Page 79 of His Scarred Duchess
Joanna’s eyes gleamed with triumph. “Oh, Edmund,” she said, her voice dripping with false sympathy. “It’s clear you’re falling for her. But we both know you’ll never truly let her in. You’re too afraid, too damaged by what happened between us.”
Edmund clenched his hands at his sides, fighting the urge to lash out. “You know nothing about my relationship with Adeline,” he spat.
“Don’t I?” Joanna countered, leaning in close. “I know you, Edmund, better than anyone. I know how you guard your heart, how you push people away before they can hurt you. It’s only a matter of time before your lovely Duchess tires of your cold facade. And when she does…” she trailed off, her fingertips ghosting along his arm. “Well, you know where to find me.”
With a final, knowing smirk, she turned and sauntered away, leaving him rooted to the spot, his mind reeling.
As the crowd of dancers swirled around him, Edmund found himself grappling with the truth of Joanna’s words.
He was falling for Adeline.
The realization hit him with the force of a physical blow. The warmth he felt in her presence, the way his heart raced when she smiled, the deep-seated need to protect her from the cruelty of the ton… it all pointed to one inevitable conclusion.
But even as he acknowledged this truth to himself, fear gripped his heart. The memory of Joanna’s betrayal, of finding her in his father’s arms, flashed through his mind. The pain of that moment, the shattering of his trust and his innocence, still haunted him. Could he truly open himself up to that kind of vulnerability again?
His eyes searched the crowded ballroom, seeking out Adeline’s familiar form. He spotted her across the room, engaged in conversation with her sister.
Even from a distance, he could see the tension in her posture, the forced smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. He had done that to her, he realized with a pang of guilt. His inability to let her in, to trust her fully, was causing her pain.
For a moment, he was tempted to go to her, to pull her aside and explain everything. To lay bare his fears, his insecurities, his growing feelings for her. But the thought of exposing himself so completely made his chest sink with anxiety.
What if she rejected him? What if, once she knew the full extent of his past, she found him unworthy?
Adeline’s hand trembled as she raised it to knock on Edmund’s door. The silence of the carriage ride home still rang in her ears, a stark contrast to the thundering of her heart. She hesitated, her knuckles a hair’s breadth from the polished wood.
Knock, knock.
The sound echoed in the empty corridor. Adeline held her breath, counting the seconds until she heard footsteps approaching from within.
The door swung open, revealing Edmund in his shirtsleeves, his cravat discarded. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of her.
“Adeline? Is everything all right?”
She lifted her chin, steeling herself. “Why didn’t you tell me about Joanna?”
Edmund’s jaw clenched. He stepped back, gesturing for her to enter. “Come in. We shouldn’t discuss this in the hallway.”
Adeline swept past him, the swish of her skirts unnaturally loud in the tense silence. She turned to face him as he closed the door.
“Well?” she prompted.
Edmund ran a hand through his hair, mussing the dark locks. “It doesn’t matter. That’s why.”
“Doesn’t matter?” Adeline’s voice rose. “I saw you speaking with her at the ball. And the letters, Edmund. How long have you been receiving them?”
His eyes flashed. “How do you know about the letters?”
“So it’s true,” she breathed, her suspicions confirmed. “Why keep them secret? Why not tell me?”
Edmund clenched his fists at his sides. “Because it’s not important. Joanna is trying to make me miserable, to meddle in my life. I didn’t see the point in dignifying her attempts with a response.”
Adeline took a step closer, her eyes searching his face. “Even so, you should have told me. We’re married, Edmund. Don’t you trust me?”
“Trust has nothing to do with it,” he snapped. “It’s not a real issue. I’m handling it.”
“Handling it?” Adeline’s laugh was brittle. “By ignoring it and hoping it goes away? By keeping secrets from your wife?”
Edmund turned away, striding to the window. “You’re making too much of this, Adeline. It’s in the past.”
