“After our parents died, I became Marcus’ responsibility, and he did not exactly like that at all. He hated having to think of me in every plan he made, so when he told me he was marrying me off, I thought it was his way of getting rid of me. He was not exactly pleasant to live with, so I did not fully reject the idea. I should have known something was wrong when he was insistent on this marriage working.”
He ground his teeth together, his eyes shifting to her hands and the way they trembled in her lap.
“And I went along with it,” she whispered. “Because I felt trapped. Because I thought I had no choice.”
Tears filled her eyes. She brushed them away with the back of her hand, but they kept coming. “I should have told you from the beginning. I should have told you the truth on the day we married, I know that now. I could say I was afraid that you would hate me or that you would look at me and see nothing but a pawn, but I have no excuse.”
Still, Tristan did not speak. His silence pressed down like a weight.
Eliza’s voice broke. “And I could not bear that. Not now. Because—” She stopped, her breath catching. Then she forced the words out. “Because I love you.”
Her shoulders shook with sobs. “I love you, Tristan. I did not plan it. I did not want it. But it is true. I love you. And it terrifies me.”
Her words tumbled faster. “I am sorry. Sorry I kept this. Sorry for the lies. Sorry for everything. If this ruins our marriage, then so be it. But I could not carry it anymore.” She looked at him through her tears. “Please. Say something.”
Tristan leaned forward, and without a word, he kissed her.
Eliza gasped against his mouth, startled, her sob cut short. His hand rose to her cheek, brushing away the wetness there.The kiss was steady and patient. It was deliberate, like it was Tristan’s way of responding to her.
She froze at first, then melted into him. Her hand slid to his jaw, her fingers trembling as they touched his skin.
He pulled back, resting his forehead lightly against hers. The quiet stretched on. It was less a silence of mistrust, rather than the heaviness of a shared burden. It was simple. He believed her.
From what he had seen of her in the past few days, Eliza wouldn’t deliberately try to involve herself in a scheme like that. He said nothing about it, though. Instead, he let the silence continue to do its work between the two of them.
They sat close, their breaths uneven. Eliza turned slightly, and her hand brushed against his. She did not move it away. He did not either. Her gaze lifted to his face. His features were lined with fatigue, yet beneath, it she saw something she had not before.
Trust.
She lowered her head onto his shoulder, and Tristan stiffened at the sudden gesture, but then he let it be. Her hair brushed against his jaw, light and soft. They remained that way for the next few moments, almost like a pair that had discovered the next step in their relationship.
Eliza’s tears slowed. Her breathing steadied against him. He sat still, listening to the faint rhythm, feeling the weight of her leaning there.
At last, she spoke in a low murmur. “I thought you would despise me.”
“I do not,” Tristan said simply.
She lifted her head, eyes wide. “You do not?”
“No.” His voice was calm. “I have my feelings against Mr. Harwood, but not you.”
Eliza’s lips parted as if to speak again, but no words came. She dropped her gaze, blinking quickly as another tear slid down.
“Do not hide from me again,” Tristan said. His tone was even, but it carried a quiet command. “If there is truth I should know, speak it. I would rather hear the truth from you than from anyone else.”
Eliza’s chest rose and fell. She gave a small nod. “I promise.”
Tristan’s hand shifted, covering hers. The gesture surprised him as much as it did her. His thumb brushed once against her knuckles.
She looked up at him, eyes shining. “Thank you,” she whispered.
He did not answer, but the way he held her hand said enough. Minutes passed, and neither of them pulled away. The silence between them had stretched long enough. Tristan broke it first.
“We must talk about your brother.”
The words seemed to hang in the air. Tristan felt Eliza’s shoulders grow stiff, though her gaze stayed steady. “We must?”
“Yes. That was why I came here in the first place,” Tristan responded.
