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“Thisisa business relationship,” he fumed, but Lydia only scoffed.

Already he missed the whimpering, pleading Lydia that had just been in his arms, but it was clear from the way she glared at him that the fearless older sister persona had fully resurfaced. It suddenly hurt him to receive that look from her, and he immediately hated the feeling.

“Right, and is that how you reward all of your business associates when they do a job well?” Lydia asked, her tone defiant.

Ezra set his cold, dead stare upon her but she did not so much as flinch.

“And when they do poorly? Is that the punishment you give them?”

“Lydia, enough,” he growled, taking a step back as she came toward him.

He had never felt like this before, ever. Like a caged animal with no means of escape. What was this damned woman doing to him?

“We provoke one another,” he said in a forced, dull tone, “You cannot deny it, and neither can I. Perhaps today our taunting and teasing went a little too far, but that is all.”

The fresh memory stirred through him, and he couldn’t help but let his eyes rake down her once again. She had fixed her gown without a helping hand, and it was poorly fitted and sat on her in a way that made him want to rip it off again.

“You made it clear on our wedding night that you did not want me, yes?” He demanded to know.

Lydia’s brows drew into a hurt, slightly guilty expression, but she nodded and replied, “I did, yes.”

“Precisely,” he said, in a clipped tone as he finally felt the customary numbness begin to stretch over him.

“But Ezra,” Lydia pushed, “you are… there has been something different about you.”

“There absolutely has not,” he growled defensively, feeling his shoulders rise with tension.

He took a deep breath through his nostrils and slowly let it out, as he came to a calculated decision.

“I am going to London for a few days,” he said curtly, dragging his eyes away from her.

“You should not go alone, it is too dangerous…”

“That is none of your concern,” Ezra cut off Lydia’s words harshly.

Unable to tolerate their close proximity any longer, he strode toward his office door and flung it open.

“You should invite your sisters over while I am away,” he said coldly as he walked out, “You will finally have something to tell them that will confirm their worst fears.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“Iam so terribly confused,” Lydia admitted, shaking her head wearily.

Barbara and Alice sat across from her at the table in her room. She had also contemplated inviting Juliet and Helena, but Lydia decided that she needed to speak to women who were already married. Women who, like her, had not been in love with the men they had married.

Upon their arrival, Lydia had made them swear, not just to secrecy, but also to loyalty. She knew it would be asking too much of them to keep their minds open, but she implored them to listen to her fully. Though they were skeptical at first, both had agreed, and Lydia finally told them everything.

She told them of their first kiss and how it had shocked and thrilled her; how she felt such excitement when they teased and taunted one another until they were right on the cusp of intimacy, and how she would feel both relieved and disappointed when they would withdraw just before giving in.She told them of her reward at the party and her punishment in Ezra’s study.

She had expected Alice and Barbara to interrupt her, gasp, perhaps even start to gather her belongings, but instead, the more she talked, the more they exchanged knowing glances. When she finally finished and demanded to know why they were doing that, she was shocked by their answer.

“Our darling dukes are a rather peculiar breed,” Barbara had said slowly, choosing her words carefully.

“It seems that none of them handle emotions very well,” Alice included, and with a compassionate look added, “especially Ezra.”

“And when they are confronted with them; especially those of affection, they get a little…” Barbara continued.

“Agitated,” Alice offered.