Page 35 of A Rescue by the Rakish Duke
He had been at Montrose House more than once. She’d seen him whispering—perhaps plotting—with her cousin in various corners, and especially behind closed doors.
“What are you doing here?”
He seemed like he came from the direction of Damian’s study. A growing suspicion gnawed at her as she walked a little faster toward the library.
Gwendoline was done with tiptoeing around her husband. She pushed the door open without knocking and started when she saw Damian standing by the desk instead of sitting down and checking his ledgers. He wore his usual brooding expression, but there was something different about it today. He looked like he could set something on fire with his mind as he looked at the chair across from his desk.
His eyes flicked to her, but the rest of his body didn’t move. Instead of the heat—and she dared say friendliness—that she saw in his eyes earlier, there was just the typical chill from him as he said, “That’s none of your concern.”
It made her stagger backward, surprised at how different he was not long after he had taught her how to spar. The transformation was a stark contrast to how he had behaved earlier.
She inhaled deeply, calming herself. Then, she stepped further into the room, her arms pressed tightly to her sides.
“You’ve avoided me for days. Then, you were almost like, uh, a friend when you defended me against your trainer and taught me how to wield a sword. Now, you’re upset with me because I asked you about a man who is associated with Timothy?”
“Tread carefully, Duchess. You don’t know what is happening here. You may have been the victim of your cousin’s cruelty, but you don’t know the full extent of what he is capable of.”
The man was a monster.
Gwendoline gasped. Neither of them had said the words, but they seemed to echo in her head as loudly as a church bell.
“After you tell me that I know his cruelty and that I’ve been through so much because of him, you’re telling me that the matter is beyond my understanding? Do you know that he once locked me in my room for days? He didn’t send me food, justwater. He wanted me to lose weight, so I’d look presentable for his little auction. Do you think I’ll ever take his side? Do you think I’m not ready to hear about all the other things he’s done?”
“Duchess,” he started, watching her with an impassive expression.
“I am ready. I keep telling you I can help.”
Damian’s gray eyes had narrowed into slits, but Gwendoline knew that she had no reason to be afraid of him. She knew that he would never hurt her and that within that vengeful frame was a man who wanted to protect her.
The realization took her breath away.
How could she be so certain?
At this point, Damian had closed the distance between them. He looked down at her as he towered over her. Under different circumstances, she would not like it when someone looked down at her, but with him, it felt natural.
“That will never happen again,” he said with a fierce determination. “Nobody will hurt you while you’re under my roof. No, that’s not right. Nobody will hurt you again, no matter what. No matter where.”
Gwendoline’s hand flew to her chest, overcome with emotions. Her anger wavered, and she could no longer find a reason to hold on to it.
“Your Grace, I’ve heard promises before. Words are nothing.”
Damian surprised her by reaching out, his hand hovering near her face before he pulled back a little.
“This isn’t merely a promise, Duchess. You know it. I know you do. Look at me.”
The air between them crackled with tension. Gwendoline’s eyes were fixed on his face. Her hand remained on her chest, feeling her galloping heart. She was conflicted.
Should she push him away or try to pull him toward her?
As he inched closer, it almost seemed that he would do it for her. Her lips parted as if they had a mind of their own. Her hand dropped to her side as she held her breath and waited for what he was about to do.
Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door.
Gwendoline gasped, and Damian stepped back. His eyes had hardened again, and the sudden sound shattered and cut through the tension.
Gwendoline felt a strange sense of loss, but she couldn’t possibly ask her husband what it was. The crackling tension could well be in her imagination only.
“Enter,” Damian barked.
