Page 34
Story: An Improbable Scheme (Courting the Unconventional #1)
Niles ignored the jab, his voice hardening as he turned towards Charles. “But let me be perfectly clear: I will ensure justice is served if anything happens to Elsbeth under your watch. No matter the cost.”
Charles’s smirk vanished. “And what, exactly, do you think is going to happen to her?”
Niles leaned forward, his expression stern. “You’ve already shot at her once, and let’s not forget the possibility of poisoning her.”
Charles’s face twisted with indignation. “Good heavens, what are you even talking about?” he demanded.
Niles didn’t back down. “The lozenges. She became gravely ill after accepting one from you. Care to explain that?”
Charles scoffed, shaking his head. “You’re mistaken. I’ve been eating those lozenges for years, and I’ve never been sick from them.”
“Convenient,” Niles retorted. “But it doesn’t change the fact that Elsbeth grew violently sick.”
“I wouldn’t hurt Elsbeth,” Charles snapped, his face reddening. “She’s my cousin.”
Elsbeth raised her hand. “Enough, both of you. This bickering does nothing to address the real problem.”
The men fell silent, their gazes shifting towards her. Elsbeth squared her shoulders. “I will not run. Not yet. There are still too many unanswered questions. But if I do decide to leave, it will be because I choose to, not because I’m being forced.”
Charles sighed heavily and leaned back in his seat, clearly frustrated but unwilling to argue further. Niles, on the other hand, watched her closely, his expression softening just slightly .
“Very well,” Niles said at last. “But you must promise to exercise caution. No unnecessary risks. You have your reputation to think about.”
“I promise,” Elsbeth said, though her gaze drifted back towards the window. She wasn’t entirely sure she believed herself, but one thing was certain—whatever truths were lurking in the shadows, she was determined to uncover them.
Niles sat in the parlor of his aunt’s grand manor, a half-empty glass of brandy clutched in his hand.
The flickering candlelight cast restless shadows that danced along the richly paneled walls, their movement as agitated as his thoughts.
It was late—far later than he should be awake—but sleep eluded him.
His mind was filled with one thought, one person: Elsbeth.
He leaned back in the plush armchair, the cool leather creaking under his weight.
He had stayed at Elsbeth’s manor as long as he could, lingering far beyond what was polite.
But he hadn’t cared. Every fiber of his being wanted to ensure her safety, and even now, the distance between them felt insurmountable.
The line between his duty and desires was blurred, and the realization unnerved him. Could he simply walk away from her? Could he abandon the only person who had made him question what he truly wanted in life?
The soft click of the parlor door startled him from his musings. He glanced up to see Eugenie entering, her wrapper tied loosely around her waist and a candle in her hand. Her expression was curious and faintly amused.
“We missed you at dinner, Brother,” she said, settling into the chair across from him .
“I dined with Elsbeth’s family,” he replied tersely, hoping she would take the hint and leave. He was in no mood for company, not even hers.
Eugenie, however, had never been one to ignore an opportunity to pry. “Why do you look like death?” she asked.
“I look like no such thing,” Niles retorted, though even he knew his disheveled appearance betrayed him. His hair was unkempt, his cravat hung loosely around his neck, and his jacket was haphazardly draped over the armrest.
Eugenie gave him a knowing look. “You have the air of a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.”
Niles shifted uncomfortably in his seat, irritation creeping into his tone. “I do so enjoy our late-night talks, Sister.”
“You must admit, I am right,” Eugenie responded. “This is about Elsbeth, isn’t it?”
He rubbed a hand across his face. “You aren’t wrong, but I would prefer not to discuss it.”
Eugenie leaned forward, undeterred. “Of course you don’t want to talk about it. That’s precisely why you should.”
Setting his glass down with more force than necessary, Niles rose to his feet. “Goodnight, Eugenie. I think I shall retire.”
She tilted her head. “You haven’t come to terms with your feelings for Elsbeth, have you?”
He froze, his back to her, before slowly turning around. “And what if I haven’t?”
“You’re making a mistake,” Eugenie said. “You’re so consumed by your duty, your responsibilities, and what you think the world expects of you, that you’re blind to the happiness standing right in front of you.”
