She rolled her eyes and stepped around him again, but then groaned loudly as he blocked her path once more. “Is this a show of power for you? Will youpleasemove?” Her voice rose, her annoyance flaring.
“Are you so blind to the consequences of your actions?” Gabriel shot back with frustration. “Do you not see the potential harm, not just to yourself but to others as well? What about poor Eliza? Have you considered the impact on her if something were to happen to you?”
“You act as though it’s a certainty that some misfortune will befall me,” Evelina retorted, holding his gaze challengingly. “Are you suggesting that you’ve orchestrated an accident on my way home, hm?”
At this point, she was desperate to go home only for the sake of standing up to him. She couldn’t explain why but she couldn’t back down.Still, she felt tired from the day’s activities, so she was forced to change tack.
“Your Grace, I cannot stay here. You know what the ton would say about me—about us,” she sighed, her gaze falling to the ground.
Gabriel’s eyes remained fixed on her as he took a step closer, the air between them crackling with tension. “Miss Balfour, trust me. I would never put you in a compromising position. I will protect your reputation as if it were my own,” his voice was low, intensity underscoring his words as he sought to reassure her.
Evelina raised her eyes to his, her resolve wavering at his proximity. And she couldn’t tear her gaze away.. “There would be whispers—rumors will surely follow. A spinster spending the night in a widowed duke’s house?” she reasoned, a note of vulnerability creeping into her voice. She couldn’t stop thinking of the implications of this decision.
What if I am caught? What if I am ruined? What will happen to my sisters…
“I understand your concerns, but I promise you, I will not let any harm come to you. My servants are discreet, and I will ensure your safety.”
Evelina couldn’t explain why, but his voice was like a soothing balm to her soul. And she couldn’t say no to him.
As he stared into her eyes, a jolt of awareness shot through her. Her eyes flicked to the floor, her cheeks reddening as she recalled his actions the last time they were this close.
Desperate to have him stop staring at her with such intensity, she finally relented, a soft sigh escaping her lips.
“Very well, Your Grace. I will trust you.”
A flicker of something deeper underlined her words, a tentative step into the unknown as she allowed herself to be guided by his magnetism.
As the night deepened, Evelina found herself restlessly tossing and turning in the grand chamber the Duke had graciously assigned her.
Despite the luxury surrounding her, a tension lingered in the air, shrouding her thoughts in a veil of unease.
The plush bed, adorned with silk sheets and downy pillows, offered no solace as she lay awake, the weight of her absence from her family home weighing heavily on her heart.
Her mind wandered to her sisters, picturing them in the drawing room, unaware of her stay at the Duke’s mansion. She could almost hear their voices, filled with concern and confusion, wondering why she had not returned as expected.
The thought of their worry niggled at her, adding to her restlessness that plagued her through the night.
“Do you think the puppy would be all right all alone in the rain, Miss Balfour?”
Evelina sat up in her bed as Eliza’s words before they took off in the rain echoed in her mind. Without a second thought, she pulled back the covers and made for the door.
The flickering candles cast eerie shadows on the hallway. Her steps echoed softly as she made her way past the grand staircase and towards the looming darkness of the outdoors.
The air was heavy with the impending storm, the distant rumble of thunder an omen for her solitary journey.
As she pushed open the heavy wooden door, a gust of wind carried in the scent of rain and earth, making her hesitate.
The patter of raindrops on the cobblestones outside turned into a symphony as she braved the downpour, wrapping her shawl tightly around her shoulders in a feeble attempt to shield herself from the relentless deluge.
Her heart raced as she navigated the slippery paths, her senses on high alert in the darkness punctuated by flashes of lightning and deafening claps of thunder.
“There you are, Whiskers.”
Relief flooded her as she finally reached the secluded area where they had hidden the puppy. Its eyes were wide with fear, but its fur was miraculously dry.
A smile of reassurance tugged at her lips as she cooed to the trembling animal, and the night momentarily seemed less scary in the presence of the small, grateful creature.
However, just as a sense of calm settled over her, a sudden chill ran down her spine as she heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps behind her.
