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“All the time. Now explain.”

Derek finished his drink and held his head in his hands. “I’m not cut out for married life. I’m afraid it’ll bore me, or I’ll get caught up in a deal and not pay her enough attention or something of the sort, and she’ll end up hating me. I couldn’t bear to lose her loyalty. It would kill me.”

William furrowed his brows. “Wait, you’re afraid you’ll mess it up, and that’s why you never considered marriage?”

Derek nodded his head. “I’ve never considered marriage before Eleanor. But if I were to marry someone, it would be to someone like Eleanor.”

“Someone like Eleanor?” William raised an eyebrow.

“Fine. It would be Eleanor. But I couldn’t do that to her. She was raised with the idea that her husband would the perfect society man, and I am not that man.”

William considered his friend. “Don’t you think you should let her decide that?”

Derek shook his head. “No, she wouldn’t be able to see how it would turn out.”

“And you can?”

Derek rubbed his temples again. He was finding it hard to remember a conversation with William that didn’t leave him with a headache. “You know as well as I do that I am not one for balls, events, operas, and all the other nonsense thetoninsists high society partake in. I would lose my mind.”

“Perhaps she wouldn’t mind the change of pace. You could be a welcome change to her stifled upbringing.”

Derek dropped his hands with a thud on his desk. “All of this moot. She hasn’t come to me, I haven’t seen her, and as far as I know, the wedding will go on without a hitch tomorrow as expected, and that will be that.

William nodded. “Well, if tomorrow is the wedding, you might want to consider a bath. You may not be the groom, but the Duke should not show up in three-day-old clothing.”

Derek said nothing as he stared at his now empty tumbler.

William stood up. “I see no work will be done today, so I will leave you, and I’ll stop over at the beginning of next week to go over the Rothrock report. Like I said earlier, you’re no good to me when you’re in a foul mood.”

Derek rolled his eyes. “Thanks, friend.”

William smiled widely. “Anytime.” William stood and walked to the door. “Oh, and one more thing. I don’t know Eleanor well, but I can guarantee you, you are missing part of the story. There is no doubt in my mind if Eleanor knew she had a chance with you that she would pick you over Hountshire.”

The door clicked behind William.

Derek shook his head. That was the problem, she picked Hountshire over him, and now, he would have to find a way to continue on, knowing she didn’t choose him.

CHAPTER 27

Eleanor found herself walking towards her favorite bench in the garden. Her mother just left her room after telling her what to expect on the night of her wedding. Eleanor was sure her face gave her away, but her mother continued on as if she was talking to a naive girl and not someone who propositioned a duke to take her virginity.

Her heart ached with the thought of the Duke. She succeeded in avoiding him the past week but only in the physical sense. However, his essence haunted her very soul. There was no morning she did not look for him at the breakfast table. No walk past his study door that she didn’t have to fight the instinct to peer in. No night where her dreams weren’t full of his touches and commands.

She turned the corner and saw a familiar sight, one that tore her already hurting heart apart.

“Your Grace?”

Derek turned at her voice. “Eleanor.” He stood up, wiping his hands on his trousers. “What are you doing out so late? Shouldn’t you be sleeping?”

Derek’s eyes dropped. She wasn’t used to seeing him so unsure of himself.

Eleanor chewed on her bottom lip. How could she have forgotten how handsome he was? His dark hair curled over his collar, and Eleanor’s fingertips buzzed with the memory of the silky strands in her hands. She fisted her hands to stop herself from reaching out to touch his hair.

Derek cleared his throat. “You have a big day tomorrow.”

Eleanor tried to force a smile. “I know. That’s why I’m out here. I couldn’t sleep.”

“Excited?”