Page 77 of Duke of Pride

Maxwell considered for a while, his hand slipping from hers.

“That is not possible.”

Victoria’s heart ached. She knew that what she was asking was out of the question. Unspeakable. She had little hope that her dream would ever become a reality. She will seek knowledge on her own and?—

“At least not in Britain.”

Victoria searched her brother’s face. He wore a very serious look, but a boyish, mischievous smile tugged at his lips.

“The talk is that Prussia has an educational system more open to women. You’ll pick up the language easily. After all, Maths is an international?—”

Maxwell didn’t get to finish his sentence, for Victoria threw her arms around his neck.

“I am guessing you are interested, then.” He chuckled.

“Is this for real?”

Maxwell pinched her cheek tenderly.

Finally, Victoria felt as if her brother saw her—trulysaw her. He listened. And it seemed he had been listening for a while, since he had already looked up the educational system in Prussia.

“If this is what you want. You are no longer my little sister, and I know that if it weren’t for the restrictions placed by our society, you would be pursuing your dreams already. All I am doing is my duty as your brother—your overzealous protector, the insufferable arse.”

Victoria felt the tears roll down her cheeks. Finally, some happy tears.

Maxwell wiped her tears and smiled at her. “Christ, you are still an ugly crybaby.”

Victoria laughed, sniffling, and hit his arm playfully. He laughed too, but then he sobered up.

“We are going to miss you, Vicky.”

She pressed her lips together to keep from breaking down for real. “I will visit often.”

“You’d better. The twins need their aunt.”

One more embrace, tighter this time, a real one, his strong arms engulfing her protectively.

“Thank you, Max! Thank you so much.”

They were still locked in that embrace when Penelope came closer. She must have heard the whole thing because her eyes were glistening with tears.

“We will miss you so much, Victoria,” she said. “How about we throw a ball—one last big gathering—before you go?”

“Here in Walden?”

“Yes. No one has to know what the ball is for, but you will have the chance to see the people who matter most to you one last time,” Penelope offered with a wide smile.

One single inevitable thought crossed Victoria’s mind: Stephen. Leaving the country was a bit extreme, but it might be exactly what she needed. Not seeing him in balls and social gatherings, visiting Annabelle. She would be gone, out of reach. Perhaps in a foreign country, studying and making her dream come true, she would finally forget the infuriating Duke who stole her heart one room at a time.

The mere thought of Stephen sent a sharp pang through her chest, as if her heart had been stabbed with a hot poker. She could still feel the ghost of his hands on her waist, the way his deep voice had whispered her name in the dark.

The memory was so that vivid it stole her breath.

Victoria realized that even Prussia was not far enough to run away from him.

CHAPTER21

Random Encounters