Page 64 of Her Duke in Shining Armor
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Despite knowing that Aaron was probably playing a game, cold sweat was washing Eleanor as she tried to not look at Aaron’s card. The menacing words,I know your secret,felt ominous to her. What on Earth could he mean by that? Surely—surely—he did not know about Maria. How could he?
Still, unease was inside her chest and the moment he came through the door of the sitting room, she stood and cut off his greeting.
“What it this?” Eleanor’s voice had taken on—without conscious permission—a tone of panic. “What game are you playing, Oberton?”
His dratted left eyebrow inched up, “So it’s Oberton now, eh?”
“Explain yourself,” Eleanor demanded and backed up a little when he advanced on her. The back of her shins met the coffee table and her heart pounded with the look he was giving her. He knew.
“Oberton—”
Without warning, he took both of her hands and tugged her close to him. Leaning over he whispered, “I know your secret, Eleanor…”
Swallowing tightly over a dry throat, Eleanor tried to dismiss the tremors that ran through her body with his deep, purring tone. Over his shoulder, she could see Miss Malcolm standing at the doorway with a lost and awkward look on her face. She clearly did know if she should intervene or not. With a soft shake of her head, Eleanor directed her to stay out of it. She could handle Aaron herself.
“And what would that secret be?” Her voice was steadier than she had believed. In fact, it was almost nonchalant.
Aaron released her and stepped back, only to hold out his hand. Eleanor was confused for a hairsbreadth, but when she looked down at his leather glove, the hooded stranger from last night was unveiled. It was him!
Eleanor’s head began to swim and she blindly reached for the chair behind her. Sitting before her knees gave out, Eleanor’s voice was timid, “You…it wasyou?”
The last words had slipped to an astonished whisper.
“Yes,” Aaron replied. “And it all started with happenstance. I was coming from White’s the other day when I saw you taking…her into the bushes. The next day I followed you to the church and last night…well.”
Eleanor respected his diplomacy in not uttering Maria’s name, but her mouth remained parched. With shivers, she remembered the grip, the all-too-familiar grip of his hand while helping her into the carriage. How could she have not connected the dots?
When she finally internalized the shock, Eleanor prepared for a lecture. He had to have one. What man in their right mind would have seen her do something so risky and not find three-score-and-ten things to lecture her on?
Sitting with her eyes on her knees, she looked at her bloodless hands and gripped her skirts while she waited. The silence was eating at her but he did not break it. Even when she felt she could not take it anymore she did not dare to look up, dreading to see condemnation in his gemstone eyes.
A knuckled hand propped her head up and through her fear she saw only pure admiration in his eyes, “I am proud of you Eleanor.”
“You are?” Disbelief colored every letter.
“Of course I am,” Aaron’ lips curved mischievously. “You wear breeches better than I do.”
She hit him.
“You abuse me, woman,” Aaron hissed. “But jesting aside, I truly am proud of you. Not many would have taken it upon themselves to save a child’s life and risk their own.”
His praises felt good but there was not enough balm to heal the slight of his betrayal. She did not even know how to ask the question and nibbled on her lip a little. Dash it. There was no delicate way of asking it so she just blurted it out.
“Did you win?”
The soft contract of his brows told her that he was mystified, “Win what?”
“The bet,” she gained a measure of courage. “I was in the bookshop the other day and I overheard Duke Wyndrake saying about how you two had a wager…for you totameme.” Eleanor’s voice had gone dark with pain and distaste, “So I ask again, did you win?”
Aaron’s lips were thin and bloodless and his eyes were flashing fire. “I did no such thing! Is that why you avoided me for this long? That bloody thing? Eleanor! For God’s sake, that is him baiting you.”
“Bait or not, he opened my eyes to see the truth!” Eleanor snapped, “I know how the ton sees me, how you see me!”
“So you’re a mind reader now?” Aaron’s voice was heated. “Pray tell, how exactly do I see you?”
“Stop it!” Eleanor hissed. “Stop acting so innocent while you twist the knife a little further. I know you hate me; you think I am a crossbreed between a bluestocking and a queen with the fixings of a shrew. You all hate me and mock me, wondering when or who is going to pull me down from my pedestal. You won Oberton, go collect your prize. I don’t want to see you again.”
