Page 72 of The Duke's Accidental Wallflower
“Minerva,” Evan repeated, his voice cracking with emotion. “Please. Don’t marry him.”
Minerva’s heart raced, the impact of his words sinking in slowly, almost painfully. Her mind screamed at her to make sense of it, but all she could feel was the pull between them, the undeniable force that had always drawn her to him, no matter how hard she had tried to resist.
Evan stood before her, his chest heaving, his eyes pleading. And in that moment, nothing else seemed to exist—no crowd, no expectations, no carefully constructed plans for a future she didn’t want.
Only him.
Evan took a shaky breath, his voice cracking with raw vulnerability. “I know,” he said, his words tumbling out, “I know I have no right to ask this of you. After everything I have done—after the hurt I have caused. But I must beg you, Minerva. Don’t marry him. Don’t break either of our hearts any more than we already have.”
Minerva’s breath caught in her throat, and she found herself stepping back, the conflicting emotions inside her clashing like a violent storm. Her voice trembled as she spoke, her hands clutching the folds of her skirts. “Why?” she demanded, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “Why should I trust you now, Evan? Why should I believe you when all you have done is pull away, leaving me to think I was nothing to you?”
Evan’s face contorted with guilt, his shoulders slumping as if the weight of her words physically hurt him. He took a step closer, desperation lining every feature. “Because I was acoward,” he admitted, his voice breaking. “Because I thought I was protecting you—protecting us both—from the ruin I thought I would bring. I was terrified that I would hurt you, that I would repeat my father’s sins. But I love you, Minerva, so much that my very soul is shaken.”
Minerva’s lips parted, her breath coming in shallow gasps. The world around them seemed to hold its breath, the sounds of Hyde Park fading into nothingness. “You love me?” she whispered, the words scarcely leaving her lips.
Evan nodded, his eyes filled with an intensity that made her knees weak. “I love you,” he said again, the truth of it blazing in his gaze. “I have loved you from the moment you stormed into my life, defiant and impossible. And I know I don’t deserve you, but I cannot let you go without telling you. You are everything to me. My heart, my hope. Please, Minerva, don’t choose him when my heart will never stop longing for you.”
Minerva’s tears spilled over, and her hand flew to her mouth as a sob escaped her. “I—” She struggled to breathe, her voice cracking. “I love you too, Evan. I always have.” Her heart felt like it might burst with the relief and longing coursing through her veins, the impossible hope that maybe, just maybe, they could have a future together.
But before she could say anything more, Lord Gillies sprang into action, his face a mask of fury. “Enough of this!” he bellowed, his voice slicing through the tension. He stepped forward, his hands curling into fists as he glared at Evan. “You dare to show uphere and make a spectacle of yourself, trying to steal what I have already claimed?”
Evan’s eyes darkened, his jaw tightening. He turned slightly, placing himself between Minerva and Lord Gillies as if to shield her from any harm. “You have claimed nothing,” Evan said, his voice low and dangerous. “Minerva is not a possession to be won, and I will not let you maneuver her into a marriage she does not want.”
Lord Gillies’s eyes blazed with outrage, and he sneered. “You think you can sweep in here with your empty words and convince her to choose you?” He turned to Minerva, his voice dripping with disdain. “Lady Minerva, do not be swayed by this reckless man’s theatrics. You know what stability and honor I can provide. Do not throw it all away for a man who has never taken anything seriously.”
Minerva looked between the two men, her heart pounding. The moment had shattered, but the truth remained. Her love for Evan was undeniable, and the decision she had to make had never been clearer. She stepped forward, her voice steady despite the storm raging around her. “Lord Gillies,” she said, her tone resolute, “you do not speak for me. My heart is my own, and I will choose my own future.”
Evan’s breath caught, and for a moment, the world seemed to hang in perfect stillness, waiting for her next words.
Lord Gillies’s face twisted with fury, and before Minerva could even process his movements, he grabbed her arm, yanking herroughly toward him. The force of it wrenched her wrist, sending a sharp jolt of pain shooting up her arm. Bystanders gasped at the sudden violence.
“You deceitful, loose woman,” he spat, his voice dripping with contempt. “You play the innocent, but all this time, you have been making a fool of me.”
Minerva tried to pull away, her heart racing and fear tightening her throat, but his grip was bruising and unrelenting. “Let me go,” she demanded, her voice trembling but firm.
Evan’s eyes darkened to a dangerous shade, and his entire body tensed like a coiled spring. The protective instinct roaring through his veins was almost blinding. “Unhand her. Now,” he commanded, his voice deadly calm, yet laced with a threat that couldn’t be ignored.
Lord Gillies sneered, tightening his hold on Minerva. “This is none of your concern, Colburn. The lady and I are to be wed, and her behavior needs to be corrected.”
Evan’s restraint snapped. His hands balled into fists, and in a blur of motion, he surged forward, prying Minerva from Lord Gillies’s grip. She stumbled back, and Evan gently but firmly guided her behind him, shielding her from further harm. “I warned you,” he growled, his voice vibrating with rage. “Touch her again, and you’ll regret it.”
Lord Gillies barely had time to react before Evan’s fist collided with his jaw, the force of the punch sending him staggeringbackward. The gathered crowd let out gasps of shock, and everything seemed to freeze as the two men squared off. Lord Gillies recovered quickly his face a mixture of fury and humiliation. He wiped the corner of his mouth where a trickle of blood had formed and sneered at Evan, his voice trembling with rage.
“This is an outrage!” he spat, pointing an accusing finger at Evan. “You think you can humiliate me in front of all these people and simply walk away unchallenged? I demand satisfaction!”
Evan’s jaw clenched, and his fists remained at his sides, still curled tightly. The onlookers, who had been stunned into silence, now began murmuring amongst themselves. The word duel whispered through the crowd like a ripple.
“Lord Gillies,” Minerva interjected, stepping forward despite the throbbing in her wrist. Her voice was firm but carried an edge of desperation. “This is absurd. We are in Hyde Park, surrounded by onlookers. You cannot seriously propose something so reckless.”
Michael turned his ire on her, his face twisted with indignation. “Do not lecture me on propriety, Lady Minerva,” he snapped. “Your actions—consorting with this man in public—have already ruined any semblance of respectability you might have claimed.”
Evan moved to stand slightly in front of Minerva, shielding her once again. His voice was low, filled with a cold fury. “You havealready proven your lack of honor by laying a hand on her. Do not presume to lecture anyone on respectability.”
Lord Gillies’s nostrils flared, and he took a step closer, his hand trembling as it gestured toward Evan. “You have meddled in matters that do not concern you, Colburn. If you are so desperate to play the hero, then face me like a man.”
Minerva’s heart raced, her breath catching at the sheer absurdity of the situation. “Enough!” she said sharply, her voice cutting through the growing murmur of the crowd. She stepped between the two men, her gaze darting between them. “This has gone far enough. You are acting like children.”
Evan considered Minerva gently as he glanced at her, but he remained tense, his body still angled toward Lord Gillies as though ready to strike again at a moment’s notice. “Minerva,” he said quietly, “you don’t have to?—”
