Page 11 of Separated from My Love
Chapter4
Genevieve madesure to keep her gaze off Trenton, unsure how to proceed. She didn’t want to give him any indication she’d recognized him immediately. When she first saw him standing in the room, she’d been in shock. Was she seeing things? No, he was there, and if she wanted to, she could reach out and touch him. Oh, how she wanted to… She’d been in the past for so long that she’d given up on him coming for her. Her psychic connection to Regina had stopped suddenly, and she hadn’t been able to figure out why. She assumed it was because Trenton no longerwantedher.
So she accepted her fate and made a life for herself in the past. The Duke of Branterberry had graciously offered her employment as his son’s governess. Over the past six months, she’d grown close to both the duke and his son, Sebastian. The little Marquess of Chisenhall was an adorable cherub of merely five years and was a replica of his father down to the emerald green eyes and midnightdarkhair.
She almost felt as if she was a part of their family, and Brandon, the Duke of Branterberry, had been trying to convince her to make that official. He proposed at least once a day. Genevieve wasn’t a fool though. She fully realized he was asking so his son would have a mother again. Still she’d considered it every time he asked and dismissed it. Why not grab onto at least the appearance of happiness? What else would she have if she didn’t? Something made her hold back and refuse each time though. Maybe, even though she’d believed it futile, a small part of her still hoped forsomethingmore.
Now her past was catching up to her. Trenton was there, and she had to make a choice. She didn’t know what to make of any of it, or why Serenity was with him. As far as she was aware, Aubriella’s stepsister had never even met Trenton. How much had she missed being trapped in a different century? Did she even have a chance at claiming any of it? More importantly, did she want to? Maybe the best course of action was to take none. She needed time, and maybe a little distance, to come to adecision.
“Your son is ready for bed, Your Grace,” she said. “He’s awaiting a bedtime story from you. He claims you promisedhimone.”
“I did.” The duke frowned. “Let me see our guests outfirst.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Trenton said vehemently. He took two long strides to stand in front of her. He lifted his hand and placed one of his thumbs under her chin. “Eve, we’re here to bringyouhome.”
Genevieve jerked away and took a step back. “It’s a little too late, don’t you think?” How dare he assume she still wanted him! It didn’t matter that it was true. He hurt her desperately, and she wasn’t so sure she could trust him with her heart ever again. What if she did and he crushed it once more? She might not be able to recover a second time. Perhaps she should accept the duke’s proposal. Brandon was safe, at least—he couldn’t break her heart. He didn’t have the power to destroy a piece of her soul, and she did love his son. They could be her family, and she might find a sliver of happiness along the way. The duke could continue working for the crown as its premier spy, and she’d make sure his son was taken care of. “Besides, I’m alreadyspokenfor.”
The duke’s gaze locked with hers. He seemed to understand immediately what she was saying without having it spelled out to him. “She’s correct. Genevieve has agreed to be my wife. We’re to be married by special license intwodays.”
Damn, that man was good at lies. When would he have had time to procure a license? Hell, he probably did it before he even asked her. The blasted man liked to be prepared for any and allpossibilities.
Serenity turned her head and studied first Genevieve and then Brandon. “There is something not right here. They aren’t exactly lying…” She frowned and scrunched her nose up. “They believe what they are saying, but I don’t think they decided until this very moment what their actionwouldbe.”
Damn it.How had she forgotten about Serenity’s ability? It had been unnerving to grow up around her. It had been worse for Aubriella because they’d shared a household. It was one of the reasons Genevieve hadn’t visited her and insisted she come to her house instead. Serenity and Peyton’s gifts drove them both crazy. She’d been away from home too long to have let that bit of information slip her mind. At least they weren’t telling full out lies. Serenity wouldn’t be able to manage a definitive reading oftheiraura.
Trenton stepped toward her. His gaze softened as he stared at her. The muscles in his cheek twitched and his voice was shaky as hesaid, “Eve…”
She shook her head. “We haven’t been together in years. We both moved on with our lives. You married someone else, and I’m going to be aduchess.”
