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Charlotte turned to her daughter and smiled lightly. Eleanor closed her eyes, realizing she had nowhere to look other than directly at her mother.

“Tell me, Eleanor, are you truly happy?”

Eleanor took a deep breath and mustered up all the etiquette training she received over the years. Plastering a smile on her face, and making sure it reached her eyes, she nodded her head. “Yes, Mama. I am. You were right. I have hope everything will be just fine.” The lie hung heavy like a dark cloud over Eleanor.

Her mother placed a kiss on her cheek and left her standing in the hallway.

Eleanor turned to walk towards the staircase to retire to her room for the afternoon. As she passed the study, she stopped and reached out to knock.

Stopping before her knuckle hit the wood, she dropped her hand. She had no reason to speak with the Duke, yet she was drawn to his door. She stood there for a moment trying to imagine what the Duke was doing and if she had reason to interrupt him.

She decided she had none. Eleanor walked back to the stairs and started towards her room. She didn’t hear the study door open behind her nor did she notice the Duke, who stepped into the doorway to watch her walk away.

CHAPTER 22

It had been a week since that deuced man proposed to Eleanor, and Derek hadn’t gone a day without seeing his arrogant face.

Without fail, whichever room he walked into, Simon and Eleanor were sure to be there. It’s gotten to the point Derek wouldn’t be surprised to find them in his bedchamber one night since he ran into them everywhere else.

Eleanor in his bedchamber.

The thought stopped all others. He was sure that her accepting Simon’s proposal would have been the end to her death grip on his thoughts, but unfortunately it only emboldened them.

Every time he saw her, he found ways to purposefully be in her sights, to bump into her, to touch her, to make her blush.

Derek figured if he had to endure seeing them at every corner, he might as well have some fun with them.

He had made it a game to see how often he could fluster Eleanor with looks and touches without Simon noticing. So far, the cad has missed them all. Derek grimaced. He had best remember it was just for fun, or else he could find himself tripping into actual feelings for the girl.

“If you’re going to continue to ignore me, I’m going to pack up my books and leave.” William looked over his spectacles towards Derek.

“Hmm? What?” Derek turned his head from the window overlooking the garden to look at his friend.

“You’re watching her, aren’t you?” William sighed, leaning back in his chair.

Derek threw him a questioning look. “Who?”

William rolled his eyes. “You are too old, and we go too far back, for you to pull an innocent act with me. You’re watching Eleanor.”

Derek was shocked. “I was not.”

William raised an eyebrow.

“And what if I was? I could be making sure all is well, and Hountshire is behaving himself.”

William continued to look at his friend, unimpressed. “Charlotte is out there with them. Plus, they’re engaged; I think any misbehaving they do would be forgiven.”

Derek huffed out a breath as he peered out the window.There better not be any misbehaving.

William cocked his head. “Looks to me like you’re pining.”

Derek laughed and jerked his attention to William. “Pining? William. I do not pine.” He scoffed.

William stood to gather his papers. “Correction. You never used to pine, but you have seemed to take up the pastime since coming here.”

Derek watched William stuff papers and books into his satchel. “What are you doing? I thought we were going to go over the accounts today?”

William shut one of the books and shoved it into his bag. “We were. But now, you’re pining.”