Page 69 of The Duke's Accidental Wallflower
Chastity's eyes filled with a mixture of sadness and frustration, and she shook her head. “Protecting her from what?” she asked, her voice carrying a note of disbelief. “From you? Evan, Minerva is strong, but she’s also hurting. You think you're doing her a favor by disappearing, but all you have done is leave her feeling abandoned.”
He flinched at her words, but she didn’t back down. “My sister has always tried to do what she thinks is right,” she said, her voice trembling slightly. “She thinks Lord Gillies is the safe choice, the logical one. But safety isn’t the same as happiness. You have made her believe that you don’t care, that she has to settle for a life without love.”
Evan ran a hand through his hair, his frustration clear. “You speak as if love is enough,” he muttered, his voice rough. “As if wanting her gives me the right to pursue her, even knowing the chaos I bring with me.”
Chastity’s expression softened, and she stepped closer, her eyes shining with sincerity. “Love isn’t simple,” she said, her voice quiet but firm. “I know that. But love isn’t about deserving someone. It is about wanting to be with them even when it is hard. It is about choosing them, again and again, because life without them feels empty.”
He met her gaze, his defenses wavering. “And what if I make everything worse?” he whispered, his voice breaking. “What if I hurt her more?”
Chastity’s lips quirked in a sad smile. “Then that’s a risk she should be able to take,” she replied, her voice thick with emotion. “You owe her the truth, Evan. You owe her the chance to choose for herself. It is not fair for you to decide what’s best for her, not when she still thinks about you every day.”
Evan’s chest felt tight, and his mind spun with doubts and fears. He wanted to believe he was doing the right thing by staying away, but Chastity’s words chipped away at that certainty.
Evan’s hands curled into fists as he struggled with the turmoil inside him. He was sure of his goal, but he had never been more unsure of his chances. “You’re asking me to fight for her,” he said finally, his voice strained.
Chastity’s expression softened, and she reached out to touch his arm, her voice gentle. “I am asking you to show her that she has a choice,” she said. “To remind her that love isn’t something to be feared. And if that means fighting for her, then yes, fight. But more than that, be honest with her. Don’t let another man’s pettiness decide her future.”
Evan’s heart ached with the weight of his past, his failures, and the love he couldn’t deny any longer. He closed his eyes, breathing in Chastity’s words, letting them sink into his bones. When he opened his eyes, there was a flicker of something stronger than fear. Determination.
He looked at Chastity, his voice steadier. “Thank you,” he said, the words full of a new sense of resolve. “I needed to hear that.”
Chastity’s shoulders relaxed, and she managed a small, hopeful smile. “I just want my sister to be happy,” she whispered. “Even if it is with someone as infuriating as you.”
A faint smile tugged at his lips, and for the first time in what felt like ages, Evan felt a sliver of hope. As Chastity turned to leave,he was left with a choice he could no longer run from. Would he let Minerva slip away forever, or would he take the risk and fight for the one woman who had ever truly mattered?
Evan studied Chastity as she made her way toward the door, her determination evident in every step. But a thought struck him, one that had been nagging since the garden party.
“Lady Chastity,” he called after her, his voice steady but questioning.
Chastity turned, pausing in the doorway. “Yes, Your Grace?”
He crossed the room slowly, his gaze probing. “I have to ask. Why did you invite me to your sister’s garden party?”
Chastity blinked, momentarily caught off guard. A faint blush crept up her cheeks, and she fidgeted slightly before answering. “I suppose... it seemed the thing to do,” she said evasively, but Evan arched an eyebrow, clearly unsatisfied with her response.
“The thing to do?” he pressed, his tone light but laced with suspicion. “Forgive me, but Minerva didn’t seem particularly thrilled to see me there.”
Chastity’s lips twitched, a mixture of guilt and amusement flashing across her face. “That’s an understatement,” she muttered. Then, with a resigned sigh, she folded her arms and leaned against the doorframe. “Fine. The truth is, I had another reason.”
Evan gestured for her to continue, his interest piqued.
“Well,” Chastity began, her voice lower now, as though confessing a secret, “Minerva’s guest list was... lacking a certain someone. Someone I was rather eager to have in attendance.”
Understanding flickered in Evan’s expression. “Lord Wellford,” he said knowingly.
Chastity nodded, a small, sheepish smile curving her lips. “He wasn’t invited, and I couldn’t very well add him alone. Minerva would have been suspicious. So, I came up with a plan. I wrote to a handful of other people—some eligible gentlemen and respectable ladies—and extended invitations to them all. It seemed less obvious that way.”
Evan tilted his head, his amusement evident. “So, I was merely part of the subterfuge.”
Chastity grinned, unrepentant. “Precisely. But you were also a rather strategic choice. I knew Minerva would be too preoccupied with you to question my motives.”
His amusement deepened, though he shook his head. “Clever, Lady Chastity. Though I suspect Minerva wouldn’t be pleased to know she was used as a diversion.”
“She doesn’t need to know,” Chastity said lightly, then sobered. “I didn’t mean to put you in an awkward position, Your Grace. But... well, it worked, didn’t it?”
Evan nodded, a reluctant smile tugging at his lips. “I suppose it did. Though I imagine the fallout will come eventually.”
Chastity sighed, her earlier determination returning. “It is worth the risk if it means ensuring my sister’s happiness.”