Genevieve didn’t give a damn about being a duchess. Words kept spilling out of her mouth without her brain fully engaging. She should backtrack and deny it all, but now she felt stuck. Marrying Brandon wouldn’t be so bad… If she kept telling herself that, she might believe it. What the hell was wrong with her? She couldn’t make a decision and stick to it to saveherlife.
“Since when did you ever care about that kind of nonsense?” Trenton asked. “What happenedtoyou?”
She laughed sardonically. “You mean you don’t know?” She pointed at Serenity and said, “She couldn’t help you, or her know-it-all sister?” She turned to face Serenity. “Peyton didn’t do her magic and figure out where I was? Oh, wait … she did, didn’t she? That’s why you are here. I wasn’t important enough to find sooner,wasI?”
Peyton and Serenity were Aubriella’s wicked stepsisters. They weren’t bad on principle, but had their own moral code they followed—one that didn’t always work in Aubriella’s favor or often, by default, Genevieve's. There wasn’t a lot of love lost between them. Genevieve took her cousin’s side over them, and they’d taken that to heart. The distance between them grew as they aged and there hadn’t been any apparent way to bridge the gap. Why would they have worked to save her? She hadn’t exactly given Peyton or Serenity a reason tohelpher.
She fully realized that she was being irrational. It wasn’t as if she was buried in a cave that could be dug out with heavy machinery. The task to find her had been daunting. Talking to Regina telepathically had drained her each time, and it had taken her a long time to even make that contact. She shouldn’t resent them for not coming sooner, but she couldn’t help it. After months and months of no one coming for her or finding a way home, she’d let doubt fester inside of her. She should be happy to see Trenton, and even Serenity, but she couldn’t let go of her preconceived notion that they’d given uponher.
“Don’t attack her. Without her, I’d never have made it here. I am not capable of traveling through time on my own. It takes someone with specialabilities.”
“Aww,” Eve said mockingly and raised her hand to her chest. “You’re not special enough.” She rolled her eyes. “Cry your excuses to someone who mightactuallycare.”
Shut up.Why couldn’t she rein in her rage? She sounded like a damn harpy without a tether to hold in bitterness. Trenton must be wondering why he’d bothered coming for her. If so, she couldn’t really blame him. She hated herself at themomenttoo.
“That’s uncalled for, Eve,” Serenity said. “You’re being extra witchy, and he’s right. You are not yourself—what did happen toyouhere?”
“I survived.” And she wouldn’t make any excuses for it. “I don’t need you tosaveme.”
At least he’d followed the breadcrumbs she’d left him through Regina and researched a way to find her. Regina had one of Rosanna’s journals the last time she mentally spoke to her. Genevieve had steered her in the direction to find it. What good had that done? She’d been moved around France, and it had taken a league of spies to rescue her. If not for the Duke of Branterberry and the Marquess of Seabrook, she’d still be locked in a room in a small cottage somewhere along the French coast. She owed both of those men her life. Abandoning Brandon now seemed—wrong. He depended on her to take care ofSebastian.
“I am going to see to my son,” Brandon said. “When I get back, we’re going to settle this all once andforall.”
“Go,” Trenton replied furiously. He clenched his jaw tight and didn’t even spare the duke a glance. “We don’t need you to arbitrate ourrelationship.”
Genevieve glared at him. How dare he talk to Brandon in such a manner? He was her friend, and if Trenton wanted to win her over he’d remember that. “He’s not the person you should be mad at in this equation. You’re the one who failed to find me sooner. He’s been the one person I could depend on. I’m supposed to toss him aside because you say so? It doesn’t workthatway.”
Her irrationality was taking on new levels of crazy. Brandon had saved her, and she was grateful for that, but she didn’t love him. She still loved Trenton… A part of her wanted him to do something—more. Traveling through time and the hoops he had to jump through should’ve been enough. Sadly, for some unknown reason, it wasn’t. Her doubts were clouding her betterjudgment.
