4. The Good, the Bad, and the Duke by Janna Macgregor

Author:Janna Macgregor [Macgregor, Janna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-11-27T08:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

Making a solemn pledge, Paul crossed his heart with two fingers. He peered down at Daphne and wiped away the remnants of her tears with his thumbs. Her expression froze in shock. “It hurts, Daphne. I know it does.”

“You know?” Her voice trembled. When she stepped out of his reach, he reluctantly let her go. She rubbed her forehead with her hand. “How?”

“Your brother.” How to tell her without causing her more pain? “Alex was lost in grief one day and let the secret slip.”

She heaved the heaviest sigh he’d ever heard coming from such a small body. “The day he challenged you to a duel?”

He nodded once. “That was one of the blackest days I’d ever experienced. I allowed Pembrooke to believe I was at fault. It was stupid on my part, but at the time, I thought I was helping by taking the blame. Thankfully, he didn’t see it to fruition.”

With a huff, she blew a loose curl out of her face. “No, it was stupid on Alice’s part. She fell in love with a boy who worked at the stable in the village. He’d come to Pemhill looking for extra work.” She bit her lip, then locked her gaze with his. “There’s no use keeping her secrets hidden. She became pregnant by him.”

“Daph, I know,” he said.

“I suppose you figured it out when she snuck into your room that night and crawled into your bed.” A brilliant blush blossomed in her cheeks. “I was so angry with her over that trick.”

“Shush.” He took her hand in his. “I was quite foxed that night. When I woke in the early morning hours, she was staring at me. She told me about the baby and how desperate she was.” With his finger, he tipped her face to his. “I told her I’d marry her, but we had to tell Alex the truth. She said she couldn’t face him or your mother with the news.”

“I’m sorry she tried to force you into marriage.” She squeezed his hand with hers. “She never shared with me that you actually offered. That was gallant.”

“No one has ever called me gallant.” He entwined their fingers together, hoping to give her strength—letting her know she wasn’t alone to bear the grief by herself. “I could become accustomed to you calling me that.”

Finally, she smiled, but her expression turned solemn again. “I find myself so angry with her. All the time. She hurt so many people.”

“Shall we continue this sitting down?” he asked. She nodded, and he took her hand and led her to the sofa.

When he took the seat beside Daphne, she looked so forlorn that all he wanted was the power to take all of her grief and claim it for his own. Her normal brightness had dimmed, and he knew in that moment that there was nothing in this world he wouldn’t do to ease her pain. “I find that I’ve an overwhelming need to hold you, Daphne Hallworth. Will you allow that?”

She nodded.

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