His eyes were like saucers when he met her gaze, his own filled with shock and dismay.
After a short moment of sputtering, he quickly spoke, his voice filled with unease, “Lady Bridget, I didn’t anticipate finding you here. I shall be out of your way.”
Bridget’s heart thumped in her chest as he began hurriedly walking in her direction and past her. Quick as lightning, she stepped in front of him, placing a hand up to stop him.
“Why are you leaving so hastily, Your Grace?”
Her voice quavered with a mix of the anger and hurt she felt. She raised heavy eyes up to him, yearning for an explanation. Now that she’d caught him here, she had to get an answer, her fiery spirit pushing her forward.
Abel, feigning ignorance, responded, “I fear I do not understand your question, Lady Bridget. I have earlier explained my departure. There are pressing matters that demand my attention.”
But Bridget’s glare intensified, her frustration boiling over. The intensity of her emotions surprised even herself, yet she couldn’t suppress her righteous anger. She demanded, “Do not play coy with me, Your Grace! I deserve the truth!”
She hesitated, and her heart raced as she looked into his eyes. With a fallen tone, her voice trembled as she asked, “Why did you kiss me?”
The air grew heavy with silence, tension enveloping the space between them. Finally, Abel broke the silence, his voice tinged with regret and filled with an apology.
“I apologize. I never should have done that.”
His admission echoed through the air, leaving her heart torn even further. She had somewhat expected him to present such an answer, yet she heavily hoped for another.
Her gaze softened, her emotions swirling within her. She wondered if perhaps he felt he’d taken advantage of her. She grabbed the thought as quickly as it came.
Of course, that could explain his hasty departure. Perhaps he believed she would not want to see him any longer after the liberties he had taken. He was merely being a gentleman.
Bridget’s heart thumped wildly in her chest. She wanted to tell him that instant. Her lips parted to explain that she had actually wanted the kiss, that she was, as a matter of fact, glad it happened. Now she had an understanding of her emotions better.
She was in love with him.
But before she could find the words, Abel’s voice cut through the air once more. “I pray you do not come to misunderstand me, Lady Bridget.” He paused and raised firm eyes back up to hers. “The kiss we shared should have never happened. I shall live with regret for my spontaneous action.”
He took a deep breath before he went on. “Perhaps I was intoxicated by the atmosphere. You are… the last woman I would wish to kiss.” He finished firmly, “It was a mistake.”
His words were like shards of glass that shattered Bridget’s heart into a thousand pieces. The surprise that initially filled her gaze quickly transformed into a deep and profound pain.
Her eyes searched his, cold and unfeeling. She refused to believe it could be true. The passion they had shared in that single kiss—there was no way it could be true.
She longed to understand his sudden change of heart, to delve deeper into his feelings. What could have gone wrong?
With a trembling voice, she mustered the strength to speak up once more. “Your Grace, please?—”
But the Duke cut her off in a curt and abrupt manner, delivering another painful statement.
“I apologize, Lady Bridget. Goodbye.”
Once again, he left her standing alone, her heart shattered and yearning for a closure she had slowly begun to believe she would never get.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
It had been two days since the wedding. Bridget locked herself away in her room, consumed by a profound sense of devastation.
The joyous atmosphere that once filled the house after Olivia and Elliot’s wedding seemed distant to her, as if love and happiness had been replaced by a cloud of gloom.
In the wake of the couple’s departure, Bridget’s heart ached even more. Not only had she lost her dear friend Olivia, but the Duke as well had vanished to only the heavens knew where.
Tormented by her own emotions, Bridget suffered from the belief that his sudden disappearance was a direct result of their shared kiss. She convinced herself that he had fled, unable to confront the consequences of their intimate moment.
Moreso, she convinced herself that it was all her fault. Perhaps if she had never pressed him with her questions, she would stillhave him around. She found it pathetic that she even had such thoughts, but she couldn’t fight them.
