A Scandal By Any Other Name

Present Day...

Delaney scoffed softly, a quiet, bitter sound escaping her lips. The pieces of the puzzle fell together with terrifying speed.

"So that was why Aunt Eunice was quiet and well-behaved," Delaney thought to herself, her mind racing. "She had not learned her lesson. She had not been humbled by Uncle Cole locking her in her room. She had already called for reinforcement and was silently waiting."

Eunice had known she could not fight Delaney alone, not with Cole suddenly protecting his niece for the sake of Lord Hawksley’s money. So, Eunice had written a secret letter. She had summoned the true monster of the family back to the country estate.

Lucas stood in front of Delaney. He did not rush forward. He moved with the slow, deliberate grace of a predator who knew his prey was entirely trapped in the room. He stepped off the bottom stair and walked slowly across the polished marble floor. His dark leather boots made a sharp, echoing click with every step.

He stopped just a few feet away from her. He looked at her dark blue woolen dress, and then his eyes flicked to the large wooden bandbox resting on the side table.

"Is this how to welcome your beloved cousin whom you haven’t seen in three long years?" Lucas asked.

His voice was smooth, polished, and incredibly mocking. He placed his right hand over his heart in a gesture of fake, wounded pride.

"Not even a hug? Not even a smile?" Lucas continued, shaking his head slowly. He dropped his hand. "That is very rude of you, Delaney. Especially after I traveled all this way just to see your lovely face."

Delaney did not react to his teasing. She knew exactly how he operated. When they were children, he would pretend to be kind just to watch her smile, and then he would crush her happiness for sport. He fed on emotional reactions. He loved to see her fear, anger, or sadness.

Delaney decided to give him absolutely nothing. She kept her face completely blank. She acted as if he were nothing more than a boring piece of furniture in the room.

She slowly finished pulling her left glove off. She set it neatly on top of the wooden bandbox.

"Where is Uncle Cole?" Delaney asked calmly, looking directly into his dark, empty eyes.

Lucas let out a short, dry laugh. He casually put both of his hands into the deep pockets of his tailored trousers. He rocked back slightly on his heels, looking incredibly relaxed.

"Father was summoned by the House of Lords this afternoon," Lucas replied smoothly.

Delaney blinked, maintaining her careful mask of ignorance. Cole had told her about Lord Hawksley being summoned, but she never imagined his own summon would be so soon.

Lucas watched her face closely, his sharp, cruel mind analyzing her every tiny movement.

"Yes," He said, his smirk widening into a true, dark smile. "A special group of Crown Guards arrived at the estate while you were out enjoying your little shopping trip in town. They handed him a formal letter. Mother went with them. A trial will be held tomorrow morning in London. He will not be coming home."

The news was incredible. Rowan and Carcel had moved even faster than she had hoped. The Crown Guards had already arrested Cole. The house was now entirely free of her uncle’s greedy presence. But the victory felt hollow with Lucas standing right in front of her.

Lucas took one slow step closer. He pulled one hand out of his pocket and tapped his finger against his chin, pretending to think deeply.

"He has been caught," Lucas said, his voice dropping into a low, dangerous whisper. "And I am completely sure it has something to do with you."

Delaney remained neutral. She did not flinch. She did not widen her eyes in shock. She stood perfectly straight, holding her velvet reticule tightly against her side.

She would not allow Lucas to feed on her emotions. She stared back at him with cold, dead hazel eyes.

When Lucas saw that she was still completely silent, a brief flash of deep annoyance crossed his face. He hated her strength. He hated that she was no longer the terrified, mute little girl he could easily bully.

He continued to speak, trying to provoke a reaction.

"You have always been such terrible bad luck," Lucas said, shaking his head in mock pity. "A dark cloud follows you everywhere, Delaney. Your parents died. You ruined the peace of this house. And now, my father is dragged away like a common criminal."

He took another step, pacing slowly around her in a half-circle, like a wolf circling a cornered deer.

"When I received my mother’s frantic letter two days ago," Lucas mused aloud, looking at the ceiling, "I wondered how my father would allow himself to be so easily manipulated by you. Mother wrote that he was actually protecting you. That he struck her across the face simply because she scolded you. My father is a weak, foolish man, but I never thought he was stupid enough to fall for your innocent, quiet tricks."

Delaney turned her head slowly, keeping her eyes locked on him as he paced.

"I thought you were out voyaging on the continent," Delaney replied. Her voice was steady and completely devoid of fear. "What are you doing here?"

Lucas stopped pacing. He stood right beside the large wooden bandbox that held her altered wedding dress. He reached out and traced the pink ribbon with his long finger.

"I came back early," Lucas smirked, his dark eyes meeting hers. "I simply cannot miss my dear cousin’s wedding. It is the social event of the season, after all. Since my father is currently locked in a cold iron cell and cannot do his duty, I will take his place. I will personally escort you there tomorrow."

Delaney’s mind worked quickly. She knew Lucas did not care about family duty. He did not care about her wedding. He cared about power, control, and hurting people. But most of all, he cared about himself.

"Why are you doing this?" Delaney asked flatly. "You hate me. You have always hated me."