Page 55 of A Trap by the Rakish Duke
“He is not the man you think he is.” Philip’s voice was now cold and unyielding. “Keldbrooke is dangerous.”
Aurelia shook her head, frustration bubbling within her. “He is my father! How can I believe a word of what you say if you do not tell me what actually happened that night?”
“You do not understand,” Philip snapped, his voice rising. “I am trying to protect you. He…” He broke off, biting back the words.
“He what?” Aurelia pressed, her eyes narrowing. “Talk to me”
Philip’s gaze hardened. “You do not need to know everything. What you need to do is trust me.”
Aurelia stood up abruptly, her chair scraping across the floor. “How can I trust you when you treat me like this? You will not even allow me to see my father!”
Philip rose to his feet as well, towering over her. “I am trying my best to protect you from him,” he repeated, his voice low and fierce.
Tears of frustration welled up in Aurelia’s eyes. “You are keeping me in the dark, Philip! I am not some fragile thing that needs to be shielded from the truth.”
Philip clenched his fists, his temper barely in check. “You think I am doing this out of cruelty? I am doing this because Imust.”
“All right, then tell me the details of what transpired,” Aurelia demanded, her voice trembling.
Silence fell over them. Philip raked his fingers through his hair and blew through his lips.
“You refuse to tell me! I deserve to know the truth!”
His face darkened further, his eyes flashing with anger and something deeper. “I will not let you near him,” he said, his tone steely. “Not now. Not ever.”
Aurelia’s chest tightened, her anger and pain too much to bear. “You are holding me prisoner, Philip,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “I thought…I thought we had begun to understand one another. But it seems I was wrong.”
Philip’s expression wavered, but only for a moment. “You are my wife,” he said quietly, though the words were laced with frustration. “And I will do what is necessary to keep you safe.”
Aurelia couldn’t stand it any longer. With a final look of betrayal, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the dining room, the echo of her footsteps fading down the hall.
Philip remained where he stood, his fists still clenched at his sides, his chest heaving with barely suppressed emotion.
She does not trust me, so what would be the point of telling her what really happened?
Chapter Twenty
Viscount Whitley approached the grand doors of Oakdale Manor, his boots crunching softly against the gravel path.
He had come to meet with Philip to hear about the results of his meeting with Lord Keldbrooke.
However, a footman met him at the entrance, bowing his head. “My Lord, His Grace is not home at the moment,” he informed him, lowering his gaze as he spoke.
Oliver frowned slightly. “Not home, you say. Has he gone far?”
Before the footman could respond, a soft voice interrupted them. “Oliver?”
Aurelia descended the stairs, her pale pink gown trailing behind her. She moved with grace, though her expression betrayed herweariness. There were faint dark circles under her eyes, the kind that spoke of a sleepless night.
“Philip is away on business,” she explained, offering the Viscount a small smile. “But you do not have to depart due to his absence. Please, come in.”
Oliver hesitated, studying her. “You look as though you have not slept, Aurelia.”
She stiffened for a moment, then quickly covered her face with her hands, embarrassed at being so easily read. “It is nothing,” she muttered, her voice muffled.
The Viscount gave her a kind smile. “Nothing, I am sure, but perhaps tea might help.”
Aurelia let her hands drop to her sides, nodding softly before turning to the footman. “Have tea brought to the drawing room, please.”
