Page 66 of The Duke's Ultimatum

There’s nothing missing when I’m with the Duke.

“Ugh. Stop it,” Eleanor chastised herself. “It’s just a girlish crush, remember? And I don’t do those anymore.” She flopped back down onto her back, pulling the cover over her.

She heard the same shuffling sounds she heard in her dream and sat up. “What in the world?”

The sound came again, but this time it was accompanied by voices. She threw the cover off her legs and padded to her window. She drew back the curtain and squinted as the moon’s light came shining through. Once her eyes adjusted, she saw her sister, Sarah, standing in the courtyard below.

What is Sarah doing out this late at night?

Just as Eleanor was about to turn to grab her night coat, she saw a man step towards Sarah. Eleanor froze until she noticed the figure looked familiar.

Sarah was talking to—no, not talking to, arguing with the Duke.

Eleanor leaned into the window but couldn’t hear what they were saying. She placed her hands on the bottom panel and tried to pull it up, but alas, it was too heavy. Hoping to get it budge enough for a slight crack of air to come through, she tried again.

The window budged and opened a bit. Angry voices drifted in from below.

“How could you?” Sarah said, her voice panicked and distraught.

Graynor stood firm in front of the wailing woman. “You are not to speak of this again. It is done.”

Sarah pushed past him and ran into the house.

Eleanor stumbled back from the window.What was that about?

Worried about her sister, she grabbed her house coat and quietly ran to Sarah’s room. She pushed through the door, but Sarah hadn’t made it back to her room from the courtyard yet. Eleanor looked around for any clue that could tell her what just happened. Why was Sarah out so late? Was she meeting someone? Eleanor’s heart sank. Was she meeting with the Duke?

Eleanor shook her head. No, that couldn’t be. Sarah has been mad at the Duke; there would be no reason for her to be meeting him. Besides, Eleanor shouldn’t care who the Duke saw, even if that included her sister.

Sarah’s door flew open, and a hysterical Sarah dropped a bag before she threw herself on the bed, sobbing. Eleanor turned to her sister and quietly walked to the bed.

“Sarah?”

Her sister jumped and screamed. “Eleanor! What are you doing here?”

Eleanor eased down next to her. “I heard you and His Grace fighting outside, and I wanted to make sure you were all right.”

At the mention of the Duke, Sarah’s sobs turned into wails. Eleanor gathered her sister into her arms and stroked her hair, trying to calm Sarah down.

“Sarah, what has happened? Who has caused you this much pain?”

Sarah sniffled into Eleanor’s chest.

“Th…the Duke.”

Eleanor’s hand stilled on Sarah’s head. She took in her sister’s nightgown that was covered with just a coat.

“He wouldn’t let me go.” Sarah sobbed on another breath.

Eleanor tried to swallow the lump that formed in her throat. Eleanor’s mind was warring with her heart. The image of the Duke standing in front of Sarah and his words echoed in Eleanor’s head. “You are not to speak of this again. It is done.” Surely he wouldn’t do something despicable to someone in his care?

Eleanor took a breath. “Go? Go where?”

Sarah sat up, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hands. “Promise you won’t be mad?”

Eleanor sighed and braced herself. “Tell me everything, Sarah.”

Sarah curled into a ball. “I was running away to be with Byron Wilkens.”

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