Page 3 of The Duke's Accidental Wallflower
“You act as though you can control everything,” he said smoothly, his voice low and insufferably teasing. “But some things are beyond even your reach.”
Minerva stiffened, her fingers curling into fists at her sides.
“You know nothing of what I do, Your Grace,” she snapped. “It’s easy to mock when you’ve never had to shoulder responsibilities that weren’t your own.”
The moment the words left her lips, she saw it—the subtle shift in his expression. His smirk faltered, replaced by something sharper, colder. For a fleeting instant, she thought she’d struck a nerve, though it quickly disappeared behind his infuriating calm.
“And you think you know me?” Evan asked, his voice soft but edged with steel. “What responsibilities I do or don’t bear? You assume quite a lot.”
Minerva opened her mouth to retort, but the words caught in her throat. A flicker of doubt crept in. Had she misjudged him? He didn’t look angry, exactly—his tone wasn’t heated—but there was something in his eyes that made her falter. A weariness she hadn’t noticed before, like the weight of some unspoken burden.
“I—” she began, but he cut her off with a sardonic smile.
“You’re right about one thing,” he said, his voice quieter now, almost contemplative. “Control is not always a luxury we can afford, is it?”
Her defenses wavered, if only for a moment. “You have mocked everything I have said since I entered the room,” she said, her voice less certain now. “How could I think otherwise?”
Evan raised an eyebrow, his lips curving into a rueful smile. “Maybe because you seem not to notice how ridiculous you have sounded since you entered this very room. And rather than call you out for your presumptive nature, I felt more curious to find out what has you so worked up so as to challenge a Duke.”
The challenge in his tone stung, though not in the way she expected. He wasn’t belittling her—he was... questioning her. However, his reminder of his status was enough to make her swallow hard. “Then what would you have had me ask, Your Grace?”
Evan tilted his head, studying her with an intensity that made her stomach twist.
“Perhaps nothing at all,” he said softly. “But if you truly think I’m the kind of man who’s never shouldered responsibility, then you’ve misunderstood me entirely.”
“Perhaps I have misunderstood,” she said stiffly. “But you give little reason for anyone to think otherwise.”
Evan’s lips quirked, but it wasn’t the same smirk as before. It was something quieter, almost sad. “I suppose I do at that.”
He straightened then, the tension breaking as he leaned slightly away from her. But his amber eyes remained locked on hers, and Minerva hated the way they seemed to see more than she wanted to reveal.
“And here you are, in a room alone with me, engaging in this delightful argument,” he asked mockingly, “You could have left at any time, after all— weren’t you in the middle of an urgent search?”
Minerva’s breath hitched, and she took a step back, suddenly remembering what had brought her into the room in the first place.
Chastity!This infuriating, arrogant man distracted her from her search. “I must go.”
Evan tilted his head, his smile fading slightly. “I had a feeling you would.”
Before Minerva could respond, the sound of voices from outside the library caught her attention. Her heart leapt in her chest.
They were no longer alone.
Evan’s head snapped toward the door, his expression instantly sharpening.
“We need to go,” he muttered under his breath, his hand shooting out to grab Minerva’s wrist.
“What are you doing?” she hissed, trying to pull free, but his grip remained firm as he tugged her toward a hidden door at the back of the library.
“We cannot be found here,” he whispered urgently, opening the small door to a supply closet tucked away behind one of the bookshelves. “Unless you want to cause the very scandal you seem so determined to avoid.”
Before Minerva could argue, he pulled her inside the cramped space and shut the door behind them.
Minerva stumbled back against the shelves, the darkness of the closet pressing in on her from all sides. She could feel the heat radiating from the Duke’s body, entirely too close in the small space. Her breath came in quick, shallow bursts as she struggled to keep her rising panic at bay.
“How dare you—” she began, but before she could get the words out, Evan covered her mouth with his hand.
“If you keep talking, we’ll both be discovered,” he whispered, his breath hot against her ear. “And as much as I enjoy a good scandal, I doubt you would find it as amusing.”
