Page 45 of The Duke and His Jilted Bride

He closed his mouth and nodded. She might have cried if he didn’t look so ashamed of himself. It wasn’t her, she told herself. It was something different that made him stay away from her. She wanted to find out what and stepped forward to ask him.

He took her hand and held it, shaking his head. “I can’t explain it to you.”

“You don’t need to. We can just…” She moved toward him again, taking her free hand and wrapping it into his shirt. “We don’t have to talk.”

He nodded, but his face contorted. He looked like he was going to cry. Her heart panged. She could kiss him, she thought, and make it all right again. Her lips were inches from his when the door behind them suddenly opened.

Evander stepped away first, wiping his mouth. Aurelia almost fell back into her chair in alarm, steadying herself as Mrs. Foulger lingered at the door.

“Your Grace…” she said, looking more serious than Aurelia had ever seen her. Her hair was less tidy than usual. She must have been preparing for bed when… When what? “Your Grace, there is a caller.”

“At this time?” Aurelia said for him, composing herself.

“Who?” Evander asked.

Mrs. Foulger paused, playing with her chatelaine. The hands ticked on her watch. “Lord Canterbury and Lady Seraphina have arrived, Your Grace. They are waiting for you in the entrance hall.”

Sixteen

Aurelia walked slowly behind Evander as he marched toward the entrance hall, whispering something to Mrs. Foulger. She pressed a hand to her stomach, trying to suppress her rising nausea. Maybe Mrs. Foulger had been wrong, she thought. Or maybe this was all a nightmare and she would wake up any moment.

Evander looked briefly over his shoulder at her, expressionless. He slowed his pace just enough for her to catch up to him. And when she did, he offered her his arm and she took it.

The entrance hall of Carrstone was not a small room, but it felt small tonight. There were three figures by the door. Frederick was speaking to a man, in his travelling coat, hat in hand. He looked older than Aurelia remembered him. But maybe it was just the darkness. Lady Seraphina stood slightly apart from him. She was composed, visibly tired from the journey, shadows under her eyes as she looked around. Two trunks waited by the door. Nike was already investigating one of them, and a maid came down the stairs quickly to redirect her with no success.

Aurelia had come through with Evander and stopped just inside the doorway. The kiss was still on her mouth. Frederick was ten feet away. She kept her face still, pressing her lips together so hard they started to hurt. There was a rush of feeling – surprise and shame, anger at seeing him and knowing he had been lying to her for months. But more than anything, fear.

Frederick looked between them as they entered. His eyes went from Evander to her and back like he didn’t understand what he was seeing.

“What… What’s going on?” he asked. His voice was almost painful to her ears. Smooth in a different way than Evander’s. It made her want to run away. “What are you doing here, Miss Knowles?”

“Miss Knowles?” Lady Seraphina said, stepping forward. “That’s you, Miss Knowles?”

Evander moved slightly forward, positioning himself between them and Aurelia. “Evidently you've had a long journey,” he said, not even bothering with a greeting. “We should not speak now.”

“What is going on?” Frederick said again, stressing every syllable while looking at Aurelia. “Are you… Did he…” He stopped, looked at his brother. “You married her.”

“I did,” Evander confirmed.

Frederick stared at them. Seraphina made a shocked and unladylike sound, stepping forward. She was as pretty as Aurelia remembered her. Dark hair and red lips. Round brown eyes. She was the envy of every young woman in London. And now she was here, looking at Aurelia like she wanted to rip the head off her shoulders, though that made no sense.

“When did this happen? We never even heard… We had no idea,” Frederick said.

“I could say the same for you,” Evander pointed out, finally releasing Aurelia. “It happened after you left, by special license. And then we came here.”

Frederick looked at the floor. His jaw worked. The maid had given up on Nike and was standing by the wall with the man who had entered with Frederick and Lady Seraphina – likely their driver. Nike had moved on from the trunks and came to stand by Aurelia. Titan was nowhere to be seen. The dog growled slightly, and Aurelia kneeled down to calm her.

“All right,” Frederick said quietly and quickly. “All right. But…” He looked at Aurelia again, and the expression shifted into something trying to be apologetic. “Did you want this? He didn’t force you, did he?”

“No, not in the slightest,” Aurelia said.

Evander looked at her in thanks, his eyes softening. “She agreed to it. That you would accuse me of forcing her into something… You know me better than that. But perhaps I did not know you.” He looked at Lady Seraphina, and Aurelia couldn’t help but watch the interaction carefully. “The two of you are settled?”

“Settled?” Frederick guffawed. “Settled in the way that you are settled, yes.” Frederick's face creased. “I didn't think you would⁠—”

“No,” Evander cut in. “I doubt you have been thinking much at all.”

The silence after that was deafening. Nike removed herself and went back up the stairs. Aurelia felt suddenly defenseless. She could feel Lady Seraphina watching her like she was the intruder and not the other way around.