Destined For A Duke (Completed)

Chapter 6

The next morning Gabrielle felt tired and her headache was not improving her mood. She wanted to choke his Grace for keeping her up all night. Ella kept on making excuses for his being so cold and negtive. Max was a puzzle that she desperately wanted to solve. She could not explain why she was obsessed with trying to uncover his secrets. She was not the kind of person to poke her nose in someone else's life but her curiosity was turning into an insect bite. She had to scratch herself to feel relief from the itch.

While her maid was busy dressing her distracted mistress, another maid entered to announce that she was summoned by the Earl to his study. Ella thought that maybe Lord William wanted to talk about her season. She was glad she agreed. She could spend more time with Max that way and find out more about him. London ballrooms will be fun with him by her side. As she entered the study she was surprised to see that everyone was already there except George. When everyone settled down, Lord William started speaking.

"I have decided to marry Lady Georgiana, I have fallen in love with her. I need your help to make this proposal possible and maybe make sure that she says yes to me." William ran his eyes over the stunned assembly before him. Gabrielle knew her mouth was open in an unattractive manner but she was surprised. She was right!

"Ohhhhh! I knew it, I knew it! You idiot! Now look what you did!" Gabrielle recovered, only to glare at Max with a passion.

"What did he do?" Will asked confused.

"I did nothing wrong, I did what I thought was right at the time. Why couldn't you declare your intentions towards George earlier?" Max answered rather annoyed. Ella wanted to kill the infuriating man. Instead of accepting his mistake and apologizing, he was acting annoyed. She started to answer right back when she was interrupted by Lord William.

"You!" William said pointing at Emma, "What are they talking about?" He pointed at Gabrielle and Max, who were still glaring at each other. They stopped when they heard what William said and started protesting. William looked thunderous and stopped all arguments with just a hand gesture.

"George came to us on the morning after the dinner party and said she needed help, she wanted to know if you loved her." Emma gulped at the blossoming hope on William's face, she didn't want to break her brother's heart. She looked at Brandon, then Gabrielle and Max for assistance but no one came to her rescue.

"Max was hungover and said that you will never marry, just like him and that you don't love her. He kept on teasing you through out dinner, until you made a fool of yourself by trying to reassure Gabrielle." Emma hurriedly finished, before she lost her nerve.

"You are an absolute idiot your Grace, I tried to help you but you kept on speaking, like a stupid man. You are to blame for your current state, if I may say so." Gabrielle said passionately. She knew that he might take offense but she wanted him to know how she felt. Men were such idiots.

"Are you defending me my love?" Max said with a smirk that Gabrielle wanted to punch him. How dare he?

"I am not, do not use my words against me." Gabrielle furiously shot back, "I am just pointing out his stupidity."

Max opened his mouth to reply but was stopped by a punch landing on his face. Lady Emma and Gabrielle stepped away from the brawling man, shrieking. Ella wanted to intervene but the two man were fighting like savages. She could feel the raw energy with which the two were hitting each other. She was aware of Brandon jumping between them to separate them and being punched repeatedly. One such punch knocked him out. William had firm hold of Max's shirt and was constantly hitting the same spot on his shoulder. Max tore his shirt to get away from Will. Ella could have swooned, the muscular physique was mouth watering. He raised his arm, his muscles rippling. Max was ready to hit back when a loud hunter's whistle captured their attention.

Ironically, it was composed Lady Delton who whistled. She looked like only a mother can, when angry and disappointed in her children. Under her glare William and Max straightened and looked contrite.

"You are no longer boys, you two are grown men. It was okay for you to fight in school because you were immature, hot headed young men but now it's different. You are grown men, who should discuss how to resolve their differences instead of getting in a fight. The two of you are old enough to be fathers......"

"I will be a father after I marry, Max is making that very hard." William pouted like a small child who had been denied the chance to eat sweets, successfully cutting off his mother's rant.

Lady Delton stared at her only son in silence and realized that her son meant what he said. Thinking of how her house will be full of children once William marries, she forcefully said

"Come on ladies! Leave them alone to figure out their problems. They will need their privacy." Dragging the three girls and ordering the butler to relocate unconscious Brandon, she left for the parlor.

Ella was conflicted. She wanted to follow her hostess but she wanted to memorize Max's shirtless form as well. It looked as if George was going through a similar dilemma. Gabrielle's curiosity was piked, who was George looking at. An unfamiliar, blood red emotion engulfed her being, it was almost as if she was jealous. Were the two man fighting for her? Was Max in love with her too? It seemed that george only had eyes for the Earl. It calmed Ella to know that atleast George did not return his affections. When George turned to follow Lady Delton, Ella reluctantly followed her lead.

Meanwhile in the study, William's temper had cooled down somewhat. He helped Max carry Brandon while silently thinking of a solution.

"Are you really in love? Or are you infatuated?" Max asked quietly

"I am in love with her Max, I want her by my side as my partner. I think I am old enough to know that it's not infatuation." William's voice rang with sincerity. Max wanted to pretend that his friend was only infatuated but he couldn't. He loved William and George both, he wanted them to be hapoy. Maybe he will be the only one without a wife in his circle of friends.

"You were supposed to be the one whom I could count on, you were not supposed to fall in love. This idiot gave his heart to your sister the first time he saw her but I had hopes for us." Max said bitterly.

"You will always have me dear friend and I will give you the chance to be my children's godfather despite all you have done. I hope that someday you will find a girl who will love you for who you are, I hope you will be happy like me. You deserve happiness." William smiled at his friend, he wanted to show Max that it could happen.

"You sappy lovesick fool, I am hopeless and damaged. I am happy for you, don't make me change my mind. Now tell me, what do you want me to do?" Max smiled because he had a feeling that this will be his cup of tea. He wanted to change the topic of their discussion and was glad when William's eyes glazed over.

"I don't know." William replied with a groan.

I read the monarch and the change in werewolf catagory. They are by steamyhot. Go and check them out, I promise you will love them. Let me know if you loved them as much as I did :P