Page 41 of Three Scandals for the Wild Duke

Emma’s chest tightened again. She was learning more about George and coming to respect him while he hated her.What ugly fate!

“Olivia,” Emma said softly. “If you continue to speak of George in this manner, I might think you are earnestly attempting to endear him to me.”

Olivia smiled. “I do not think I need to do that, but perhaps you need reminding that if you want something, you should aim for it.”

Emma returned her smile. “That is very good advice.”

“Oh, I am certainly going to miss you, Emma dear!” Olivia suddenly exclaimed, pulling her into a tight embrace that was both comforting and suffocating with its intensity. “I wish this party wouldn’t end so we could have more time together,” Olivia added, her voice muffled against Emma’s shoulder.

“Oh, we will meet in Town once the season commences,” Emma reassured her friend, managing a smile as she spoke. Yet, even as she uttered these words of comfort, her heart ached with a sense of impending loss. The party would end, and with it, perhaps,her last chance to change her fate and find a semblance of the love and belonging she witnessed so often around her.

She was unsure whether she would participate in the season. Not if she failed here. Then, her father would have sold her, she thought dejectedly.

“I must say, the best thing that happened to me this house party was meeting you, Emma,” Olivia carried on, her voice filled with a warmth that soothed Emma’s frayed nerves.

“Oh, you are too kind,” Emma responded, trying to muster a smile, though her heart was heavy.

“Why, you do not believe me?” There was genuine surprise in Olivia’s face as she pulled away slightly to look at Emma more directly.

“You are one of the most genuine souls I have ever met, Emma. You are a magnificent young lady. Believe it, treasure yourself, and don’t ever forget it,” Olivia added earnestly, her eyes earnest and insistent.

Tears pricked at the back of Emma’s eyes now. She desperately wanted to believe Olivia’s words. She wanted to see in herself what Olivia apparently saw.

“Thank you, Olivia,” Emma managed to say, her voice thick with emotion.

“No. Thankyou,” Olivia responded, giving Emma’s hands a comforting squeeze before releasing them.

After her little tour of the gallery with Olivia, Emma felt the weight of her impending decisions pulling her outside. She decided to go to the gardens, each step heavy with the gravity of what she was about to do. What shemustdo.

She made her way to the west wing as per her mother’s instructions. But instead of proceeding to where her mother had described, Emma took a little detour. She followed a winding cobbled path that led to a small pond surrounded by beautiful flowers. It was peaceful here, a great contrast to the chaos roiling within her.

She sat on a bench by the pond, watching the dragonflies waltz over the silken surface of the water. The tranquility of the scene offered her a moment of respite from her turmoil.

For the umpteenth time, Emma searched for any other way out of her situation. She didn’t want to do this. The Earl did not deserve this from her. He’s been too kind, she thought to herself.

It was all too wrong.

Footsteps nearly startled her, and when she turned, her heart both skipped a beat and sank. George was walking toward her.

CHAPTER 17

“Did you follow me?” Emma turned sharply to face George, her heart sinking as she watched him approach, yet unable to suppress the familiar flutter of excitement that his presence always seemed to invoke. She was fast becoming a paradox, affected by him in ways she couldn’t fathom, adding yet another layer of complexity to her already tumultuous emotions.

“I didn’t need to,” George shrugged nonchalantly, his eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made her uneasy. “I already knew you’d be out here in the gardens looking for Firman,” he added. The displeasure and accusation in his gaze and tone were unmistakable and stung her more than she cared to admit.

Emma felt a mix of hurt and confusion at his words and the underlying suspicion they conveyed. “Do you see him here?” she snapped, her irritation rising swiftly. “Or do you see me looking for him?” she challenged, gesturing around the empty garden to emphasize her point.

George met her defensive stance with a skeptical look, his disbelief apparent. The nerve of him to doubt her so openly was infuriating.

Somehow, he seemed more suspicious than ever this morning. Emma couldn’t understand what had shifted since their last encounter. What had changed from the night before that had turned his manner so cold by this morning?

“If there’s any truth in your claims, then what are you doing out here all by yourself?” he countered, his voice carrying a hint of challenge.

“So, I cannot seek some solitude now?” Emma retorted sharply, her patience thinning. “I wished to be alone,” she added firmly, her gaze steady on his, daring him to contradict her need for peace away from the prying eyes and incessant demands of the house party.

“Why?” His gaze was piercing, searching, delving deeper than the surface of her simple need for solitude.

“Did I not just give you my answer?” Emma returned impatiently, frustration edging her tone as she met his probing stare.

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