Page 208 of Modern Romance January 2025 1-4

CHAPTER TEN

ELODIEBITTHEinside of her lip, holding back a million questions. What had Ramon’s aunt been on about? Why was there so much animosity between them? Where was it that Ramon was supposedly taking her tomorrow? Andwhathoneymoon?

He didn’t explain. Didn’t actually speak to her. He was too busy talking with Ashleigh for the entire journey back to London. Light, easy conversation—never mentioning her father or his family and the horrible experience they’d all just endured.

Elodie battled to suppress her rising jealousy because she knew if it were just the two of them travelling, Ramon would have his head in work for the duration. Once they got to his Belgravia house she took Ashleigh to a guest room and settled her in. Piotr then proved his worth again by delivering them snacks, so it was well more than an hour before she left her sister and went in search of Ramon. He was in his home office staring out the window into the dimly lit street. Residual emotion emanated from him, compelling Elodie closer.

‘Ashleigh has everything she needs?’ he asked roughly.

‘Yes, thank you.’

‘She’s very polite,’ he muttered. ‘Hopefully spending some time with you will cure her of a lifetime of mute compliance. She could do with some of your spirit.’ He fidgeted with his cuffs. ‘Did it take long for you to recover yours?’

Elodie stopped moving towards him.

‘You froze when you saw your father.’ He speared her with that intent gaze.

Yeah, she’d gone full ‘rabbit in the headlights’. She was close to that again now as embarrassment—and wariness—surged.

‘Only for a moment,’ he added softly. ‘Then you were back.’

She nodded. Because he’d been beside her and he’d stepped in for that second when she couldn’t speak. She cleared her throat, wanting to move forward. ‘What’s this place your aunt meant?’

His mouth compressed. ‘A private island off the coast of Spain. Lifelong occupancy rights go to the eldest married male of the family. It’s for his personal use. Wider family can only visit upon his invitation.’

‘Sounds exclusive and somewhat unfair.’

‘Life isn’t fair,’ he said briefly.

Okay then. ‘Your father held the previous occupancy rights?’

‘Right.’

‘And now, because you’re married, you do,’ she said. He must have wanted to keep it very much. ‘What’s on the island?’

‘Lizards. Not much else.’

He clearly wanted to talk about the place as little as she wanted to talk about her father, but she hovered, unable to walk away from him.

He sighed heavily. ‘As Cristina pointed out, I haven’t been there in years. There truly hasn’t been the time, but I need to go first thing. You’re welcome to join me but it’s not mandatory.’

‘You told her that we’re going there for our honeymoon.’

He winced. ‘Yes, but—’

‘You need her to believe this marriage is real,’ she said. ‘Otherwise she might contest those rights.’

He looked to the ceiling. A muscle in his jaw flicked. ‘I’d like you to have thechoice, Elodie. I don’t have the stomach to be another man who bullies you into doing something you don’t really want.’

Her innards iced.

‘You turnedwhite,’ he added gruffly. ‘You—’

‘Survived.’ She interrupted because she didnotwant to go there with him. She did not want to revisit how weak and vulnerable she’d been for all those years under her father’s thumb. She pushed out a tight breath. ‘This island has a nice beach, right?’

He shot her a keen look, thenalmostsmiled.

Warmth flowed back inside her. ‘It’s no hardship to visit a nice beach,’ she added gently.

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