Page 84 of Duke of Pride

She shuddered at the longing in his voice, at the surrender, as if he was forfeiting all to her. His title, his decorum, his damn life. She closed her eyes at that simple sound, a dream coming over her—an unattainable dream, a crazy fantasy.

“Victoria, I?—”

“I am leaving.”

“No, just stay in my arms for a little while longer.” His grip tightened.

Stephen was ready to talk, to express everything he felt. She could see. She could tell by the way his body tensed and relaxed at the same time, by the way he was looking at her with a“finally”etched into each glance.

She shook her head in denial.“Stay”was what he was asking of her, but the letter in her reticule was burning her world.

“I am leaving Britain.”

He went still, as if he were shot in the heart and had one second to realize what was going on. He pulled her back a little, still not letting her go, still debating if he could just take her and claim her and make what she was going to say irrelevant.

“You are leaving?”

“I…” She didn’t want to say it, but she had to. “I am leaving for Prussia.”

He made her look up into his eyes, searching for a flicker of a lie. The was no humor in her eyes.

“I am going to pursue my dream. Study Mathematics. Maxwell helped me.”

He staggered backward, his hands falling to his sides, but still keeping her trapped between the stone balustrade and his body.

“For how long?”

She said nothing.

“For how long, Victoria?”

“Two years? Maybe more. Maybe forever.”

He looked away. His hands went in his hair, and he breathed heavily.

“You are not seriously doing this, right? You can’t just leave.”

“I just… I just want to do this. I do not want to get married, but this has always been a dream of mine.”

Stephen wet his lips and looked up at the sky with a dry laugh. “Numbers are easier than men. Is that what you are saying, Victoria?”

She smiled, not ready to deny the truth.

“And what was this, then?” he demanded.

He came closer, and his fingers captured her chin. He looked intently into her eyes, demanding and begging her at the same time.

“What was this kiss? This searing kiss? Your body shuddering in my arms?”

He sounded harsh and broken at the same time. Angry and Forlorn.

“It was goodbye,” Victoria said, her voice trembling.

If she were to take a sword and drive it through his chest, he would look less wounded.

His shoulders slumped.

“You are really leaving.” He shook his head in denial.