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Emily laughed again—a high-pitched, incredulous sound. She held out her arms to either side.

“You were right, Cassian,” she said, letting her arms fall back. “I can’t reach you. I’ll never have your heart. Nobody will, because you’ll never let them in. Even though I love you. Iloveyou, Cassian.”

“Emily—”

“Let me finish, please.” She breathed in deeply, rubbing a hand over her face. “Here is what I have decided. I am going back to my mother’s house. Right away, we’ll begin trying for a child. I will come here every evening and stay for one hour.”

Cassian gave a harsh laugh. “How romantic.”

“There will be no romance in it. I know you need a child for your inheritance, and that was part of the bargain. I’ll fulfill my end of that bargain. As soon as I am with child, we will stop seeing each other. Once the baby is born, you can raise it as your heir. You promised me an independent life, and I’ll have it.”

Emily smiled bleakly at him. “This is how it must be, Cassian. I can’t live a loveless life. I can’t go on spending time with you every single day while knowing full well that you’ll never love me the way I love you. I’ve thought long and hard about it, and this is what I will do.”

“I will not bed you like that,” Cassian growled, taking a step forward.

She shrugged. “You will, or else you won’t bed me at all. Those are my terms. I have already ordered the maids to pack my things. My mother is expecting me. In fact, I believe she’s still here, waiting outside in the carriage. This is goodbye, Cassian.”

He stared at her numbly. “You cannot be serious. This is just a threat.”

“It’s no threat. It’s simply a promise.” She hesitated, looking up at him with a tearful smile. “I wish things had ended differently, Cassian. I truly do.”

Her hand snaked out before he could react, her fingers skimming across his cheek. Just as swiftly as it had come, the feather-light touch was gone. She lowered her head and ducked past him, scurrying across the ballroom.

Go after her,screamed a voice in the back of his head.Quickly!

It was as if his feet were rooted to the floor. He stood exactly where he was, dumbfounded, watching his wife, his duchess, disappear. Once she was out of sight, a minute or two ticked by before his paralysis seemed to lift.

Sucking in a breath, he raced forward, darting out of the ballroom and skidding down the hallway. He stepped out just in time to see Emily climbing into a carriage waiting beneath the front steps.

The paralysis came upon him again. Instead of racing forward into the night, Cassian stood motionless, watching the carriage door slam shut and the vehicle lurch forward, carrying Emily away from him.

What have I done?

* * *

“The baroness is having breakfast, Your Grace. Perhaps—hey!” the butler yelped indignantly as Cassian darted past him.

Cassian hurried down the hallway to the morning room, where he knew Margaret always took her breakfast. Sure enough, there she was, sitting coolly at the table. She did not seem surprised to see him.

“Goodness, Cassian,” she remarked, sipping her tea. “It is…” She paused, glancing at the clock. “Nine o’clock. Your party only ended three or four hours ago. Have you even been to bed?”

He gave a harsh laugh. “Of course not. Can you tell me why you told my wife that you did not trust me and that I love nobody? And do youtrulybelieve that I would abandon Frances, my own niece? How badly must you think of me.”

Margaret held his gaze for a long moment. She did not seem shaken or even put off by his outburst.

Behind him, the butler came shuffling into the room. “Forgive me, My Lady,” he murmured. “He pushed past me.”

“It’s quite all right, Jacobs. It’s a rare man who can defy His Grace at a time like this. You can go, we shall talk here.”

Jacobs pursed his lips, bowed, and retreated.

Silence fell over the room.

Margaret set down her teacup with aclink.

“Let me be frank with you, Cassian. You have isolated yourself and shut out the world for as long as I can remember. What did you think would happen? That woman, yourwife, loves you, and all you can do is flee from her like a frightened boy. I will admit, I was jealous for Frances’s sake. But then again, I have never seen youlove, Cassian. All I have seen is how you push away those who care for you when they grow too close. How was I to expect that Frances would not suffer the same fate? ThatEmilywould not suffer the same fate?”

Cassian growled, jabbing a finger at her. “This was my promise to Matthew!”