To Dodge a Duke (Entangled Nobility Book 2)

by Naomi Boom

  He smiled at her, and she threw up her hands in a show of frustration. “There is no talking to you. This entire situation is your fault, yet you do not accept responsibility as you ought, and then you don’t even listen when I explain what I have been through. I am finished.”

  He stood, and his eyes turned a steely color she had never seen before. “You are at fault just as much as I. You came to Briarthorn and discovered my true identity, and then, rather than return to London for our wedding, you expected me to join you here.”

  She parted her lips. She would reveal her condition to him under happier circumstances. Once he knew, it would make perfect sense why she had not made the grueling journey a second time.

  He stepped toward her and caught her arms in his hands. “You wanted to see if you could make your little marionette dance? Well, congratulations, you succeeded. I just hope you enjoy the fruits of your labor.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” She tried to shrug out of his hold, but he kept her pinned in place. She should have been intimidated, but she couldn’t. Not with him.

  He smiled. “Well, now that I am here, we might as well stay here. This can be our honeymoon of sorts. I did win our bet, after all.”

  She didn’t care and nodded her head in jerky little movements as she tried to tamp down her anger. “So be it. Let me know when and where our wedding shall take place, and I will be there.” She turned from him and left him standing in place, keenly aware that he watched her retreat. She was hungry and tired, as her interaction with Logan had sapped the remainder of her energy.

  As she entered her room, she spotted the tray of food laid out on her bed. Mrs. O’Conner must have guessed she would want a tray, and Eleanor would thank her later for the consideration.

  She munched on a piece of bread and tried to calm herself. Logan thought he struck the winning blow by suggesting they remain at Briarthorn. Little did he know she would prefer to stay at this particular estate for a while, but now she knew better than to tell him so. Finishing off the food on her tray, Eleanor lay down for a nap. No good would come of being too sleepy to deal rationally with Logan.

  ****

  Logan didn’t know what had gone awry. He had envisioned a happy reunion between himself and Ellie, not this wretched spat that occurred. At the very least, he could have received some thanks for his trip across the entirety of England.

  Striding to his chambers, he called for a bath and began to undress. He smelled of the road and should be grateful one of his daydreams had not turned out how he hoped. He could at least smell decent when he finally got to tup her again. He shook his head with dissatisfaction. What had passed between them had been so much more than a mere tup, although he was at a loss for words for how he should describe the physical aspect of their relationship.

  In his many years, he had never experienced such a bond with a woman. With Ellie, the act of making love was an unidentifiable high without the inevitable crash that came in the afterglow of intimacy. She was not some vapid creature that could only satisfy him in bed, either. Her wit and humor amused him and kept him interested in her without fail. Even her responses in anger amused him, which was no small feat. Simply put, she intrigued him, and he needed her.

  As the last of the servants trailed out, Logan stepped into his bathtub as the steam rose around him. He inhaled the vapors and relished the feeling of being home once more. Even though he had many other estates, this was the one he had grown up on and would spend many more years at. He shifted deeper into the water and closed his eyes. He planned on staying at Briarthorn, but now that Ellie knew there were other options available, would she choose to stay with him here?

  Important topics such as these required a discussion between him and Ellie, but he would have a lifetime to do that. For now, he should try to repair the damage between them. Going into his masquerade to win her heart, he had known she was passionate and would just have to accept more spats like these would happen in the future.

  He stepped from the tub, toweled off, and began to dress in a set of clothes one of the servants laid out. He would have to send for his valet now that he knew he would not return to London. He ignored the constricting cravat and left the room, but not before pocketing the gift he had purchased for her.

  Logan found his butler directing a number of servants with the remaining items left to unpack from the coach. “Alban,” Logan said, and the butler stopped what he was doing to attend to what Logan said. “Would you be so kind as to direct me to Miss Ashford’s chambers?”

  Alban looked at him askance. “Your Grace, she is a lady.”

