Page 91 of Bound to the Heartless Duke
The ride back from the gala was shrouded in the darkness of night and the soft sounds from the distant woods.
The countryside was cast in shadows, but in the carriage, the light flickered low, casting a sheen over the interior.
Taking a deep breath, Lily leaned back into her seat, her gloves discarded and her fingers playing with the ribbons at her neckline. She could feel her husband watching her as he seemed to always do. His eyes left heated paths as they trailed everywhere her fingers stopped.
“I must admit,” she said, her voice a soft drawl as she turned her head to him, “being your Duchess is a rather exhausting affair. So many people to flatter. So many eyes.”
“You flatter them easily,” Magnus replied, his voice as dark as the space between them. “Too easily, perhaps.”
Lily gave a slow, deliberate smile. “Is that… jealousy I detect?”
He didn’t answer. But there was something about his silence that always gave it way—the fact that she had struck a chord.
“Well,” she sighed, shifting in her seat so her bare shoulder was exposed to him, her gown slipping ever so slightly. “It’s not myfault if half the male population of Wiltshire wants to kiss my hand.”
“I noticed that no one succeeded,” he said. “Did you deny them all?”
She leaned closer, her lips a breath away from his jaw. “Perhaps I was saving myself… for someone more deserving.”
She felt his hand flex against his knee, but he still didn’t touch her. His restraint or whatever he was doing was maddening, causing her to almost burst out.
Leaning back slightly, she crossed one leg over the other in a way that let her skirt ride up a little too high.
She wasn’t going to give up. Now, it had turned into a game for her. To see how long her husband would resist her advances before caving. She was curious to know.
“You haven’t said a word about how I looked tonight,” she murmured innocently, breaking the silence. “Was my attire not to your liking?”
“You looked dangerous.”
His answer had come sharp and unexpected.
She froze, then blinked, before returning her gaze to him. “That’s not an answer,” she pointed out, trying to maintain her composure.
“It is,” he countered, his voice tight, before looking at her. “You looked like a woman who knows the power she holds and is reckless enough to wield it.”
She smiled to herself at those words.
“Is that what frightens you?” she asked, scooting closer until their knees touched. “Is it, Your Grace?”
He didn’t look away, his eyes lingering on hers, smoldering with an undecipherable emotion. But then his lips curled into a smile that somehow met his eyes.
“Darling, I don’t get scared easily.”
The disappointment was evident on her face when he shifted even closer to the window, putting more distance between them.
The carriage rocked slightly as it turned into the estate’s long drive.
Lily sat back, her mind racing. Although that was disappointing, there seemed to be a slight improvement that night. It wasn’t obvious, but he was unraveling beneath his cold exterior.
And that was good.
The next morning came, dawning bright and warm on the estate. It brought a rare heat that begged for escape.
Lily took it as a sign.
A sign to slip out early, ignore her lady’s maid’s protests, and make her way to the river at the edge of the grounds. The walk alone calmed her nerves. The scent of summer hung thick in the air—a mix of wildflowers, warm sun, fresh grass, and the faintest hint of honeysuckle.
When she arrived at the water’s edge, she smiled to herself. She loved the way the river shimmered in the sunlight like a glass ribbon. In that fleeting moment, she was reminded of Nathan. He loved bathing in fresh hot water.
