Page 59 of A Duke Makes a Deal
No, Clara mused, she probably wouldn’t. Clara swung the slippers that she held in her hands back and forth and shrugged.
“A friendship is a far more stable thing than romantic love,” she heard herself say. “And there is love in friendship, but it is a hardier, sturdier sort of love.”
“Do you love Silas?”
Although they had been speaking about it, the question had caught Clara off guard.Didshe love Silas? She found herself uncertain as to how to answer. Yes, they were married and had slept together, but that wasn’t the same as love. Clara had felt a deep pull towards him since the moment she first saw him, but that wasn’t love, either. Not truly. It was thepotentialfor love, maybe, but she knew better than to allow it to develop further. Not when Silas had made it clear that romantic love was not something he would offer her. But there was more than one kind of love, as she had just explained.
“Y-yes,” she stuttered quietly, unsure why. It was a dangerous thing to admit, but she hardly assumed Violet would suffer from it. “Yes, of course. As I love all my friends.”
Violet gave her a half smile as the skies opened up. Sidetracked by the torrential downpour, Violet quickly bent down and took off her shoes as well.
As the carriage pulled up to the front of the house, both women were helped down by a rather shocked footman as they ran through the rain. They reached the house at the same time, laughing as they stepped inside through the door that was held open for them. It seemed they were about to fall into a proper fit of giggles when a stern male voice echoed throughout the foyer.
“What on earth are you doing?” Silas asked, coming down the stairs.
Clara smiled at him, expecting him to return it, but there was only seriousness in his eyes. She swallowed and tried to smother her grin.
“We were caught in the rain,” she said.
“I see that,” he said, glancing down. “Where are your shoes?”
“Oh, well, that’s a funny story,” Clara said, when Violet took a step forward.
“Don’t be angry, Silas,” she said, her tone anxious. “It was just a bit of fun.”
“Fun?” he repeated, coming up to Clara. “Walking around in a rainstorm barefoot is fun?”
Clara smiled and tilted her head.
“Yes, it is. You should try it.”
“I think not. And you shouldn’t be behaving so carelessly,” he said coldly.
Clara bristled at his words as a heavy silence fell around them—especially when she looked over to see Violet watching them with tangible dismay. It was obvious that Violet was worried this would escalate into a fight like the ones Silas and Cynthia used tohave. While Clara didn’t appreciate Silas’s words, she wouldn’t make the poor girl suffer through an argument, having been so aware of them in the past.
She peered over her husband’s shoulders and forced a bright smile to her face.
“Would you excuse us, Violet? I wish to tell your brother a story,” she said, winking at the girl.
The gentle sendoff seemed to pacify Violet and she gave Clara a half smile before heading towards the stairs. When she was at the top, Clara turned her focus back on Silas, who appeared vastly annoyed.
Well, so was she.
Lifting her chin, she walked past him without a word.
“Where are you going?” he asked, though it sounded more like an order than a question.
She didn’t answer. Clara headed towards the back hall, reaching the door that led to the terrace. She opened it and walked out directly into the rain, only to have her arm held back by Silas’s grip. He spun her around, a rising fury in his eyes.
“Do not walk away from me,” he growled.
“I do not wish to speak to you,” she said as the rain fell on them.
“Why not?”
“Because I do not wish to argue with you.”
“Argue? What would we argue about?”
