Page 11 of Trapped with the Forbidden Duke
“You do not know him anymore,” she told him. “You abandoned him when he needed you most.”
“Abandoned?” he repeated as if insulted by the accusation. “Nicholas pushed everyone away. You do not know half of it, My Lady.”
If only he knew.
“Physical injuries are not the only things a man is left with after leaving the army,” Edwina countered.
“I reached out so many times. A door was slammed in my face so many times. My letters went unanswered. Itriedto be there for him, so, no, you do not get to accuse me.”
“And you did not stop to think that you may have needed tokeeptrying?”
“For how long?” he scoffed. “I tried endlessly. Accuse me if you need to appease yourself, or see your brother as honorable, but I assure you that he is not.”
“I know enough about my brother’s honor,” she snapped, tense and defensive.
Edwina did not blame her brother for struggling with his addiction, but sometimes carrying the burden weighed on her.
“And what of my honor?” the Duke shot back.
“I do not care about it.” Edwina looked away from him, but his silence made her glance back.
Her stomach flipped when she found his eyes on her, pinning her to her seat. Her fingernails dug into the leather beneath her so hard that she thought she might pierce it.
“You do not?”
“No.”
And yet her breath quickened when he leaned closer.
“You should broaden your consideration for those who tried to be there for Nicholas, who offered to help him reintegrate into Society, only to be turned away. For weeks, I came here and tried to convince Nicholas to stay at Stormhold Hall to slowly reintroduce himself, to get his bearings again. Do not judge what you do not completely know.”
“I would give you the same advice,” Edwina huffed, trying to ignore how fast her heart was beating.
“Do it,” the Duke challenged, raising an eyebrow.
But how could she focus when he leaned closer as if upping the stakes? God, she could not recall a great deal about him, but she found she did not care. Not when her only experience with him might be this carriage ride, with her breathing heavy and her body burning.
“You cannot, can you?” he murmured, his voice dropping. She glared at him, swallowing. “For you have been taught to be polite, to be a lady, to respect those above you in Society. So, do go on,My Lady.Do tell me how I should not judge what I do not know.”
Edwina opened her mouth to retort, but her voice failed her. Not because she could not respond, but because she struggled to find one word to say when those eyes saw right through her, whittling her down. When those eyes dropped to her mouth.
The Duke fell silent, and his gaze flicked to hers, only to flick back to her lips. Then, he leaned in, as he had in the private room.
Heavens…
Edwina did not expect to want such a thing so badly.
The Duke of Stormhold’s face came closer, only to stop when the driver’s voice announced that they had arrived at the townhouse.
Was that disappointment and annoyance that flashed in his eyes?
With a growl, he said, “Follow me.”
The Duke helped Edwina out of the carriage, and she immediately noticed the chaos across the front lawn.
The gate hung off its hinges, footprints had trampled through the trimmed grass, and it looked as though large weapons had been dragged through the rest of the soil.
The Duke looked around, cursing as the butler rushed to the door.
