Page 43 of Disguised Desires of a Scarred Duke
“I figured as such, Montrose. I can account for the folksongs, but the rest is a blur to me, too.” William winked at his friend and then finished off a buttery scone. What Edward didn’t know now, he would learn soon enough.
The duke would probably confess to his closest friend soon that just before Montrose was singing nonsensical songs outside his door, his love had become a virgin no more.
And now William’s mission was all about telling Eleanor the truth and making their union permanent.
Which was another reason it was time to finally visit his mother. First, he needed her copies of the estate ledgers.
In addition, he wanted to retrieve his grandmother’s engagement ring.
William tried not to think about the disappointment of leaving a life at sea for one in society. He was too afraid that he would talk himself out of doing what a true gentleman should do. And what his heart knew he may have needed all along.
If you bed a proper lady, you marry her. It’s as simple as that. The surprising part of this twist in his crazy life was that he knew that marrying Eleanor was a move he would never regret.
She grounded him in a way that made him happy on dry land. And she was exciting like no other lady had ever been in his experience. His Elle was rebellious, witty, and independent. And she knew herself better than he may ever know or understand himself.
Maybe spending the rest of his life loving her would help him feel long-lasting steadiness like he felt when she was near.
“Are you daydreaming, Your Grace? Or did you pour something stronger in the tea?” Edward laughed and refilled both of their teacups from the steaming pot resting between them.
“You need to stop calling me that, even quietly between us, until I figure out a way to tell Eleanor who I really am.”
Edward stopped pouring and set the teapot on its trivet. “You’re going to tell Eleanor? When?”
“This week, I hope. Before we get back to London. She needs to know before …” William paused and stirred a bit of cream into his tea before saying too much.
“Before you finally admit to yourself that you’re in love with her?” Edward spoke quietly, and this time, there was no amusement in his voice; he only expressed sincerity that William appreciated.
“I’ve already admitted it to myself. Now, I need to admit it to her. But we have no future without the truth between us. We may still have no future once she knows this has all been a ruse.” William hung his head and closed his eyes until the sound of Lord Charter’s voice broke through his depressing thoughts.
“Good morning, Gentlemen. We’re putting together a hunting party. Would you like to join us for some shooting this afternoon?”
“What a fine idea, Lord Charter! Count us in!” Edward answered, then shook their host’s hand.
When Lord Charter was out of earshot again, William groaned. “Hunting? When my head is full of loud and painful booming sounds already?”
Edward smacked William on the back. “It’ll be a great distraction from falling madly in love. With any luck, Mr Phillips will be in the hunting party and easy target practice.”
“From your poetic declarations last night, I know I’m not the only man between us that’s smitten by a Whitfield lady,” William said. He grinned as his friend’s face lit up.
“Regina is heaven on this earth, Mr Black! She is the epitome of sweetness and loveliness!”
“Even more than tulips?” William teased.
“You know I adore tulips. But they pale in comparison to Miss Regina in every single way. Yes, I love her. Maybe I will tell her so this week, too.”
Edward stood and did an impromptu dance at his chair, which brought applause from the tables around them and made William smile.
Being in love with a Whitfield sister at the same time as his closest friend was a story he’d never have believed if someone else had told it. But it was the truth, as pure and surprising as truth could be.
Well, Edward’s truth was pure. William’s, however, still had lies festering under the surface.
Revealing them would either lead to the life with Eleanor he now imagined and craved, or his whole world would capsize and sink like so many ships at the bottom of the sea.
…
The hunting party was a successful one, though William didn’t even attempt to shoot a thing. However, he made Edward proud by shooting daggers with his eyes at Cecil Phillips while riding much of the afternoon behind that scoundrel’s horse.
The nine men had downed three bucks between them, which would add to the feast of trout some of them had caught together early that morning.
