Page 67 of The Duke's Vice

He quickly scanned the area. Some couples had taken an interest in their walk, with some women hiding their faces behind their fans, while their eyes washed over Ezra and Beatrice.

His heart began to race as he noted every pair of eyes that set upon them.

“I need to go, Lady Beatrice.”

Beatrice cocked her head to the side in confusion. “What? I don’t understand. Did something happen?”

“Yes. I mean, no.” Blasted, he needed to get out of this damned garden. “Everything is fine. I just realized I had a meeting that I needed to get to. Please excuse me.”

He untangled her arm from his, ignoring the tingly sensation that raced up his hand as he moved her arm.

“My apologies, Lady Beatrice. I’ll reach out soon.”

He winced when he said the words. Looking around he hoped others were far enough way not to hear and assume something more between them.

Ezra nearly tripped over himself trying to get away from her. When he got to his carriage he leaned up against the coach, catching his breath.

What was it about this woman? The minute she stepped within his space he completely lost his mind. He needed his wits about him.

But more importantly, he needed to figure out a way to end things between them without losing sight of what’s important. He promised himself, and his sister, he would never be the cause of such scandal in a family.

Even if he was capable of loving her, he couldn’t give her the life she deserved. It was those words he repeated to himself on the carriage ride home from the garden party. The words replayed in his mind over dinner and while he tossed and turned during the night.

Those same words became his daily mantra. The more he said them, the more he hoped they’d become believable.

Beatrice’s hands hovered over the piano keys. Her eyes stared at the fingers, her mind completely blank of the tune she was just playing.

“Beatrice?” Her mother called to her. “Is everything all right, dear? You just stopped playing all of a sudden.”

Beatrice blinked her eyes a few times as her mind caught up with reality. She looked up to find her mother peering at her over her tea cup.

“I’m fine, Mama.” She lied. “My mind just wandered for a moment.”

“If I may say so, you’ve been increasingly forgetful these last few days. Ever since Lady Ellsworth’s garden party last week.” Charlotte set down her tea and came to sit next to Beatrice on the bench. Charlotte absently plucked a few keys with her finger. “You almost seem to be preoccupied with something… or someone?”

Charlotte’s hopeful eyes glanced towards her daughter.

Beatrice’s heart squeezed.

Her mother wasn’t wrong. She had been thinking of someone, but that someone seemingly no longer wanted anything to do with her with no explanation.

Ever since he left the garden party Beatrice’s mind kept replaying their last interaction in hopes to discover what caused his abrupt change of demeanor.

She was ashamed to admit she had seen his eagerness to speak with Charles as a ploy just to see her, but apparently she was wrong. Which did nothing for her self-esteem. Their conversation was light and flirtatious during their walk towards the refreshments, nothing that would cause such a quick retreat.

In fact, she barely said anything to him. He couldn’t possibly have taken offense to her jest about allowances awarded to a Duke? They’ve had far more abrasive, and intimate, conversations than that.

“I see the wheels in your head turning.” Charlotte’s shoulder nudged Beatrice’s.

Beatrice’s groan was accompanied by an eye roll. “I hate how well you know me.”

“Ah! So it is a man!” Charlotte’s voice sang.

Beatrice’s hands plunked down hard on the keys. “Ugh. Why must everything be a scandal with you?”

She shimmied out from the bench and walked to the window, her arms folded across her chest. A defensive posture to be sure, but Beatrice did it merely to hold herself together. She felt more vulnerable and exposed the longer she went without word from Graham.

Charlotte turned to face her daughter. “Bite your tongue, I’m not looking for a scandal. I just want to see you happy-”

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