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He had just made Helen a potential pawn in his never-ending family drama simply by marrying her. Of course, he didn’t regret marrying her. In fact, that was probably the best decision he’d made in a while, considering what he’d gained, but he deeply regretted that he was unable to protect her from his family.

The sight of her in that hallway did several things to him that he had a hard time believing. In that short period of time, he went through a whole spectrum of emotions, from his initial relief to his anger at her for leaving the ball and walking around unescorted in secluded hallways, where a lot of unsavory males could do unthinkable things to her.

The sight of the man behind her added an even more potent point to the toxic swirl of emotions. The thought of the man hurting her in any way sent a wave of possessive rage through his entire being. Some rational part of his mind kept on reminding him that it was probably better to calm down and apologize for the beastly way he’d behaved, but he was too fired up with the jealousy and rage swirling in his system.

He was not given to making apologies, since he made a point of avoiding situations that warranted apologies, but it seemed he was learning every day. He had to learn to apologize and hope she forgave him.

The way she left led him to believe that he wouldn’t get through to her at the moment. She was really hurt, and it was probably best that he gave her space to be angry at him. It was what she deserved, and he’d be even more beastly to take that away from her.

He made his way towards the corridor she had fled to and sighed when he spotted her. She stood silently with her arms wrapped around herself, silhouetted with the light of the candles illuminating part of her face while the other part remained in shadow. She was the portrait of a beautiful creature in pain. It saddened him to know he was the cause of her pain.

“Helen,” he said, moving towards her. He noticed her flinch and then turn away from him.

Removing his coat, he placed it around her shoulders.

“You will catch your death if you stay out too long,” he pointed out, holding the coat more firmly around her. “Let’s go inside.”

“I would rather not,” she said in a stiff voice.

“Please,” he tried again. “It is late. If you want some air, you can use the balcony in my chambers.”

“I’d rather return home as you insisted, Your Grace.” She curtsied.

She’d gone back to using his title, letting him know she was incensed beyond measure, but he felt a kindling of something in his chest as he heard her refer to his castle as her home.

“All right. I will have a footman bring the carriage around,” he agreed quietly.

“All right.” She nodded and proceeded to walk towards the entrance, her head held high and her spine ramrod straight.

He had to agree that she was quite regal in her anger, and strangely enough, it aroused the hell out of him even as it terrified him.

He watched her go and then returned to the ballroom, calling for a footman, but before he could step out again, he was waylaid by Sophia.

“Well, Brother, it seemed you have managed to locate your Duchess,” she said with a smug smirk, “but she is in quite a foul mood. I wonder where you found her? Or maybe I interrupted something interesting.”

At that, Alexander gave her a cold look of warning, but she giggled, the sound grating on his nerves.

“You see, I hate being interrupted rudely, so I understand the sentiment,” she continued, ignoring his silent warning.

“I would think you would have better things to do with your time, like pandering to the whims of the young Earl,” he replied, matching her smug smirk “We wouldn’t want him to stray, this close to the wedding.”

“He wouldn’t dare. The man worships the ground I walk on. He would jump if I asked him to.”

Alexander was sure the simple-minded man would do just that. He had an inkling that if Sophia should request that he jump, the man would probably stop only to inquire how high.

“I am sure that is quite true, but I wonder what he would think if he knew what his bride prefers to do with her free time,” Alexander said, tapping his chin in mock thought.

“You wouldn’t dare,” she spluttered, an element of fear appearing in her eyes. “Besides, he won’t believe you.”

“You do know I can be very convincing,” he said, widening his grin. “I might even share my stories with the Dowager Countess. I wager she might find them quite interesting. And she wouldn’t dare doubt the sincerity of my words, seeing as I’m a duke.”

At that, Sophia became quiet, vibrating with rage. If there was one thing everyone in the ton knew, it was the fact that even though the Earl was simple-minded, his mother was quite shrewd, and Sophia was aware of what it would mean for unflattering stories of her to reach the ears of her shrewd future mother-in-law. The gates to her extravagant lifestyle will be quite likely shut, with her on thewrongside of it.

Realizing this, Sophia stomped angrily away, leaving him the space to find his wife. He got to the exit to find her already being helped into the carriage by a footman. He quickly joined her.

When he was sitting comfortably, he looked up to see her looking at him askance.

“I am sorry I was late. I was temporarily delayed,” he said in answer to the unspoken question.