Page 14 of The Scarred Duchess Deal
Tessa’s teeth gritted together. She had no reason to refuse him. “I… do not know if I am strong enough–”
Her voice was small, bordering on fragile, as she admitted that truth to him. Leo smiled kindly. He hated that they were not alone in this park. He would have loved to embrace her at a moment like this. He only wished that he could offer her some other sort of comfort – anything to ease that pain knitting her brow.
“I think you are far stronger than you give yourself credit for,” Leo admitted easily. He did not know if, were their positions reversed, he would have been able to do the exact same thing that he was asking of her right now. He did not know that he would have been capable of being injured that badly and still have the courage to go out into the often cruel and always gossip-filled Society with his head held high as she did.
He needed to be careful or he was going to find himself overly fond of her. Leo took a step toward her until their feet nearly touched. He held her gaze. “In fact… I think that–”
Leo’s fingertips brushed against her gloved hand as he paused to look deeply into her eyes.It would be so easy to kiss her.Where did that thought come from? He was not supposed to want to kiss her. He was not supposed to want to have anything to do with her other than fulfilling their agreement. But she was too easy to admire.
Before he could finish his thought, they were interrupted by a high-pitched, shrill scream of warning.
“Watch out!”
Leo and Tessa sprung apart as they both noticed the black blur of fur racing toward them at top speed. Trailing very, very far behind Colonel Floppy Ears was none other than Sophie clutching a red leather dog leash in her hand.
Tessa’s eyes narrowed. This was no random occurrence. Knowing her cousin, she had started to plot this the moment that the pair had left the sitting room. She would convince her father that she and Colonel needed to bond in order to set him loose and interrupt the walk that she was so clearly not wanted on.
Though none of it mattered as Colonel was not slowing. Not for anything. His large, pink tongue flopped happily outside of his mouth, and drool was flung in every direction around him. His drooping, uncropped ears bounced happily as he ran, showing off his namesake.
“Oh, look out! The lake!” Sophie screamed as loudly as she could, her voice filled with faux concern for their well-being.
The dog was going to shove Tessa into the lake. He was going to run and pounce her like he had done so many times before in his life, and given his sheer size, she would be knocked backward and into the lake. She would be humiliated.
She scrunched her eyes closed and braced for impact – but it did not come. Opening one eye, she saw that Leo had stepped in front of her with his arms held out widely. He made a loud shout of aggression that seemed to startle Colonel Floppy Ears just enough to distract him from his overly enthusiastic greeting. The Colonel – big puppy that he was – yipped in fear and nearly tumbled over his own massive feet as he corrected his course.
Leo laughed and shuffled to the side so that he could engage the dog in play, yet again proving himself to be a touch too close to perfect for her liking. Tessa pressed the tips of her gloved fingers over her lips to keep from laughing as Sophie finished running up to them – outrage on every inch of her otherwise pretty features.
Tessa did not say a word as Leo and the Colonel seemed to chase one another in half circles. The dog chuffed and wiggled at him happily as Tessa admired their exchange.
Sophie huffed, and puffed, and scoffed, and made her disappointment loudly known until Tessa was forced to verbally acknowledge it.
“Something wrong, Cousin? Did your brilliant plan not go the way that you wished for it to go?” Tessa glanced at Sophie out of the side of her eye.
“You do not deserve him,” Sophie practically spat. “Somebody who looks the way that you do does not deserve the attention of the most eligible duke of the Season. He has every beautiful woman of thetonfalling at his feet. What did you do to him? You have tricked him somehow… trapped him. Tell me how you have done it.”
“It must burn you that somebody like the duke might be interested in kindness and decency as opposed to your well-decorated, sour personality. Does it not?” Tessa smirked happily.
Sophie made yet another painting-worthy face of outrage. “Whatever you have done, I will expose you. Mark my words,” Sophie threatened.
“Mhm. Of course, you will, Cousin.” Tessa refused to show how deeply Sophie’s words continued to wound her. She would never tell her cousin the truth about her deal with the duke. She would never admit to it all being a ruse no matter what happened. She knew better than anyone that a duke as handsome and kind as Leo clearly was would never find a woman like her attractive.
The face he had made when he first saw her scars last night was emblazoned in her mind.
No. He would never be interested in her.
ChapterNine
“Please, My Lady – I beg of you, turn back now.”
“Believe me, Thalia, this is not something that I relish the idea of,” Tessa answered quietly as she walked slowly down the pavement. This section of town still felt like home in the strangest of ways. She was not entirely certain what she had expected. There had not been any point where she had even considered coming back to this place. After she had been transported from the burning building to the hospital three years ago, she had outright refused to even travel to this part of town. The constables had requested more than once that she accompany them back here in order to help recount the events of the evening or to ask her to assist them in their investigation and recount events, but she could not – she would not for any reason in the world.
She did not really wish to be here today.
“My Lady… please–” Thalia attempted again. While they had only known one another for the past couple of years, Thalia was one of the only people in her cousin’s household that Tessa felt she could trust. While Tessa might watch her tongue when anybody else was around, with Thalia she felt as if the woman at least understood her. Thalia was the only one who could look at her scars or attend to her without pity in her eyes. The maid had never made her feel any less of a human simply because of the damage that had been done to her body.
“I shall be all right,” Tessa lied to the woman following her. She would not have brought her were it not for the possible need for a chaperone on this rather clandestine meeting. While it was strictly business, the Duke was still a very public and popular figure in theton. More so this year. If either of them were to be recognized while they were undertaking their investigation, it would be him.
Thalia rushed forward and tugged softly on Tessa’s sleeve. She had no choice but to spin around and face her.
