Page 40 of The Hero

Gideon Harrington was a liar, Harry decided.

It was a full three weeks since Gideon and Robert had left her aunt and uncle’s home to ride to London with the intention of discussing the new developments regarding the death of the previous Duke of Plymouth with his friends.

Or so he had claimed was his purpose.

Harry was now inclined, more than ever, to believe that, although Gideon obviously did need to speak with the other Ruthless Dukes, he had never had any serious intention of seeking her out after he had done so.

And, oh how her heart ached at that realization.

Despite how busy the past three weeks had been.

As Harry had said would be the case, she had remained at her aunt and uncle’s home for another week, caring for her father until he was well enough to travel back to into Gloucestershire.

There was also the more immediate problem of what was to be done with Edward.

On her father’s instruction, he had also remained in Bedfordshire with them before accompanying them back to the Dunhill estate.

Harry had told her father of Gideon’s recommendations, and after careful thought, the earl had agreed it appeared to be the only way to cure Edward of his addiction.

Predictably, Edward did not see it as a way of helping him at all, and he had fought most strongly and very loudly against being dispatched to the Continent, accompanied by the two burly men her father had hired to ensure Edward did not have access to opium again.

In the end, the two men had kept Edward secured in one of the cottages on the estate until the worst of his violence and ranting had passed. A week ago, they had deemed her brother well enough to travel. The two of them had left the following day and taken a very subdued Edward with them.

Harry sincerely hoped that by the time they returned, Edward would be cured of his craving.

In the meantime, as she had done many times these past three weeks, Harry was once again sitting beside one of the windows in the main salon at the front of Dunhill Manor. Her purpose, as always, was to gaze down the long driveway as she waited for a man whom she no longer believed was ever going to appear.

She was a fool to have ever hoped otherwise, she berated herself. A naïve and impetuous fool who had been taken in by a man who was not only older and more experienced than her, but who had also reached the age of three and thirty without losing his heart to any woman.

Harry had hoped, oh, how she had hoped, that she would be the exception.

But it was not to be.

They were not to be.

She gave a humorless laugh at how ridiculous it had been of her to ever have thought Gideon would want someone like her. A woman who was lacking in societal manners. Who could be abrasive. Who was too forward by half in both her comments and behavior.

Harry’s cheeks heated as she all too easily recalled the intimacies she and Gideon had shared that afternoon at Whiting Manor.

Her behavior that day, she was now forced to realize and accept, had been beyond scandalous. So how could she possibly have hoped Gideon would wish to see her again?

She had been an amusement to him. A silly little girl who had been stupid enough to ever believe the haughty Duke of Oxford might fall in love with her.

As she continued to be with him.

Out of sight, out of mind did not do anything to lessen the love Harry felt for Gideon in her sore and aching heart.

Absence did make the heart grow fonder.

Harry had decided that both those proverbs must have been said by someone who had never felt as if their heart was breaking apart at the thought of never seeing the person they loved again.

Worse, if Harry did ever have a London Season, which her father now seemed to think she should, then she would one day be forced to see Gideon again. Perhaps by then, he would even be accompanied by his wife. Harry had no doubt she would be a tall and elegant lady, with fine and beautiful features and a polite and gracious manner.

None of which Harry—

“I have received a letter.”

Harry gave one last lingering glance down the empty driveway before making herself smile warmly as she turned to face her father.

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