Page 95 of Wedded to the Duke of Seduction

By evening, everything was ready. Marina arranged the wrapped box and note on Leo’s desk in his study where he would find it when he returned from his club. Then she retreated to her chambers to change for dinner, a flutter of anticipation in her stomach.

When Leo arrived home, Marina heard his voice in the entrance hall greeting Henderson. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she descended the stairs to meet him.

“Good evening,” she said, noting the weariness around his eyes. “Did your day go well?”

“Well enough,” Leo replied, but his smile did not quite reach his eyes. The distance she had sensed the previous day remained, even though he attempted to be cordial. “And yours?”

“Productive,” Marina answered, resisting the urge to mention the gift immediately. Better to let him discover it himself. “I believe Henderson has something to tell you.”

On cue, the butler stepped forward. “Your Grace, Lord Crawford sent word that he will call tomorrow regarding the matter you discussed.”

Leo nodded. “Thank you, Henderson. I’ll be in my study until dinner.”

As he turned toward his study door, Marina exchanged a quick glance with Henderson, who gave her an almost imperceptible nod. The butler had ensured the gift would be prominently placed where Leo couldn’t miss it.

“I’ll see you at dinner then,” Marina said, retreating to give Leo privacy for his discovery.

She paced her chambers nervously as Betty helped her dress for the evening. Would he be pleased? Would the gift help bridge whatever strange gap had opened between them?

A knock at her door interrupted her thoughts. “Enter,” she called, expecting it to be Betty returning with the jewelry she had requested.

Instead, Henderson stood at the threshold, his expression grave. “Your Grace, His Grace asks if you would join him in his study.”

Marina’s heart leaped. “Of course. Thank you, Henderson.”

She hurried down the corridor, eager to see Leo’s reaction to her gift. The study door stood ajar, and she pushed it open with a smile that faltered as she took in the scene before her.

Leo stood by the fireplace, the unwrapped watch box open in his hand. His face was pale, his expression not one of pleasure but something closer to shock. On the desk lay her note, apparently unread.

“Leo? Is something wrong?”

He looked up at her, his eyes dark with an emotion she couldn’t identify. “Where did you get this?”

The coldness in his voice sent a chill through her. “From Rundell and Bridge. I wanted to give you something special to thank you for?—”

“Who told you about the watches?” he interrupted, his knuckles white against the leather box.

“Henderson mentioned you once collected them,” Marina replied, confusion mounting. “He thought you might appreciate a fine example from Breguet?—”

Leo snapped the box closed, the sound sharp in the silent room. “Did he also tell you that Felicity gave me my first Breguet watch? That it was her signature gift whenever she sought to win my favor or apologize for some transgression?”

Marina’s stomach dropped. “No. Of course not. I didn’t know.”

He placed the box carefully on the mantel, his movements controlled in a way that suggested he was holding powerful emotions in check. “A remarkable coincidence.”

“It’s not a coincidence,” Marina protested, taking a step toward him. “It’s simply an unfortunate choice. If I had known?—”

“Known what?” Leo’s eyes met hers, searching. “That you were echoing the actions of the woman who betrayed me? Or that such a gift would make me question your motives?”

CHAPTER 34

“That’s not fair,” Marina said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I had no way of knowing about Felicity’s gifts to you.”

Leo watched her face—the hurt in her eyes, the slight tremble of her lower lip—and tried to force back the toxic thoughts poisoning his mind. The rational part of him knew she was telling the truth. Henderson had no reason to mention Felicity’s habit of giving him Breguet watches at key moments in their relationship.

And yet the watch box in his hand felt like a burning brand, searing through the careful defenses he had constructed since that night in the garden a decade ago.

“Of course,” he heard himself say, his voice sounding distant to his own ears. “It’s a beautiful timepiece. Thank you.”

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