Page 50

“You can’t rule a duchy without being observant,” he said obstinately.

“But we’re not speaking of a duchy here.”

He spun her around, and the conversation paused. Then, she rammed into him, pressing her full weight against him.

“We’re speaking of your wife.”

“Which is precisely why I should be more observant.”

“Many men could care less about their wives’… proclivities.” She slurred the latter, or so he assumed as he spun her again.

This damned dance. He needed her body pressed unmovingly to his. Or maybe a slight movement…

“You should know that I am not like most men,” he growled in her ear before she spun again. “I have to spin you one more time.” His tone was low but laden with dark promise.

She laughed.

“And I really do hope you were joking about having proclivities.”

She gave a lopsided smile that sent a heady spark of lust through him as he remembered the last time he’d seen the look on her.

“I guess you’ll know soon.” She winked.

He growled and pulled her closer to him. “I’ll punish you for your teasing later,” he growled in her ear.

“I look forward to it, Your Grace.” She kissed his cheek. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go to the powder room.”

He nodded. “Should I come with you?” he asked, spotting his siblings whispering between themselves with dark smiles.

Helen smiled, thinking he was flirting, but his serious look wiped the smile off her face.

“I’ll be fine,” she told him, patting his cheek. “They won’t try anything with so many people around.”

He nodded and watched her walk away. He was immediately pulled into a conversation by some lords who’d caught wind of how he’d secured the deal with Cecil.

“Where is your lovely wife?” one of them asked.

His body tensed up as he realized he hadn’t seen her in a while, and as he looked around, he couldn’t spot his siblings either.

Fearing for her, he excused himself and went towards the powder room, his heart pounding in his chest.

Oh God, let her be safe,he prayed for the first time in a while.

He saw Helen walking around, looking confused, and a bright smile lit up her face when she saw him. A man dressed in dark simple clothes some distance behind her paused and turned to hurry away. Alexander wanted to go after the man, but she stopped him with a hand on his arm.

“I got lost.” She laughed. “Were you worried?”

Anger filled him as the strange emotion that had been pushing him to go look for her abated. He never should have brought her here. He’d made a big mistake exposing her to his family, and it was time he fixed that mistake.

“Why didn’t you ask anyone to guide you back?” he asked coldly.

She stared back at him in surprise. “I didn’t see any…”

“Let’s get back to the party,” he said coldly, turning away so he would not see her sad expression.

He’d taken a few steps when he realized he didn’t hear her follow him. He turned back to see her standing with her fists squeezed tightly at her sides.

“Helen, what?—”