Not the Duke You Marry by Jess Michaels

Author:Jess Michaels
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Passionate Pen

CHAPTER 11

Bernadette stared out the window at the gently falling snow and tried desperately to listen to Flora as she talked about a book they’d both been reading. She wanted to be attentive and open to her friend, but her mind was spinning.

She and Theo had been coming together for passionate assignations at his city estate for five days. Every night was wonderful, every touch was powerful.

And every time it was over, she gathered her things and left him, just as they had agreed. She was too afraid to ask to violate their rule and stay, even though some nights leaving that warm bed and his warmer arms was almost impossible. He never crossed that line either. But she tried to comfort herself that she was having the wild and wonderful affair of her fantasies and that was definitely enough.

At least that was what she told herself when she was alone and thinking of him and trying not to allow herself to go into thoughts of their friendship, of how well matched they seemed to be in other ways outside his bed.

“Bernadette?”

She jolted as she remembered herself. She’d come to Flora and Roarke’s home for tea with her friend after so many days of being “too busy”. Of course, Flora had been equally entangled.

“My apologies,” Bernadette said with a laugh. “I was clearly woolgathering.”

“I would say you were,” Flora replied. “I said your name three times before you jolted out of that dreamy state.”

“You should be one to talk about dreamy, Mrs. Desmond,” Bernadette said playfully. “If your husband so much as passes a door, you start batting your eyelashes and sighing like you’re a heroine in some book.”

Flora’s cheeks pinkened and she ducked her head with a secret little smile. “Fine, I admit I am still distracted by Roarke and act a little like a romantic fool. So that’s my excuse. What is yours, Bernadette?”

The question took Bernadette off guard, though perhaps it shouldn’t have. She already knew her friends had suspicions about her friendship with Theo. They had suspicions about her odd behavior since even before Valaria and Cullen’s wedding. And she’d kept the truth from them because speaking it out loud, especially the parts about Theo, felt…dangerous.

“If you think I’m dreamy, you’re just seeing yourself through my eyes,” Bernadette lied. “I think I’ll get some more tea.”

As she started to get up, Flora caught her hand, keeping her where she sat. She held Bernadette’s stare for a moment. “Do you not trust me?”

Bernadette swallowed. “Of course I trust you. You are my best friend, both you and Valaria. And you and I have known each other even longer. I trust you.”

“I can tell something is going on. Both Valaria and I can see it—your face is too open to easily lie. And I don’t want to pry, I truly don’t. If you tell me to sod off, I will and I won’t bother you about whatever is happening. But perhaps I could help.”

Bernadette was shocked by the tears that leapt to her eyes at those words.

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