Page 10 of A Raven Revived

“About three years.”

“Are you happy here?”

She nodded, sitting up a little straighter. “I am. I enjoy the work, I’m surrounded by people who care for me, and I’m well protected here.”

He chuckled softly. “I am familiar with just how well protected you are.” His eyes glowed with approval as they met hers. “I’m glad for it. You deserve to be happy, Daisy.” He took another sip of tea before placing the dish on the side table.

“What about you? How did you end up here, wanting to invest in a gaming hell?”

“I just sort of stumbled across it, really, and fell in love with the place. I had no idea I’d stumble across you too.”

“I’m sorry for the way I reacted when I saw you. I didn’t really think I’d ever see that part of my life again, and I suppose I panicked.”

“No need to apologize. I was the one who chased you down after all. Although, I’m not sure you’re as quick as you used to be.” He winked.

It felt so good to laugh with him. “Luckily, I haven’t had a lot of cause for running.”

“I won’t tell your family you’re here. You needn’t worry about that.”

She let out a grateful sigh. “Thank you.”

“Why did you leave, Daisy?”

It was so obvious, how could he not know the answer? “I didn’t wish to spend the rest of my life with your brother,” she said with a shrug.

“Was there another?”

She nearly choked at the insinuation. Indignation burned in her belly as she placed her own dish on the table.

“How dare you?”

“I didn’t mean?—”

“I know what you meant. There must have been someone else for a girl like me to walk away from marrying the heir to a powerful earldom.” She got to her feet, looking down at him. “Why didyouleave, Fitz? After everything that we— you just left. Didyouhave another?”

“No, of course I didn’t. I just— I couldn’t bear seeing you with him.” Without warning, he stood and pressed his lips against hers. For a brief moment, she gloried in the feel of his kiss. But then she remembered that it meant nothing. That he would still abandon her. She pulled back and slapped her palm against his cheek before she strode from the room, the sting of what she'd done burning her hand. The sting of his words burning her heart.

* * *

Perhaps he deserved that.

With a long sigh, he sat back down on the sofa, dropping his head and digging his fingers into his hair. The pain in his cheek was nothing compared to what was happening inside of him.

He’d always adamantly defended her when others had speculated that she must have had a lover, so why had he even said it?

Probably to try and make himself feel better. If he’d known she was so fervently opposed to marrying his brother, he could have saved her from that. They could have run away together.

She could have been his.

Instead, he’d been a bloody coward. He’d just assumed she’d prefer his brother. What value was a third son if you could marry the heir, after all? He couldn’t bear the pain of seeing them together, of celebrating their happy nuptials. So he’d abandoned her. Left her to deal with everything all on her own.

“Bollocks!” He pushed to his feet and turned to leave, but Ash was blocking the doorway.

“I don’t need whatever this is.” He waved his hand toward Ash.

He simply raised a brow. “She didn’t look very happy when she left this room.”

Fitz shook his head. He spread his arms out wide. “Do your worst, Ash. I’ll happily take a beating right now.”

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