  Brushing Alban’s concerns of decorum aside with a brush of his hand, Logan said, “Yes, yes, and my future duchess. So tell me her location, and then send someone to alert the vicar that he must preside over a wedding tomorrow morning.”

  Nodding his head, the reproachful light in Alban’s eyes did not diminish despite Logan’s attempt to placate. “She is located in the West Room, Your Grace.”

  Logan turned on his heel and headed in the direction of Ellie’s room. He was feeling better about his situation with her now that their wedding was in the near future. A faint smile even flickered on his face as he realized his problems with her were truly insignificant. Now he just needed to convince her of that.

  He passed a door which led to the kitchens, and Mrs. O’Conner materialized with a smile. “Your Grace, what a delight to see you. Would you care for a sandwich?”

  “In a little while. I must see to our guest first.”

  Her smile brightened. “Miss Ashford is such a delightful creature. You have chosen well.”

  He nodded as he began to walk once more but stopped as she continued speaking. Trying to hide his annoyance, he listened as she spoke.

  “Try not to be too hard on her, Your Grace. A woman in her condition sometimes acts nonsensically.” With her parting words of wisdom, Mrs. O’Conner turned to return to her kitchen, until Logan stopped her.

  “In what condition?” he asked, dumbfounded.

  “Why, increasing, of course.” She cocked her head. “You did know she is with child, didn’t you?”

  Logan had never experienced an out-of-body moment quite like this before. His mind stopped its usual mechanisms, and he felt as though he had been hit with a sledgehammer. While his body remained grounded, his spirit floated above, examining him and discovering a new side he had not known existed. He was to be a father, and Ellie a mother. She would make a wonderful mother. He smiled as he thought of a smaller version of Ellie clinging shyly to her mother’s skirts.

  He moved forward then, unaware that his walk was more of a trot. If he was shocked by the news, imagine how Ellie must have felt. He rounded a corner, and his gaze landed on her door. Reaching the doorway, he raised his hand to knock but was interrupted when it swung open.

  “Ellie,” he breathed.

  “Your Grace.”

  He winced. Her blue eyes were leveled on him in icy indifference. “Are you going somewhere?”

  “As a matter of fact, yes.” She stepped around him and began to make her way down the hall.

  “Would you care for some company?”

  “No, thank you.”

  He trailed after her and was beginning to think she would ignore him for the entirety of their walk, when suddenly she whirled on him. “What do you want from me?”

  He stopped. He had come very near to running her over. “For starters, I should like very much to escort you on your outing.”

  She considered him for several seconds and then nodded. “Very well, but don’t expect anything else from me.”

  He offered her his arm, but instead of taking it, she turned and began to walk once more. He couldn’t help the grin that pulled on his lips. He followed all the way to the front door and down the gravel path. The sun had begun to descend, and an orange glow overtook the sky. The air was warm but not hot, and he savored the feeling of being home, with her.

  She led him down t
o the river and turned to walk on its shoreline. He stopped her by asking, “Might I suggest we walk the opposite direction, my lady?”

  “You may not. This is the direction I take when I walk.”

  He grinned, and her gaze narrowed on him. She thrust her nose in the air and began to march away. She was behaving in a vexing manner, but he was just happy to spend time with her. He knew they would reach an accord soon, so why not enjoy his outing with her?

  “I have something for you, but it lies in the opposite direction.”

  Again she stopped, but this time he could hear the distinct sound of pain in her words. “Why should I want anything from you when the one thing I truly desire you will not give?”

  The gentle sound of the water lapping against the shoreline filled the silence. He had known she was angry, but this was something other than anger. This was hurt. “What do you mean?”

  “I need more from you than a simple apology. I need you to understand the pain you have caused me.”

  His breath caught at her words. He had acted in a way that would benefit them both. Surely she understood that, didn’t she? He stepped toward her but stopped when she held up her hand.

