Page 65 of Her Duke in Shining Armor
“Eleanor—”
Not having the heart to see him, Eleanor turned and left the room walking swiftly to the drawing room.
Aaron’s footsteps were behind her but she tried to ignore him. She entered the room and made to shut the door behind her but Aaron stopped it. His weight on the other side of the door was heavy but Eleanor pushed. She needed him gone.
“For God’s sake Eleanor,” Aaron huffed. “Will you let me in already?”
I already have but I got stabbed through the heart by it.
“No,” she said.
“Eleanor,” Aaron’s voice had dipped to a warning. “I am three times your strength, do you want me to be a barbarian and break this door down?”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Will you listen to me then?” Aaron said. “And I mean listen to me, not twist my words with whatever subtext or double meaning you think is there. Listen to me.”
Eleanor stopped pushing as there was no force coming from the other side. The risk of opening her heart to him once more felt ominous but…but she needed clarity and opened the door. Taking the unspoken invitation, Aaron stepped in.
“I will not lie to you,” Aaron said. “That night at Lord Greyson’s, the men did dare me to approach you but I flatly told them that I would not do anything of the sort in the way they requested. Wyndrake tried to sweeten the deal and offered me five-thousand pounds to ‘tame you,’ as they crudely put it, but I still refused. There was no wager, Eleanor. It was offered but not taken. On my word, I would never abuse you like that.”
His words felt true…but it was too soon. The hurt had set in and had carved a little niche for itself in her soul. It would take a while before his words would slip deep, slide into the cracks and heal the wound.
“You did not…”betray me?
“I swear on my life.”
“I believe you,” Eleanor replied while stepping away and wrapping her arms around her middle, “But it is going to take time for me to accept it.”
Aaron’s eyes searched her own; the pain of the supposed betrayal was plain in her eyes and the lines around her mouth.
“Eleanor, your fire is so special that many men do not understand, nor would they care to. Frankly, they are scared of a woman who has her own mind and uses it to her advantage. They all want a woman who has been closed in by the lines of society and act as they are supposed to act, beautiful mannequins with so-called education. They adhere to every word in theLady’s Companion. You have broken through the lines set for your sex, my love, and it would hurt me dearly if you became what you are not.”
My love…
The words pulsed through the air and sank under her skin. Had Aaron realized what he had said? By the look in his eyes, perhaps not.
“You said ‘my love,’” Eleanor dared to speak. “Is it true? Do you truly love me?”
“I suppose I do,” Aaron replied quietly. “There is really no other way to put it.”
Eleanor wanted to repeat the words but her tongue cleaved to the roof of her mouth. Too much had bombarded her that day and she did not want to say it when all her emotions were in a flurry. Her eyes said them though and Aaron read them clearly.
“You may tell me when you’re ready Eleanor,” Aaron took her hand and kissed it. “But please, don’t ever sayadieuto me again.”
As he stood, she did the same and felt her heart hiccup a bit at his half-smile, “Good day, My Lady.”
“Good day…Aaron.”
Delight painted his face as she uttered his name and after he walked out, Eleanor sank to her seat once more. She had been terribly foolish. So terribly foolish. Aaron was not the kind of man to wager her honor and his reputation on a trite bet.
Eleanor cast a worried look to the doorway. She could not see Aaron as the hallway curved around a corner, but she knew that he must have left by that time. She knew that in the next hour or so she was going to go to the pianoforte, play a memorized song while thinking of what had happened.
Aaron had been the one protecting her all those nights. Aaron had been the one assisting her with Maria and Aaron had defended her honor against those heartless men. He was loving, kind, generous and fiercely loyal but most of all…he loved her.
Rising from her spot she went to the drawing room and uncovered the pianoforte. Sitting, she ran her fingers over the keys. He loved her…but when would she be able to say those words to him?
Chapter 18
