Page 20 of Wedded to the Sinful Duke

“No, it is you reading into things that are not there,” she retorted.

“Well, now I am here,” he said walking closer to her. “And from what I see, you need someone to keep you company, someone who can distract you from the unpleasantness of this evening.”

Unpleasantness?

She wondered if he noticed what happened between her and her parents. She sighed. Of course, he noticed. Everyone in attendance noticed because they all knew what had happened. And the saddest part of all was that no one was on her side, no one but Uncle Brendan and her friends.

“I do not need to be distracted from anything, especially not by you,” She shook her head. “I meant what I told you before. A lady alone in your presence is?—”

She started, but she was not allowed to finish. Voices were coming from the corridor. Her heart skipped a beat, and she gasped, fearing so many things. She locked eyes with Jonathan, who reacted immediately. He grabbed her arm and pressed her against the side of the balcony’s entrance, pulling them both out of view. He placed a finger on his lips, his eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made her breath catch. They were inches apart, and the tension between them was electrifying.

She wanted him to kiss her. In truth,shewanted to kisshim.

It was beyond mad, beyond utterly ludicrous what she was feeling at that moment, and yet, she could not help it. She had completely forgotten all about the danger she was in and instead focused solely on the touch of his finger pressed upon her lips.

The voices grew louder as they approached then slowly faded as they passed by the corridor. Ciara’s heart pounded, not just from the fear of being discovered but from the closeness of the Duke’s body against hers. She could feel the heat radiating from him, the scent of his cologne enveloping her senses.

Once the voices had completely faded, she pushed him away, her emotions a whirlwind of confusion and frustration. She hurried inside, eager to put distance between them, but the Duke was relentless. He followed her, his steps quick and purposeful. Before she could get far, he reached out and took her hand, pulling her close once more.

“Ciara,” he said softly, his voice a mix of urgency and something deeper that she could not quite place. “Why are you running from me?”

Neither of them realized that Miss Sarah Danforth and her group of friends were standing at the edge of the corridor, their eyes wide with shock and amusement at the scene unfolding before them.

The whispered gossip had already begun; the scandalous implications of Ciara and the Duke being caught alone together spreading like wildfire.

Ciara’s eyes widened as she noticed the group, her heart sinking at the sight of their judgmental stares and knowing smirks. Panic surged through her, and she pushed Jonathan away with all her strength, breaking free from his grasp.

“Miss Everton, wait—” the Duke called after her, but it was too late.

She had already bolted past Sarah and her friends, her face flushed with a mix of anger and embarrassment, knowing that she had just been completely ruined.

The carriage ride home was tense and silent at first, the weight of the evening's events hanging heavily in the air. Ciara sat with her hands clenched in her lap, her mind racing with a mix of anger, shame, and frustration. Uncle Brendan, sitting across from her, finally broke the silence, his voice stern and edged with disappointment.

“I asked you to come out of your shell, Ciara, not to be compromised by a rake!” he snapped, his eyes flashing with anger, something she had never seen before. “Do you have any idea what you have done?”

Ciara flinched at his tone, her cheeks burning with shame. He had never spoken to her like that, although her parents adamantly believed that he, as well as them, had a reason to.

“Uncle Brendan, it was not like that. The Duke was just?—”

“Just what?” Uncle Brendan interrupted, his voice rising even more. “Flirting with you? Putting you in a position where your reputation is now in tatters? I warned you about the dangers ofsuch men, Ciara. Neither I nor your duchess friend can get you out of this situation.”

Tears stung Ciara’s eyes, but she refused to let them fall. “I… I don’t know what came over me, Uncle. But I know that I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t ask for him to follow me or for Miss Danforth and her friends to find us.”

Her uncle was still staring at her intently, trying to understand how on earth she had allowed something like this to happen. She herself couldn’t tell him because she didn’t know. She wasn’t herself, and that was the most frightening thing of all.

“Intentions aside, the damage is done,” Uncle Brendan said, his voice softening slightly but still stern as he came to terms with the situation. “You have to be more careful, especially with men like that. His reputation precedes him, and now, by association, your reputation is at risk too.”

She knew that was putting it mildly. Her reputation was not only at risk, but it was lingering on the edge of the precipice which could mean her certain doom. She had made a dreadful mistake. Now, she was certain of it, but it was too late for any regrets.

Ciara looked out the window, the passing landscape a blur as she tried to process her uncle’s words. She knew he was right, but the unfairness of the situation gnawed at her. She had only wanted to escape the suffocating atmosphere of the ballroom, and instead, she had walked into an even worse predicament.

“I am sorry,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Uncle Brendan sighed, his expression softening further. “I know you are, Ciara. But being sorry isn’t enough. You have to be smarter, more aware of how society views these things. One misstep can ruin everything. And you did exactly that. The ton… they will say terrible things now. I am certain that they already are.”

“It would not be the first time that they say terrible things about me,” she reminded him. “You know what I did.”

“I know that. I also know why you did it. I know you planted a well-deserved facer on that young man because he insulted my mother, your grandmamma. You had a reason for that. And I never wanted you to end up in a nunnery because of it. But now… what is the reason behind this? Have I given you any cause to act in this manner?”

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