  “Just don’t.” She shook her head. “Let me explain.”

  “Of course.”

  She breathed in a ragged breath. “I understand your actions, but that doesn’t change how I felt.” Her arms circled herself in a tight hug and she shut her eyes. “I didn’t know where you were or when you would come for me. Then, out of nowhere, a duke wished to marry me. Naturally, I assumed it was the duke that I had met and not you. Mother wanted the match, but all I wanted was you.”

  He ached to go to her, to hold her in his arms, but when he moved to her side, she gave him a quelling look. He respected her wishes and stopped.

  “I began to doubt you, and I let my fears convince me you had used me and no longer wanted me. Then, I discovered I was pregnant.” She laughed. “Yes, Logan, you are to be a father.” A solitary tear escaped from her eye, and she wiped it away. “That unforeseen complication changed everything. I could only assume that you did not care for me, and I would be sent away to birth your bastard in secret.”

  Her words shocked him. “I would never allow that to happen.”

  She turned to him and said, “How was I to know that? You weren’t there. You may think that your little masquerade was innocent, but think of the pain it caused me because I didn’t know. All the inner turmoil at defying my parents’ desires and the dreams I had held since girlhood. These things may seem trivial to you, but I actually began to anticipate the change in my circumstances, as long as it was with you.” Her voice caught, and he rushed forward. He ignored her protests and pulled her to him.

  She was shaking, and he stroked her silken hair to calm her. Never in his wildest imagination had he thought she might suffer so. He had never wanted that for her. Never. “I am so sorry, my darling. I never intended for my actions to hurt you. So many things occurred due to both of our choices, but we are here now, and what matters is that I love you and you love me. I will never allow you to feel so much pain again, I swear.”

  She brought her head from his chest and gazed into his eyes. The orange glow of the setting sun tinted the world around them and made her appear even more beautiful. She sniffled, and he wiped a newly shed tear from her face. “Don’t cry, Ellie. We are supposed to be happy now that we are together again.”

  “Of course I am, now that I know all is well.” She smiled past the tears in her eyes and said, “You cannot imagine the doubts I dealt with on the way here. My primary concern was you would laugh at me for traveling all the way to Briarthorn and send me away. My other concern was you would marry me just for the baby.”

  “I could never send you away, but as for the baby—” He grinned and placed a kiss on the top of her forehead. “—I want you, and the baby is just an added boon.” He hugged her to him in a tight embrace as his heart swelled. He could easily hold her just like this for the rest of time, but he had something else planned for her.

  He disengaged himself from her and led her opposite to the way she had desired to go. Their feet barely made a whisper on the grass beside the river. He whistled a low, wondrous note and said, “Imagine, you are enceinte after only one magical night.”

  She giggled, and the sound filled him with joy. She was so precious to him, and no amount of disagreements or misunderstandings would lessen that.

  They approached a wooded area, and she asked, “Are you sure you know where we are going?”

  He smiled and continued to lead her through the trees until he spotted what he wished to show her. In front of him stood a small weeping willow, surrounded by lush green grass and wildflowers. The river lay nearby, and the castle could be seen above them. It was even more magical than he had envisioned. The setting sun cast a soft, otherworldly glow to the place, and Logan turned to look at Ellie’s face.

  She stood riveted in place, but he could not read what she felt. “Do you like it?” Logan asked, fearful of her answer.

  “Do I like it? Oh, Logan, I love it.” Ellie’s eyes passed over two large rocks, situated next to the weeping willow. In time, the rocks would be overshadowed by the tree, but for now it would be just as wondrous a spot albeit without shade. She went to one of the rocks, sat, and looked back to Logan. “Is there a reason for two stones here?”

  “Oh, the workers must have made a mistake.” She blanched at his words before he chuckled and said, “Of course I planned that. How else are we to spend every moment together unless I have a rock to sit on?”

  “How indeed?” she asked as her gloved hand trailed over the smooth rock. “Did you plan to test it today?”

