Page 63 of Taken By the Duke of Stone

She gulped and then stood up to curtsy, "Your Grace."

"Miss Proctor," he smiled at her.

He settled into the space beside her, and she immediately noted the frown wrinkling his forehead.

"What is the matter?" she asked.

"My sister," he bit out and she let out a sigh of relief. "Can you believe she and Patrick have been carrying on behind my back?"

Disbelief made her brows inch up and she stared at him, "Behind your back? I didn't think they were even trying to hide their relationship at all."

He paused and there was a hint of betrayal in his eyes, "you knew about this?"

She hurriedly defended herself, "I didn't actually know they were involved, I just assumed that there was some affection there. But I do not see the problem with them being attached. He is your friend after all, and you must trust him very much to allow them to spend so much time together."

"Spend so much time together?" He gaped at her, "I have most certainly not permitted them to spend so much time together."

Was he being purposefully obtuse, "what about all those times they escorted us on outings? And Lord Dillon must have spent a lot of time at your house. It is only natural-"

"There is nothing natural about this," he bit out. "He's a cad! He waited for my guard to be down from alcohol and then began tospout his rubbish about being in love with her and she with him. As if I will believe any of that drivel."

She threw up her hands, exasperated, "what is so difficult to believe about them being in love?"

His mouth set into a firm line. "Love is nothing but a carefully constructed myth that is sold to fantastical people and even if I somehow believed in it, I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy."

There was a sickening lurch in the bottom of her belly and she suddenly wished she had never gotten out of her bed today. She could have buried herself under her bed covers and continued to lie to herself that the man she loved was capable of loving her back.

"And why is that?" Her words were small, careful, terrified.

Brown eyes flashed at her, "because it does nothing but destroy everything in its wake."

"Would you rather your sister is forced into a loveless marriage while knowing that something better exists?" Lavinia asked. "Would it not be better that she explore this feeling and learn from it?"

He stared at her for a long time, thoughtful and she felt the faint stirring of hope. Could it be that her words had gotten through to him?

"I thought you would be on my side."

Those words shattered any illusions she had left. "There aren't two sides here. I am simply on the side of-"

"If you are not on my side then you are on theirs and you believe that it is right that my own friend has had his sights on my sister for- I do not even want to think how long."

"You are making this entire matter about yourself."

"It is about me."

"No!" she hissed. "It has nothing to do with you. What they feel for each other has nothing to do with you. I would have thought that you would be relieved to see your sister in the hands of a man you trust, but instead, you have twisted it all up to look like they have plotted to ruin your life."

"Lavinia," a sharp voice warned and she looked over to see her aunt staring at her wide eyed. She shot the older woman a strained smile and then turned back to the Duke.

She was barely keeping a lid on her fury. A fury born of heartbreak and loss.

"I am not the unreasonable one here," he spat. "And you do not understand what love is. It does not just destroy the people involved. It destroys everyone around it."

All the hope she had had left fizzled away and she clutched her chest, trying to rub away the ache she suddenly felt. Victor would never love her. He could never love her and he would never allow himself to love her.

"I understand," she said placidly, "I understand."

She did understand, not his entire argument about how his sister and the Viscount had betrayed him though. What she understood was how hopeless it all was.

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