The Duke’s Defiant Angel by Moxie Bella

Author:Moxie, Bella
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2022-03-31T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Evangeline toyed with the embroidery on her blanket as she stared up at her bedroom ceiling.

Raff had been true to his word. That first night she’d waited for him to return to her bedroom, tossing and turning, certain he would come back to claim what was his.

But he hadn’t.

And it was becoming abundantly clear that he would honor his word. He would wait for her to come to him. To beg him.

She scowled at the ceiling. Impossible man.

And yet…

There was that sensation again, coiling in her belly and refusing to let her sleep. It was restlessness, yes, as she couldn’t quite settle. But it was more than that. It was heavy and nagging and…

Guilt.

It was guilt. She flipped onto her side and squeezed her eyes shut, but that did no good. If anything, it made this twisting, slithering sensation worsen because all she could see was the look on Raff’s face this evening when she’d asked about her future.

He’d shut down. That was the only way she could think to describe it.

He’d shut her out.

For a little while, dining with him had almost been…cozy. Talking to him had been surprisingly easy. He’d worn a smile, yes, but it hadn’t been taunting. It hadn’t been patronizing either. He’d listened to her with what seemed to be genuine interest. His gaze had fixed on her, and he’d… Well, he’d listened.

Listening oughtn’t be such an enormous act, but in her experience, listening was not a common occurrence. She was a young lady. Her role was to be seen, not heard. How often had she been told that as a child?

Her father had no patience for her talking, and not even her mother had taken much interest in her hobbies or pastimes. And so, she’d learned to keep her mouth shut. But for a little while at dinner, she’d felt as though he’d actually wanted her to speak. And in turn, he’d been…different.

Not necessarily open. But not nearly so aloof as she’d expected. She’d gotten a glimpse past his walls. And she realized…that was what it was. His mockery, his laughter. His smug arrogance. It was a defense. All part of the ducal facade one might expect.

At least, she thought perhaps it might be.

She flopped onto her other side and plumped her pillow with a bit too much force.

Oh drat. She wasn’t used to being plagued by guilt, and she did not care for it. She tried to steer her thoughts to her day in town. A day spent watching townsfolk and shopkeepers stare, whispers following in her wake.

From what she could gather, the Duke of Raffian was not exactly beloved by the people. The amount of awe and reverence that followed in her wake made her feel quite set apart.

Was that how Raff felt? She did not think he was lying when he’d said he was typically surrounded by sycophants.

And when she’d joined him for dinner, there was a moment when he’d looked so lonely.

She flopped onto her back once more.

Loneliness. That was the emotion she’d seen when she’d joined him at dinner.

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