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Every Lady Wanted the Duke — But He Chose the Chubby Girl Who Didn’t Even Notice Him

Every Lady Wanted the Duke — But He Chose the Chubby Girl Who Didn’t Even Notice Him

Chapter 13

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The list revealed only part of the theft: someone outside the house had been purchasing coal under Lucien's authority and selling it to factories in London. The profits vanished through a company called Northmere Fuel. Its director was Lucien's cousin, Silas Ashcombe.Silas had been invited to dinner. He arrived late, elegant, and offended by the wooden spoons.Silas looked around the table. "I see the house has suffered a decline."Mabel smiled. "The fish survived."Silas looked at Lucien. "You have married a woman with a sense of humor."Lucien kept his expression blank. "It was not listed in the contract."Silas raised an eyebrow. "Nor was incompetence."Lucien met his gaze. "Then you have nothing to fear."Mabel saw the exchange. She understood something important: Lucien did not like Silas; Lucien had spent years treating dislike as a private inconvenience rather than a warning.Silas lifted his glass. "The trustees will not approve a marriage arranged for convenience."Mabel set down her fork. "They have already approved the dinner."Silas smiled thinly. "A dinner is not a marriage."Mabel shrugged. "No. A dinner has fewer relatives."Lady Theodora laughed; Silas did not.Later, on the terrace, Lucien found Mabel watching the dark fields beyond the garden. Lucien stepped beside her. "You embarrassed him."Mabel kept her eyes on the fields. "He arrived pre-embarrassed."Lucien turned toward her. "Silas is dangerous."Mabel nodded. "So you have said."Lucien studied her. "You should not provoke him."Mabel looked at him. "You should not invite a suspected thief to dinner and expect him to behave like a guest."Lucien leaned against the stone balustrade. "I invited him because I wanted to observe him."Mabel raised an eyebrow. "You observed his cufflinks."Lucien glanced at the house. "They were distinctive."Mabel tilted her head. "They were ugly."Lucien looked back at her. "They carried the Northmere mark."Mabel turned toward him. "You knew?"Lucien kept his voice low. "I suspected."Mabel folded her arms. "And you still let me serve him?"Lucien met her gaze. "I knew you would not be intimidated."Mabel narrowed her eyes. "That is not the same as keeping me safe."Lucien straightened. "I was there."
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Every Lady Wanted the Duke — But He Chose the Chubby Girl Who Didn’t Even Notice Him

29 Part