The Duke and I (Bridgertons, #1)

by Julia Quinn

“Anthony, I swear if you hit him again, I shall not forgive you.”

“The next one,” he spit, “is for betraying o...

“This is ridiculous! Can we not all discuss this like adults?”

Simon! Look at your eye!” She hurried to him, reaching up to his eye, which was already swelling shut.

He ached for her still, although this time not with desire. She felt so good next to him, good and honorable and pure.

And he was about to do the most dishonorable thing he’d ever done in his life.

demanded that Simon marry his sister, Simon was going to say no.

Why was she surprised? Surely she understood the consequences of, if not their actions, their stupidity in getting caught?

“I won’t force him,” Daphne said. “I will,” Anthony bit out.

“By tomorrow I’ll be on the ...

“You’re leaving?” Daphne asked. The stricken sound of her voice sliced a guilty kni...

“If I stay, you’ll forever be tainted by my presence. It’s...

“I can’t marry you, Daff.” “Can’t or won’t?” Anthony demanded. “Both.”

Simon Basset, will not marry Daphne Bridgerton. Even after they just got caught kissing, in the garden by her brother.

Anthony punched him again.

chin. But he deserved every sting, every shot of pain. He didn’t want to look at Daphne, didn’t want to catch even the ...

he could see out of only one eye, but she’d come to his aid, even after he’d rejected her, and he owed her that much. “I’m so sorry.”

“I’ll see you at dawn.”

“If it c-could be anybody, Daff, it would be you. I p-promise you that.”

By this time tomorrow he’d be dead, because he sure as hell wasn’t going to raise a pistol at Anthony,

Anthony wants Simon to marry Daphne now. He saw them kissing. You are supposed to court then get married. Simon doesn't want to marry. Its either marriage or a duel now. If anyone found out about this, it could ruin her reputation, and to find a husband.

he would be getting what he’d always wanted out of life. He’d have his final revenge against his father.

Simon doesn't want to marry of have children, if Simon died. His name "Hastings " would not continue.

Not with his best friend’s eyes burning with hatred. Not on a deserted field at dawn.

Not with dishonor.

“He’s going to kill you! He’s going to meet you on some godforsaken field tomorrow and shoot you dead. And you’re acting like you want him to.”

“B-but I can’t marry you.”

The look of pain and rejection in her eyes was almost impossible to bear.

“I-I’ve always known that I wasn’t the sort of woman men dream of, but I never thought anyone would prefer death to marriage with me.”

the man who had broken her heart and possibly damaged her reputation for eternity.

“I’ve made vows, Anthony. I can’t marry her. I can’t fix this.

Daphne. She wouldn’t understand. Or worse, she would, and then all he’d have was her pity.

“It—it isn’t you. If it could be anyone it would be you. But marriage to me would destroy you. I could never give you what you want. You’d die a little every day, and it would kill me to watch.”

And Simon just stood there, battered and bloodied, until they disappeared into the night.

Colin Bridgerton dance with all three of the Featherington sisters

Nigel Berbrooke was seen courting a woman who was not Miss Daphne Bridgerton—perhaps

Benedict Bridgerton informed the curious that she had the headache, but This Author spied her earlier in the evening, while she was talking to the elderly Duke of Middlethorpe, and she appeared to be in perfect health.

Her mind was spinning in a dozen different directions, but one thing was clear.

She had to stop this duel.

Daphne has to stop this duel between Anthony and Simon. Anthony will kill Simon, if she doesn't. It was either a duel or marriage to Daphne.

For one thing, men tended to be mulish idiots when it came to things like honor and duels,

she didn’t even know where the duel was to take place. The men hadn’t discussed that out in Lady Trowbridge’s garden. Daphne

assumed that Anthony would send word to Simon by a servant. Or maybe Simon got to choose the location since he wa...

there had to be some sort of etiquette sur...

As far as she knew, Benedict, Colin, and her mother were all still at Lady Trowbridge’s house.

If the scene with Simon had been witnessed, surely the gossip would have raged across the ballroom in seconds, causing her mother to rush home in disgrace.

Daphne would make it through the night with only her dress in shreds—and not her reputation.

But concern for her good name was the least of her worries.

There was no way she’d be able to stop this duel on her own. Only an idiot would ride through London in the wee hours of the morning and try to reason with two belligerent men by herself.

Benedict, she feared, would immediately take Anthony’s side ...

she’d be surprised if Benedict didn’t act as A...

Simon deserved to be shot at dawn,

And the duel had to be stopped.

but he was clearly anguished about something, probably something having to do with his father. It had long been obvious to her that...