Page 77 of The Duke's Spinster Bride
She turned on her heel and started to walk away. Frederick met her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. She buried her face into his chest.
I am free.
ChapterTwenty-Six
“Icannot believe I really just said that.” Andrea touched a hand to her lips, shaking her head. “I cannot believe I told him to get out of my life. I… I slapped him.”
Frederick was staring into the distance over Andrea’s head as he held her close to him. The sound of her slap echoed in his ears filling him with a deep sense of pride. But as his eyes drifted over the space the Earl had been anger coursed through him, his fingers twitched as though they were desperate to wrap themselves around the man’s neck.
Swallowing the urge, he tore his gaze from the now empty grounds around them and turned to face Andrea. She was shaking against his grip, her eyes were wide, but there was a smile on her face.
“Are you all right?” he asked, stepping back from her so he could get a better look at her. “How is your hand?”
“Sore.” She flexed and unflexed her fingers. “I did not think it would hurt so much.”
“You slapped him rather hard. I can practically still hear it echoing.” He smiled at her, inhaling sharply as he breathed in her jasmine scent.
His muscles were still tensed, ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice, but his mind calmed as he held her in his arms. “I am so proud of you. You did so well.”
“Thank you.” She buried her face in his chest, which made her next words sound rather muffled. “I am rather proud of myself as well.”
“You should be.” He kissed the top of her head. “You were magnificent.”
He caught her hand in his and drew it to his lips. He kissed it, feeling the warmth tingle against his lips. “Remind me never to make you so angry you feel the need to strike me. I have no wish to be slapped so hard, I fall on my backside. There are some men who enjoy that sort of thing, but I am not one of them.”
He grinned at her and as he had hoped it would, the joke diffused some of the tension from her body. She chuckled and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him against her. He ran a hand through her hair, pressing his lips to her forehead.
“You are sure you are unhurt? You are well?” He cupped her face in his hands, searching for tears he feared might fall.Not that he deserves her tears.
Frederick had not realised it was possible to hate someone so thoroughly when you had so little contact with them. Yet the Earl had taught him that much at least.
“I… Yes, I think I am. In fact… I think I am more than all right.” She leaned back, pushing against his chest to get a better look at him. “Did I really just tell my father to leave and never contact me again?”
Frederick nodded, grinning down at her as he remembered the look of startled outrage on Lord Statton’s face. “You did. And I am fairly certain you threatened to set the dogs on him if he ever turned up on our doorstep unannounced.”
“The unfortunate thing being that we do not have dogs.” Andrea shook her head.
“He does not know that.” Frederick stroked his jaw as he let out a chuckle that was more anger than amusement. “And we can always get some if you are worried about him.”
“Is this your way of telling me you are getting me a puppy?” Her eyes danced in the moonlight, her tone light and teasing.
“If you want.” He laughed. “I would feel safer if you had something big and fierce watching you at night.”
“And you do not count, I take it?” She poked him affectionately in the chest.
He spluttered, rubbing a hand on his neck. He could feel his skin burning and had no doubt that if he were in better lighting, the marks would be clear as day. Andrea laughed at him.
“You are enjoying this far too much.” He grumbled as they moved apart and began to meander their way back towards the ballroom.
“As though you have not enjoyed doing this same thing to me.” She wagged a finger at him and he pretended to bite it. “You reap what you sow, dear Frederick. You reap what you sow.”
He watched as she glanced back over her shoulder, in the direction the earl had run and then looked up at him. “Are you worried he will come back?”
He felt his muscles tense as he asked the question and he rolled his neck, feeling his shoulders and back crack as he glared into the darkness behind them.
“I thought I would be. But… But I am not. I feel… I feel strangely light, as thought a great weight has been lifted.” She dragged her foot along the ground as she twisted from side to side. “It is like the final thing that was holding me back…”
She looked back over her shoulder and unreadable expression on her face, but before he could ask her about it, she turned to him and smiled. “Now I just get to be happy.”
