Page 79 of Bound to the Heartless Duke
“I thought this would be simple,” he muttered.
“You’ve never done simple well.” Theo stood up then. He patted his friend on the shoulder before adding, “You want to do something for her? Then do it. But don’t insult both of you by pretending it’s only because she defended you.”
With that, he left the room.
The silence that followed wasn’t as empty as earlier. It pressed around Magnus like a question demanding an answer. He sat still for a long moment, staring at the chair his friend had vacated, and suddenly, all he could picture was Lily curling up on it.
He could picture her posture when seated comfortably, her voice, and the ice behind her composure.
And, if he was being honest with himself, it was impossible to ignore.
Shewas impossible to ignore.
A breath escaped him as he stood up. He grabbed his coat with sudden purpose. If he were to lose control, then he might as well choose how it began.
He would find her. And this time, he wouldn’t speak in riddled
He found her near the stables. Sunlight flashed like gold across her shoulders, and it caught the red hue in her hair.
She was murmuring something to a horse, one hand rubbing large circles on the creature’s flank.
For a moment, he stood and watched the scene, as if trying to remember why he’d come at all. Something about her doing something absentmindedly stirred something within him.
However, she noticed him before he could speak.
“I’m not in the mood for company,” Lily said, before turning her head to the horse. “Especially not yours.”
He stepped forward anyway. “That’s unfortunate. I’ve come to offer you an escape.”
She turned back slowly, her eyebrow arched. “An escape?”
He nodded, folding his arms. “You’ve been caged here like a bird for days. I thought perhaps you might enjoy something less suffocating than this manor.”
She stared at him for a long moment, skepticism etched in every line of her face. “So, this is your idea of kindness?”
“Yes,” he said simply.
“Let me guess.” She leaned against the stable door. “Another contract hidden under roses? A carriage to take me to another obligation?”
He exhaled, his patience wearing thin. “Must everything be an argument with you?”
“Must you always come with a hidden reason?” Her voice sharpened, and he could sense the hurt behind her words. “Forgive me for not trusting you when your moods have ben inconsistent.”
He flinched at that. It happened so quickly, yet she caught it.
Magnus stepped closer, dropping his arms to his sides. “I didn’t come to fight with you, Lily.” His voice softened. “Believe it or not, I came because I thought you might like something… beautiful.”
That startled her, and she looked him in the eye. Magnus had never been a man who found gladness in prettiness.
Her lips parted with uncertainty. “Beautiful?”
He hesitated before extending a hand toward her. “Come with me.”
She blinked at him. “You haven’t told me where we’re going.”
“I don’t intend to.”
“Then how do I know I won’t end up on some ship to India?”