  He stepped over and sat on the rock next to her, and she asked, “When did you do this?”

  “Roughly a week after I learned of your desire to have such a location at your future home.”

  She dropped her gaze from his, and he scowled. There she went, crying again. He laced his fingers with hers and tried to stop her tears. “Really, my love, there is no need to cry. All is well.”

  She smiled at him and shook her head. “I am so very happy. I cannot believe you have done all this for me.” The corners of her eyes crinkled as she smiled at him. “It is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.”

  “If you like this, then hopefully you will like my other present for you.”

  “What more could I want?” Eleanor asked in a whisper.

  He pulled a small black box from his jacket and opened the box for Eleanor’s perusal.

  Her eyes widened. “Where did you find this?”

  “In London. I saw my water nymph carved in stone and knew it was meant for you.”

  Eleanor’s eyes drifted to his. “Just as I fear I was meant for you. Thank you. You know, I love you, whether as the Duke of Waking or as Sir Logan, in London or here at Briarthorn. I just want to be with you.”

  “And I love you, my dear nymph.” Rising, Logan turned her from him and placed the cameo on her. His hand brushed the nape of her neck, and he leaned in to settle a soft kiss on the back of her neck. “Shall we return?”

  “I have something for you, as well.” She turned, and they began to make their way uphill to the castle. “My gift is at the castle, though.”

  He raised an eyebrow and grinned. He liked the sound of that. “Oh really?”

  She giggled. “This is an actual gift.”

  “Oh.” His ardor was doused. “What is it?”

  “You shall see.”

  They strolled up the hill and reached the castle. Logan counted the minutes until they reached her room because he felt like a parched man and she was water. He needed a kiss from her but out of sight of the servants.

  They entered her room, and she made Logan close his eyes while she prepared his gift. After several moments, she bade him look, and he opened his eyes to the view of an easel with a small painting on it. He stepped to it and was afforded a rather scandalous vi
ew of his water nymph on a canopied bed.

  “I love it.” He exhaled as he observed the masterful details. Her back faced him with a sheet covering her except for the corner of her shoulder, and he knew it was Ellie.

  She blushed and said, “It started as a literal representation of my bed after our night together, but I am afraid my imagination took over.”

  He pulled her to him and breathed in her alluring scent. “Really, this is the best wedding gift you could give me. Thank you.”

  Her hand went to the cameo on her neck, and she smiled up at him. “I think your gifts have far exceeded my small one.”

  “And I think there is one more gift you could bestow on me, my darling.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yes.” He began to nuzzle her neck and chuckled when she squirmed. “Although it is most ruinous in nature, you are already past redemption, so…”

  “I think you can wait one more day, Your Grace.”

  He sighed and pulled away from her. “I suppose, if you insist.”

  “I do. We really do not have that long to wait.”

  “Fine.” He placed a chaste goodnight kiss on her soft lips and went to the door. “Good night, my love.”

  “Good night.”

  Chapter 19

  Eleanor woke early and selected the only gown that could possibly work as a wedding dress. It was a plain white day dress with a light pink overskirt. While it was not the typical wedding gown, it would work, especially since all her clothes were in London. She wore her cameo draped around her neck, but that was the only piece of jewelry to adorn her.

  She could not stomach breakfast, and when the appointed time arrived, she went downstairs to meet her betrothed. As she descended the grand staircase, her eyes alighted on him and her palms dampened. He was dressed in evening wear and looked refined and handsome.

  “Your Grace.” She curtsied as she reached the landing.

  A twinkle filled his green eyes, and he bowed over her hand. “Shall we, my lady?”

  They ambled through the door and onto the drive. The sun shone, unhindered by a single cloud, and a gentle breeze played along her skin. They were not in a hurry, and strangely, Eleanor felt her wedding day was better like this as opposed to an enormous society show. Everything about this day was relaxed. It was perfect.