Deceiving the Duke of Kerrington
Page 33
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Pierce had spent the last two days moping around his house, refusing to leave the premises and refusing to accept any callers. He felt despondent in a way that he hadn’t felt in his entire life. He despaired when he thought of the future and what his life would be like without Hope. It still felt odd calling her that. Part of him was fiercely angry at the situation, at her for her perfidy. He couldn’t help but wonder what else was a lie between them and how much he really did know about her.
Whenever he thought of the real Noelle his stomach turned sour and he wanted to hit something. He kept trying to contrive ways out of their engagement that wouldn’t make him look the fool. He knew that if a man were to cry off it could very well destroy the lady’s reputation beyond repair. Why he cared about Noelle’s reputation was beyond him, but he wanted to find a way out of the marriage with as little scandal as possible but he knew that now that the bann’s had been read that would be next to impossible. He entertained the idea of fleeing the continent. He could admit to himself that this desire to flee had crept into his thoughts a few too many times where Noelle Parrish was concerned but it was the only plausible and somewhat satisfying answer he had come up with yet.
He looked up from his desk as he heard his butler enter the study. “Your grace, you’ve a visitor.”
“I said I wasn’t seeing anyone.”
“As you wish your grace,” but just as his butler bowed his head and turned to leave, Elliot marched through the door.
“I had a feeling you’d try to turn me away. Enough of this hiding, I haven’t seen you at White’s for days.”
Pierce shrugged his shoulders, “I haven’t been feeling very social.”
Elliot walked over and poured himself a brandy before coming to sit in the chair across from Pierce’s desk. He noted the shadow of stubble on his friends face and the tired look in his eyes. His attire was unusually unkempt and his hair looked as if it hadn’t been combed in days.
“I’m afraid to be the bearer of bad news, but you my friend, have seen better days.”
“Please accept my apologies; I hadn’t planned on entertaining today so I’m sorry if my appearance offends you.”
Elliot leaned forward and placed his glass on the desk, “What’s wrong with you man? Has the magic of love already faded between you and Noelle?”
“She’s not my fiancée, I’m not marrying the chit.”
“What?! Are you serious? Have you finally decided to take my advice and cry off?”
“No, I mean it literally—that woman is not the girl I was going to marry.”
“You mean she’s not acting like the girl you thought you were going to marry, right?”
“No, I mean that it’s not her.”
Elliot eyed him quizzically, “I think you better explain yourself.”
Taking a deep breath, Pierce pushed his chair back from the desk and propped his booted feet on his desk, both hands clasped behind his head as he began to recount the story.
When he had finally finished explaining the tale Elliot had sprung to his feet and leaned over-animatedly across the desk attempting to get as close to his face as was possible, “Why the devil are you sitting here brooding when you should be out looking for the woman you love? I can guarantee you that if I thought even for a minute that I had a chance to find my love that I would be doing everything within my power to search her out and bring her back.”
Pierce lowered both feet to the ground, shocked by the emotional outburst of his friend. He had never seen him so incensed. “Oh like you did with Felicity?”
Elliot’s voice turned cold and menacing, “You know that I did everything I could to find her, I searched everywhere.” Pierce instantly regretted asking when he saw the haunted look that flitted through his friends icy eyes and realized that he was being unfair. He remembered vividly the tortured weeks and months after Felicity’s mysterious disappearance when Elliot had spent days searching out any lead he could find that might possibly give him a clue as to where she had gone. He had left no rock unturned in his search for her and had never been the same when he failed to discover her whereabouts.
“This is different,” Pierce reasoned.
“You’re right, it is different. It’s different because you’re different. I wouldn’t be so foolish to the let the best thing that had happened to me slip away without a fight. At least I had the gumption and the conviction to search for who I loved. At least I can feel peace knowing I did everything I could to find her.”
“Is that what you’ve felt all these years, peaceful?”
“Lud no!” Elliot exclaimed, “But imagine how much worse I would feel if I hadn’t done anything. You’re a bigger fool than I thought if you won’t even bother putting up a fight. People like you don’t deserve the love of a good woman. I would give up everything that I have just to spend one more day with Felicity.” He scrutinized Pierce one final time before turning and making his exit before his uncontrolled emotions could embarrass him any further.