Page 49 of My Dangerous Duke

Xander’s expression darkened then, any empathy vanishing in the blink of an eye as he set his mouth into a grim line.

“I know she is here,” he stated, his tone firm but emotionless. “I know that Huxton lied to me about it. Now let me see my wife, or God help me-”

“Careful how you finish that sentence, Larsen,” Rhys threatened, his tone deadly as he stepped protectively in front of his wife.

Not able to take the scene anymore, Eleanor disobeyed her friend’s advice and walked out of her hiding place. Xander noticed her immediately, his head snapping in her direction so quickly, she feared him injured. His eyes grew wide as he saw her walking toward him, and he seemed to sway a little on his feet.

“Honey,” Xander whispered, taking a step toward her.

“Do not call me that,” Eleanor and Penelope stated in unison, with only Penelope changing the word me to her.

“Eleanor, you do not have to do this if you do not want to,” Penelope snapped.

She moved to stand between Eleanor and Xander, Rhys moving with her as if he were her shadow. Pain flooded through Xander’s eyes as his face disappeared behind Rhys’s shoulder, and she could not take it anymore. She knew her friends were trying to help and that they were probably right in keeping Xander away from her, but she needed one more moment. She needed one more opportunity to truly see if anything between them at all had been real. And she could not do that with an audience.

“Penny,” she said softly, touching her friend’s shoulder lightly.

Her friend turned to her, her expressions full of concern as she looked at her.

“Thank you so, so much, for everything you have done for me,” Eleanor went on. “But I need to speak to my husband. Alone.”

“You may use the parlor,” Rhysand said after a moment.

Penelope and Rhysand then moved out of the way, but before Rhys went to stand with his wife, Penny took a couple of steps toward Xander and raised a warning finger at him.

“I find out that she has shed one tear.One.And I will have Rhys take care of you. Are we clear?” She asked, her voice laced with promise.

Eleanor tensed as she thought Xander was about to lash back, but to her surprise, he only raised his hands in the air, looked at Rhys levelly, and replied, “And I shall let him.”

Not waiting to see if Xander followed her, Eleanor walked back to the parlor and opened the door wide. Relief poured through her when she soon heard Xander’s hurried footsteps, and then the sound of the door shutting behind him. Her heart leaped as she realized that they were alone. Together. For the first in almost a week.

Her body suddenly became aware of his close proximity, and she felt heat rise through her skin again. She needed to turn around. To face him and demand him to talk. But now it washerfeet that could not move.

“Hon-” Xander sighed, stopping himself.

It pained him not to call her by her pet name now. The relief that had poured through his body when he saw her appear nearly knocked him off of his feet. But… when she had reacted so viciously to his name for her- when it made her brown eyes practically turn red with rage, it made his verybeingfeel as heavy as lead. Still, he would not push her. He had done that enough.

“Eleanor,” he corrected, pleading to her back, “Please, tell me, are you well? Have you been eating? God, you look so frail. Did you fall ill again?”

Eleanor’s shoulders sagged as if she were in pain, and she lowered her head as a soft sound escaped her throat. Tension filled him as he went to her, unable to keep his hands to himself any longer, and he grasped her shoulders before turning her around. His heart broke as he saw the pained look on her face and the redness of her nose and eyes. Not a tear had fallen but he could tell that it was taking everything within her not to do so.

Her eyes, her beautiful honey eyes, would not meet his. Instead, they stayed focused on the floor, as if God himself could not will her neck up. Her entire body had begun to tremble in his hands the moment he touched her, and he could not be sure if he should release or tighten his hold on her.

“Eleanor, sweetheart, tell me what has happened,” he implored, massaging his hands up and down her arms.

“You.”

She spit the word out so venomously that Xander flinched.

“You are what has happened. You and my father. Youusedme. You both used me for your own interests.”

Her voice broke as she said the wordused, and unable to help himself, Xander pulled her to his chest. She did not fight him, but her arms came up between them instantly, stopping their torsos from touching as her head stayed locked downward.

“I did what I was forced to do,” Xander replied, his chest heavy with emotion as he held her as close as she would allow.

“You were not forced to seduce me!” She bit out, pushing her fists harder into his chest. “You were not forced to take my maidenhood and make me believe that I was loved!”

“Youareloved,” Xander grit out, his hands moving to her face in an instant.

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