Page 56 of The Duke's Jilted Bride

They walked in silence for several streets before Felix spoke again. “A woman’s coat of arms. That narrows our search considerably.”

“Indeed.” Rowan’s mind was already cataloging possibilities as he touched his split lip, wincing slightly. “We need to return home. I have arrangements to make.”

“For a trip to Cornwall, I presume? Excellent. I’ve always enjoyed the sea air.”

“You’re not coming.”

“We’ve had this argument already,” Felix reminded him cheerfully. “I won. Remember?”

Rowan sighed, knowing further protest would be futile. “Fine. But we keep this between ourselves for now. The fewer people who know our plans, the better.”

“Agreed.” Felix glanced at Rowan’s battered appearance. “Though you might have difficulty explaining your injuries to your duchess.”

The mention of Selina gave Rowan pause. She would indeed have questions about his split lip and bruised knuckles. Questions he wasn’t prepared to answer.

“I’ll handle my wife,” he said shortly.

Felix’s expression turned serious. “Will you? Because from what I’ve observed, you’ve been doing anything but.”

“My marriage is not your concern.”

“It becomes my concern when it affects your judgment,” Felix countered. “You’re hunting dangerous enemies while keeping your closest ally in the dark.”

“For her protection,” Rowan insisted.

“Or your convenience.” Felix held up a hand as Rowan bristled. “Before you bite my head off, consider this: Your Grace has proven herself resourceful and discreet. She might be an asset rather than a liability.”

The suggestion unsettled Rowan more than he cared to admit. Involving Selina meant revealing his abduction, his time at sea, his vulnerability. It meant trusting her with his shame and his weakness.

“I’ll consider it,” he said finally, knowing he would do no such thing.

Felix seemed to read his thoughts, but merely shrugged. “Your choice, of course. But remember, dukes make attractive targets precisely because they stand alone.”

As they hailed a hackney, Rowan found himself remembering Selina at Hyde Park, defending young Penderwick from his mother’s interference. Her quiet strength, her unwavering dignity, even in the face of Lady Penderwick’s venom.

Perhaps Felix was right. Perhaps Selina deserved more credit than he had given her.

But bringing her into his confidence meant risking her safety, and that was a chance Rowan wasn’t willing to take. Better she remain ignorant and protected than informed and endangered.

With that resolution firm in his mind, Rowan settled into the hackney beside Felix, his thoughts already turning to the journey ahead and the confrontation with Captain Veer that awaited him in Cornwall.

CHAPTER 19

“Where could he possibly be at this hour?” Selina murmured, watching the clock tick past midnight as she paced the parlor floor.

The fire had burned low, casting long shadows across the room. Dinner with Georgiana and Robert had ended hours ago, yet Rowan still hadn’t returned. His mysterious absences were becoming routine, but tonight felt different. A strange unease had settled in her stomach, refusing to dissipate.

She had changed from her evening gown into a simpler dress, dismissing Agnes for the night despite the maid’s concerned glances. Sleep seemed impossible while her mind conjured increasingly troubling scenarios to explain Rowan’s absence.

The sound of the front door opening jerked her from her thoughts. She rushed into the corridor, relief quickly giving way to irritation.

“Where have you been?” she demanded, spotting Rowan’s tall silhouette in the dimly lit entryway. “I attended dinner at the Emberfords alone, forced to invent excuses for your absence.”

Rowan stepped forward, moving into the light cast by the hall sconce.

Selina gasped. His lip was split and swollen, a darkening bruise forming along his jaw. His normally immaculate appearance was disheveled, his knuckles raw and scraped.

“What happened to you?” She moved closer, her anger forgotten.

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