Page 10 of Her Duke to Tempt
Logan tilted his head, his brow furrowing slightly.“I thought you might say that.”
Her lips pressed together, her gaze flickering away once more.“I just…,” she said softly.“I am not like other women.I do not want the same things.”
His heart twisted in his chest at the implications of her words.“Enid?—”
“No,” she cut in, her voice sharp as a knife.“I know who I am and I cannot be what you need.”
“How do you know what I need?”he asked, his voice thick with frustration.“I want to be with you.I am not some fool chasing after a passing fancy.This is real.This isus.”
Enid’s eyes met his again, but the flicker of vulnerability in them was quickly masked by her usual cool exterior.“You are right.This is about us, and I am not adding something into the mix that will ruin whatever friendship we have.”
“All right” he said, his voice steady.“I will wait for you to realize how wrong you are.Because I am not going anywhere.When you do finally come to me, I will not remind you that you were the one that made us wait longer than necessary.”
Silence hung in the air once more, and for a long time, neither of them spoke.Logan’s heart pounded in his chest as he waited for her to respond, the anticipation nearly unbearable.Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Enid’s lips parted, and the words that came from her were nothing like what he had expected.
“Do not wait for me.I’m not going to change my mind,” she said softly.“You should forget about this altogether”
Logan’s heart skipped a beat at her words.“I could never forget about you…”
She did not reply to that.Instead, she returned her gaze to the window and stared out in silence.He had taken a risk and so far, it was not paying off as he had hoped.No, she had instead withdrawn even more.He could only hope that he had given her much to consider, and she would change her mind.One day, he hoped to find her willing to accept him fully into her life.If that day should occur, he would be the happiest man alive.Until then, he would have to remain patient.
Seven
Enid gazed out the window of the carriage as the landscape of Scotland unfolded before her.They should reach a village soon or at least she hoped so.She was tired of being cooped up in this carriage, and she could not stop thinking about the words the Duke of Templeton had said to her.A sense of anticipation filled the air.It was a mix of excitement and tension that had settled over her and she could not shake it.
When she had started this journey, it had been with one goal in mind.To find her niece and ensure that she was all right, and to escort her back home, or rather to her home.If Felicity’s father discovered that she had run off Enid never would be able to live it down.Her brother doted on his daughter, and it would devastate him if something were to happen to her.For that alone she was irate at Felicity for running off.
“It won’t be much longer now,” the Duke of Templeton said beside her, his voice low but comforting as always.She glanced at him, appreciating the warmth in his tone, though there was an underlying concern she couldn't ignore.He hadn’t spoken a word in a while, but neither had she.They each had their reasons for remaining silent.He was disappointed in her and she was not so certain she could ever give him what he wanted from her.She wasn’t so certain she was capable of love or intimacy.
Not long after the duke spoke a village came into view and Enid breathed a sigh of relief.How had he known?Did it matter?Not really, at least not in the grand scheme of things.She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.She hoped that Felicity would be in this village.It was the nearest one to the inn they had stayed at the previous night.It made the most sense that they would have traveled here, but that did not mean it was true.The carriage rolled to a halt, and the driver stepped down to open the door.Enid inhaled deeply before stepping out, her boots sinking into the soft earth of the village square.The sun had already begun its descent an hour earlier and the village was bathed in moonlight.
“Well, here we are,” the duke remarked, looking around the small, cobblestone square.“Let’s go inside the inn and secure rooms for the night.”
They walked toward a modest inn at the corner of the square, its sign swaying gently in the evening breeze.The sign boasted its name proudly, The Thistle and Cairn.They stepped inside the inn, and she baked in the warmth of a crackling fire.A large, stout man with dark red hair greeted them.
“We need two rooms for the night,” Templeton said.
The innkeeper frowned.“I’m afraid we only have one room left,” he said apologetically, his eyes darting between Enid and the Duke.“It’s a small room, but it should suffice for the night.Would you like to let it?”
Enid exchanged a glance with the duke, her mind racing.She hadn’t expected this, but the journey had been long, and the village was small.There was no other choice.She could see the slight tension in his posture, the unspoken discomfort at what they would be forced to do.But they had no other option.“We’ll take it,” Enid said, her voice steady despite the fluttering in her stomach.“Thank you.”
The duke nodded, though his lips pressed into a thin line.“Yes, we will.”He sighed, clearly uncertain about this decision.Was it because he wanted more from her than she could give him?He would not take advantage of their situation.She trust him… “We’re grateful you have one available”
“Indeed, we are,” Enid replied with a smile, though she could feel her heart beating a little faster.They were both adults, after all and one night in a single room shouldn’t be an issue.
Once they had secured the room, they made their way upstairs.The room was small, but charming.It had a fireplace, and a window that overlooked the village square.Enid set her things down and, after a moment, turned toward the Templeton.He had already seated himself by the fire.She could feel the weight of the silence between them.She did not like it.Not at all… Enid had to do something, or she might go mad.
“Shall we have a game to pass the time?”she suggested, trying to lighten the mood.“Perhaps Vingt-un?”
The duke raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a wry smile.“You wish to play cards?”
Enid laughed, the sound light and carefree.“Do you have something else in mind we can do to pass the time?”She tried to make it sound as if it were nothing and that the silence between them did not bother her.“We cannot look for Felicity or your son tonight.The innkeeper is sending food up to us and I do believe that I heard somewhere you are good at cards.’
He studied her for a long moment and then nodded.“I have my moments,” he said with a chuckle.“But I am not a gambler at heart.Very well, let’s play.”
They sat down by the fire, the warmth from the flames a contrast to the chill in the air.As they played, Enid couldn’t help but notice how at ease they were together.The tension from earlier seemed to melt away with each hand they played, and the quiet conversation flowed naturally.She glanced up at the duke’s face, catching his eyes just as he looked at her.For a brief moment, she felt an undeniable pull between them.It was as if the space between them had shrunk, and all of a sudden, they were not so far apart.
After several rounds, Enid had won a few hands, but the duke had certainly bested her more times than she cared to admit.The competitive edge in her was beginning to itch, and she wanted to even the score.As the next hand was dealt, she leaned in with a mischievous grin.“I propose a wager,” she said, her eyes sparkling with challenge.“The winner of this round gets a boon from the loser—any favor they wish.No questions asked.”
