Still chuckling, she leaned forward to brush his lips with her own before her eyes met his. They were full of mirth, love, and wonder. “Yes, Your Grace, I’d say it suits us rather well. And yes, nothing would make me happier than to be your duchess.”

A thumping noise from the next room had them leaping apart, giving Valentine no chance to celebrate her answer before the door crashed open and a wild-eyed Wentworth advanced on them, a gun in each hand—the ones Bronwyn had dropped when he’d barreled into her. A bruise had formed on his temple, and a thin trickle of blood meandered down his cheek and jaw.

Valentine let out a bitter curse—he should have found some rope. Leather was good in a pinch to restrain someone, but it loosened too quickly, and he hadn’t actually planned to take Bronwyn into this room and have his way with her. He grunted, putting his body in front of her and blocking her from view.

“She has nothing to do with this,” he said. “Let her go and we can sort through this like men.”

“She has everything to do with this! If it wasn’t for her running off in Philadelphia, none of this would be necessary,” Wentworth seethed, his eyes crazed. “This report. That stupid boy. No, no. I won’t go down like this and I won’t go to prison.” He shook his head as if to clear it, as if he couldn’t think.

Valentine felt a beat of real fear. The man was unhinged. People tended to get like that when they felt cornered. He held out his hands in a placating gesture. “What do you want? The list? I can get you the list. I can get rid of it. But you have to let her go.”

“I can just kill both of you.”

Valentine nodded, keeping his voice modulated. He could feel Bronwyn pushing against him, but at least she was smart enough to stay behind him for the moment. He had a pistol tucked into his boot, but with the way that Wentworth was flailing around with the guns, he didn’t want to take any chances. The best way, for now, until he could figure something out, was to keep the man talking. “You could, but then there would be two bodies and an investigation. You know how it is. Someone might have seen you or your man outside.”

“You always were smart, weren’t you? I told my brother to stay away, but he wouldn’t listen. His own arrogance cost him. But you, you, Thornbury, always a step ahead.” He scowled. “Even with her.”