Page 59 of Three Scandals for the Wild Duke

“Oh, everything is special about her,” Alex responded with a knowing smile. “Especially to YOU,” he added, his gaze probing, as if trying to peer into George’s very soul.

George felt a tightness in his chest, a mix of anticipation and dread. What was Alex on to now? He wondered internally. He straightened slightly, adopting a more detached demeanor.“Miss Lovell to me holds the same place as every other woman in society,” he asserted, hoping to deflect further inquiry.

“That is a lie,” Alex stated flatly, cutting through George’s pretense with an almost surgical precision.

“A lie?” George echoed, his voice a blend of feigned surprise and a touch of defensiveness as he searched for the right words to steer clear of the interrogation he felt was imminent. Alex was known for his persistence and knack for uncovering truths people preferred to keep buried.

“I am not a fool, George,” his friend continued firmly. “I’ve watched your interactions with her throughout the house party enough to know,” Alex added, his tone indicating that he saw through the façade George had painstakingly built.

George felt the walls he had erected around his feelings for Emma begin to crumble under Alex’s unwavering gaze. His attempts at casual dismissal were failing, and he knew he had to tread carefully, lest he reveal more than he intended.

“Have you been stalking me?” George retorted with a sheepish chuckle, trying to deflect the probing conversation with humor.

“And besides, I saw the look you two exchanged by that carriage before she left the castle,” Alexander continued, undeterred by George’s attempt at lightening the mood. “You have feelings for Emma, George. Perhaps more than you care to acknowledge,” he concluded, his gaze fixed intently on George, as penetrating as ever.

Alexander’s words struck a chord, and internally, George conceded the truth.I do want her, he admitted silently to himself.

“It doesn’t matter,” George sighed out loud, trying to dismiss his feelings as irrelevant. “She is not the woman I thought she was,” he added, his voice tinged with disappointment as he puffed at his cigar, the smoke swirling around him almost abstractedly.

“What do you mean?” Alexander asked, his brow furrowing in confusion at George’s cryptic words.

Taking a deep breath, George confided about the kiss they had shared, and how he subsequently felt that Emma had set out to trap him as well. His heart felt heavy with mixed emotions as he recounted the details.

“Another trap, George?” Alex responded, his tone laced with ostensible disbelief. “I rather think this a foolish notion, man. Emma is nothing but kind and sweet,” he chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. “So sweet you couldn’t resist kissing her, in fact,” he teased, a broad grin spreading across his face.

But George found himself unable to share in this light-hearted jest. Not right now.

“You recall what happened in the maze?” George reminded him, his tone serious, bringing up a past incident that had left a deep impression on them both.

“Clearly,” Alexander nodded solemnly. “And I will say it again. It was an honest accident. Emma never intended to trap me as you claim,” he reiterated, his voice firm with conviction.

“I don’t know why you are so blind to what is so evident,” George grumbled.

“I am not blind. You are only being ridiculously fearful, George,” Alex chided gently, trying to ease his friend’s worries. “Do not let the past shape your perception of the present. Let it go. This is not another trap,” he advised, his voice firm yet understanding.

“You think I’m saying all this simply because I was trapped once?” George countered, his tone rising slightly as he recalled the unfortunate incident that had marred his reputation. A lady had indeed succeeded in creating a scandal with him, but he had staunchly refused to offer for her, maintaining his innocence and choosing his integrity over societal pressure. It was a decision that had branded him with a notorious reputation, one that he wore like an indifferent cloak.

“I am only suggesting that it might be influencing how you view things now, and to not let it cloud your judgment,” Alex replied, his expression earnest, hoping to penetrate the defensive walls George had built around himself.

A part of George knew that Alex was probably right—again. But the truth about Emma, or at least what he perceived to be the truth, gnawed at him relentlessly. His suspicions clung stubbornly, mingling with an inexplicable desire that seemed to intensify despite his doubts.

“I cannot claim to know exactly how you feel. But I am confident that I have a good idea,” Alex continued, breaking the tense silence that had fallen between them. “And while I cannot speak for Emma’s sentiments, I can see that there is something there. So, listen to your heart for once, George. It’s calling you in the right direction. I know it,” he concluded, his voice carrying a conviction that was hard to ignore.

A pensive silence enveloped the room once more as George digested his friend’s words, wrestling internally with his emotions and the decision before him. After a long moment, he reached into his pocket and withdrew his pocket watch, checking the time with a resigned sigh.

“We best join the ladies. Our guests will be here any moment now,” George said, his voice carrying a note of finality as he closed the watch.

The truth was, George was eager for the awkward conversation to cease. As he and Alex joined Jane and Olivia in the drawing room, the announcement of their guests’ arrival offered him a welcome diversion. Still, as he stood, preparing himself for the possibility of encountering Emma once again, he sternly reminded himself that what he felt was not anticipation.

He and Alex rose to greet the newcomers as Lord and Lady Dewsbury made their entrance. George’s attention, however, remained fixed on the door, expecting Emma to follow her parents into the room. But she never appeared.

“Why, where is our dear Miss Lovell?” Jane inquired, echoing the curiosity that undoubtedly occupied every mind present. Her eyes darted to the door, reflecting a shared anticipation.

“I’m afraid our darling Emma is indisposed. She sends her regrets,” Lady Dewsbury announced, her tone carrying a tinge of formal regret that did little to mask the undercurrent of tension.

“Oh dear,” Olivia’s response was immediate, her eyes filled with genuine concern and palpable disappointment.

George felt an unexpected knot tighten in his chest, and he was baffled by the intensity of his own reaction. Why should the news of Emma’s absence stir such a profound sense of disappointment in him?

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