Page 54 of His Scarred Duchess
The sound of carriage wheels on gravel caught his attention. Moving to the window, he saw her descending from the carriage,her back rigid, her face a mask of composure that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
Before he could think better of it, Edmund was striding out of his study and down the corridor. He rounded the corner just as Adeline was ascending the stairs.
“Where have you been?” The words came out harsher than he’d intended, colored by hours of worry he refused to acknowledge.
Adeline started, nearly missing a step. “Your Grace,” she said, her voice neutral. “I didn’t realize my comings and goings were of interest to you.”
Edmund felt a spark of irritation at her evasiveness. “You left without a word. The entire household has been in an uproar.”
“Has it?” Adeline arched an eyebrow. “How strange. I was under the impression that our private lives were our own business. Isn’t that what you said, Your Grace?”
His own words, thrown back at him, stung.
“That’s not… I didn’t mean?—”
“What did you mean, then?” Adeline pressed, ascending a few steps until they were eye to eye. “Because from where I stand, you’ve made it quite clear that ours is a marriage of convenience, nothing more.”
Edmund’s jaw clenched. “That doesn’t mean you can just disappear without a word. You have responsibilities now, Adeline. Duties to this household, to the Holbrook name.”
“Duties?” Adeline’s eyes flashed. “Is that all I am to you? A duty to be fulfilled?”
“That’s not what I said,” Edmund growled, his patience wearing thin.
“Then what are you saying?” Adeline challenged. “Because I’m finding it rather difficult to understand what exactly you want from me, Your Grace.”
The title, spoken with such bitterness, grated on Edmund’s nerves. “What I want is for you to behave like the Duchess you are!”
“And how, pray tell, should a duchess behave?” Adeline’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Should I simper and fawn? Pretend I don’t notice when my husband can barely stand to look at me?”
Edmund reeled back as if she’d slapped him. “What are you talking about?”
“Oh, don’t pretend,” Adeline said, her composure cracking. “I’ve seen how you flinch when you look at my face. How you always keep your distance. If you find me so appalling, why did you agree to this marriage in the first place?”
“Appalling?” Edmund repeated, incredulous. “You think I find you appalling?”
“Don’t you?” Adeline’s voice was barely above a whisper now, the fight seeming to leave her. “Like everyone else?”
The vulnerability in her voice, the pain in her eyes, cut through Edmund’s anger like a knife. He shook his head, struggling to find the right words.
“Adeline,” he said softly, taking a step towards her. “Look at me.”
When she didn’t move, he gently tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze.
“You think I care about these?” he asked, his thumb tracing the line of her scar. Adeline flinched at his touch, but he persisted. “I don’t.”
Adeline’s eyes widened in disbelief. “But?—”
“I have been to war,” Edmund continued, his voice low and intense. “I have seen men torn apart by cannon fire—watched friends die in my arms. These,” he said, his fingers ghosting over her cheek, “these are the marks of a fighter, of a survivor. They’re to be admired, not scorned.”
Adeline’s breath hitched, her eyes searching his face as if looking for any sign of deception. “You… you mean that?”
Edmund nodded, suddenly acutely aware of how close they were standing. He could feel the warmth of her body, smell the faint lavender scent of her hair.
“I’ve never lied to you, Adeline,” he murmured. “And I won’t start now. You are… you’re the most captivating woman I’ve ever met.”
A soft gasp escaped Adeline’s lips, her eyes widening at his admission. Edmund felt something shift between them, a tension that had been building since that moment in the carriage finally reaching its breaking point.
“Edmund,” Adeline whispered, and the sound of his Christian name on her lips sent a shiver down his spine.
