Page 102 of Claimed By the Beastly Duke

He felt as though there was a wrench in his heart.

It is for her own good.

Even though Edwin knew he was doing the right thing for his wife, he still could not help but feel guilty. His lies were eating at him.

CHAPTER 24

Ava heard the clip-clop of horses’ hooves and hurried to the balcony. There, she spotted her husband as he rode on his horse into the distance.

Anger bubbled up inside her as she watched him. She took a deep breath before returning to her chambers.

He must think me a fool!

Edwin had done quite a number of untoward things, but this was, by far, the most hurtful of them all. Now, she regretted not accepting Lily’s invitation and going on a promenade in the Park.

At least then, she would not have to be at home alone, waiting for her husband, who had no plan of spending time with her.

Edwin had spent the day entertaining his business partners, and instead of winding down with her, he had taken his horse andridden across the grounds. It was as though he had never even promised her anything.

How could I have been so foolish as to believe him?

The more Ava thought about it, the angrier she got until she felt herself begin to shake.

She knew, then, that she had to do something about it. And she knew just the perfect thing to do to take her mind off her unreliable husband.

So she left her room and went downstairs, heading straight for the front door. She took a deep breath, plastered a smile on her face, and stepped outside. She crossed the lawn and then rounded the corner that led to her beautiful water garden.

Ava sighed in satisfaction as she took in her garden. She could not help but smile at the beauty blooming right before her eyes. The contractors she had hired had done exceptional work in record time. The little pathway to the pond was lined with flowers that led to the bench she had set up under the tree.

When she finally sat on the stone bench, she could not help but marvel at the view in front of her.

The little pond was lined with water lilies, and at the end was a statue. Butterflies fluttered around the water, occasionally landing on the petals.

This was bliss.

Ava closed her eyes and inhaled the fragrance of the flowers. The water garden was everything she had envisioned it to be—an oasis for her to simply sit still and enjoy. Except, she had also imagined that her husband would be by her side, enjoying nature with her.

She shook her head in an attempt to shake off the reminder of her husband’s painful betrayal. It felt almost blasphemous to bring the memory of his betrayal to this beautiful space.

And yet her mind did not cease to remind her.

Ava grunted in frustration. She simply wanted a calm evening, and yet he haunted her.

What she did not quite understand was why he had specifically asked her to decline her friend’s request when he knew he had no intention of following through on his promise.

With a pang, she wondered if he even cared for her.

Once again, she caught herself thinking about him, even though she was surrounded by nature.

Defeated, Ava rose to her feet. It did not matter that she was in what was supposed to be her sanctuary; he was still all she could think about. It was useless to try and put him out of her mind, truly.

She was about to leave the garden when she heard the clip-clop of horses’ hooves once again. She looked up to see her husband returning from his ride, a contented smile on his face.

Anger surged through her once again, and she itched to wipe that satisfied smile off his face.

He suddenly turned his face to the right and spotted her, his eyes lighting up. Then, he jumped down from his horse.

As soon as a stablehand took the horse from him, he began to walk towards the garden—towardsher.

---