Page 57 of His Duchess' Mischief

“What are you doing here?”

“I came to find out what the noise was. I heard you up here and thought it might be a thief.”

“So you decided to come and tackle himalone? Have some sense, woman.”

She opened her mouth to give him a sharp retort, but he threw his hands up, looking down at the trunk. There were now black streaks just visible in the flickering light of the solitary candle.

“Do you have any idea what you could have done?” the Duke muttered furiously. “My whole work, my whole search, up in flames. You could have burned us all in our beds!”

“I am not the one who dropped the candle,” she snapped.

Seth’s anger was rising by the second, his thundering heartbeat a roar in his ears from the utter terror that had overtaken him at her appearance.

For a fraction of a second, he had thought it was the ghost of his father coming to haunt him, and he could feel the cold sweat at the base of his spine.

He felt doubly foolish for almost burning the attic to the ground, and he hated that he was taking his anger out on Alicia.

Inhaling deeply, he tried to calm himself and give her the apology she deserved.

I woke her up and then blamed her for coming up here to ensure we were all safe. It was hardly her fault.

But then, as he was about to apologize, a high-pitched and irritating mewl sounded from beside her.

Rolling his eyes, Seth picked up the candle and moved it closer as Alicia turned and bent over a box. He could just see a flash of white where the kitten had managed to get herself stuck again.

He stepped forward, towering over her, the candlelight flickering in her wide eyes as they both panted in the dusty space. He was inches away from her, her scent surrounding him in an intoxicating cloud.

“Take that damned animal away,” he heard himself say. “I do not recall giving you permission to bring pets into my house!”

Could I sound any more like my blasted father?

The candle he held was shaking again, but for another reason entirely. Now, he was just afraid of his bride’s reaction to his rudeness.

He expected hysterics, or even tears, but what happened instead was far worse.

Alicia’s eyes darkened, a coldness coming into them that he had not seen since their wedding day.

Her lips thinned, her fingers claw-like and feral at her sides, as though she wished to launch herself at him for the way he had spoken to her.

Without a sound, she bent over the box, scooped up the kitten, and cradled it in her arms before giving him a vicious look and marching out of the room.

Seth watched her go helplessly, the intense desire to follow her, to make amends, surging through him, a voice in his head screaming at him to run after her, pull her against him, and force her to forgive him right there and then.

He stayed where he was, running a hand through his hair and looking down at the ruined trunk.

In truth, the flames had barely done any damage to the papers, and his outburst now seemed even more unwarranted.

At least I have found what I was looking for.

Gordon’s familiar hand was etched across a small bundle of letters inside, tied with a black ribbon.

Finally, Seth would have some answers to the questions racing in his mind. But now, he felt guilt of a different kind.

Alicia would not easily forgive him.

Closing his eyes, he blew out a breath of frustration and swore colorfully as it extinguished the flame, plunging him into a darkness of his own making.

CHAPTER 18

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