edward.” Tears formed in the corners of her eyes, and she cast her eyes downward.

“I won’t let him harm you.”

The tears escaped and streamed down her cheeks. Even when she cried, she was the most beautiful woman. Unable to resist, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her against him. “Shhh, all will be well.” He was reminded how perfectly she fit in his arms.

She looked up at him, and the urge to kiss her returned, with her ruddy, wet cheeks and her plump, pink lips in a full pout. “Will you please come tonight?”

He stared at her lips and swallowed hard. Licking his own bottom lip, he shifted on his feet, almost willing himself not to hold from her any longer. Before he could throw all caution to the wind, he recalled their previous conversation and how she knew of his nightmares and perhaps some of what plagued him.

Jude shook his head and stepped back, releasing her. “Nothing has changed. This can’t be.”

He watched her shoulders sink and her eyes turn glassy. The coward he was, he turned from her and hurried out the exit towards the terrace before he could be tempted to change his mind.

He mentally chastised himself the entire walk through Juliana’s mews out and back to his own townhouse for allowing himself to fall asleep. Everything was ruined, and it was all his fault. Not only did Juliana surely pity him and the blackmail amount had increased, but there would also be no more late-night visits. Visits that had come to ease his turmoil, and time spent with the one person he had been the most true version of himself with.

Jude didn’t put on airs and act like the rakish Marquess when he was with her. He was just Jude. The realization came to him on that painful walk home, he hadn’t maintained his mask with her, and it was freeing. But letting his guard down revealed too much of himself, parts that he never wished for anyone to know.

Climbing the staircase to his chamber, he pushed aside the thoughts of how the loss of Juliana’s company pained him. Perhaps he would allow himself to ponder such a notion later, once the viscount had been dealt with.

When Jude reached his chamber, Carter was waiting for him there.

“There you are, my lord,” Carter said. “I was beginning to worry about you. It’s not like you to stay out all night.”

“It’s a long story that doesn’t have a great ending. What I would like most is a bath.”

Carter reached for the bell pull and coordinated a bath and a light repast. Jude had no appetite, but knew he should at least take a few bites while the water was brought in. If only to keep Carter from prying too much into where he was last night and the reason for his foul mood.

Laying back in the tub of warm water, which usually did wonders to ease the tension he carried, there was no change. He was angry even. He fisted his hands and his nostrils flared, thinking on how much his father was to blame for everything that was wrong in his life and for stealing his happiness and joy even in the man’s death.

He should be able to love Juliana. To marry her and give her children. To be the besotted fool for his wife and family. He didn’t know how to love, or how to let anyone in to love him. He wasn’t worthy of anyone’s love. And that tragedy laid at his father’s feet.