“I am happy,” he insisted, though the words rang hollow.
Eugenie shook her head, her expression sympathetic. “Never be ashamed for loving the way your heart knows.”
He frowned. “And what, pray tell, does that mean? ”
Her voice softened, her words filled with quiet wisdom. “You can pretend you don’t need or want love, Niles, but love is as essential as breathing. It doesn’t always come when it’s convenient or when you expect it, but that’s what makes it so precious.”
He sank back into his chair. “And what do you know of love, Eugenie?” he challenged.
A shadow passed over her face, and he instantly regretted his question. “I know enough to know I won’t settle for anything less than love,” she said quietly.
“And nor should you.”
She lowered her gaze, her fingers tracing the edge of her candleholder. “I saw what Father and Mother had. That’s what I want, but I also want to hold on to the freedoms I’ve been given. I don’t want to trade one for the other.”
Niles studied her for a moment before saying, “You deserve both, Eugenie. You deserve everything.”
“And so do you, Brother,” she said as she met his gaze. “The question is whether you’ll let yourself have it.”
“It isn’t that simple,” Niles responded, his tone clipped as he stared at the dying embers in the hearth.
“It can be,” Eugenie countered.
He exhaled sharply. “I have you to consider first?—”
His sister cut him off, her expression exasperated. “Not this again. I do not give a whit about Elsbeth’s reputation, and neither should you. You’re an earl, for heaven’s sake. If you marry her, Society will fall all over itself to welcome her back with open arms.”
He stiffened. “I never said anything about marriage.”
“I know,” she replied with a teasing lilt to her voice. “Just as you’ve said nothing about love, but it’s obvious, Brother. Why is it that you are always the last to see it?”
“I care for Elsbeth,” Niles admitted reluctantly, “but I need a wife with an impeccable reputation. That’s what’s best for my position.”
Eugenie rolled her eyes dramatically. “Did you get hit on the head as a child?”
He scoffed. “You don’t understand. It’s the way things have to be.” Even as he said the words, they felt inadequate. But he had to think about what was best for himself and for Eugenie.
“In the end, we all just want someone who chooses us. Over everyone else, under any circumstances. And I think Elsbeth is that person for you,” she remarked.
Her words struck a chord deep in his chest, but he couldn’t allow himself to yield. Not on this. “I daresay you’ve been reading too many fairy tales.”
Eugenie rose gracefully from her seat. “Deny it all you want, but I can see how much you care for her. Now, I’ll leave you to your brooding. Just think about what I said.”
“Goodnight, Sister,” he said stiffly.
She tipped her head. “Goodnight, Niles.” With that, she left the room, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
Niles picked up his glass and took a long sip, the warmth of the brandy doing little to ease the cold knot in his chest. What was he to do?
Marrying Elsbeth would undoubtedly change everything.
His standing in Society. His carefully cultivated reputation.
His future. But it would also keep her safe.
It was the one thing he could give her, and yet he hesitated.
A sharp knock at the window shattered his reverie. He turned his head, startled, and saw Elsbeth’s face illuminated by the pale moonlight.
Setting his glass down, he rose and crossed the room. He unlatched the window and opened it. “What in the blazes are you doing?” he asked in a low voice.
She didn’t look the least bit repentant. “I came to say goodbye. Charles insists we leave after breakfast tomorrow.”
Her words hit him like a blow to the chest. Elsbeth was leaving. Leaving him. There was so much he wanted to say, but the words tangled in his throat, heavy and unspoken.
Noticing how she pulled her wool cloak tighter around herself, he frowned. “Do come in,” he said, stepping aside.
She hesitated, her uncertainty flickering across her face. “Are you sure?”
“It’s far better than you catching cold,” he asserted.
He extended a hand to help her through the window, and she placed her gloved hand in his.
Once she was inside, she stood before him, her cheeks flushed pink from the cold and her dark curls escaping beneath her hood.
She looked achingly beautiful, and he felt his resolve weakening under the weight of her gaze.
Her smile melted every last defense he had so carefully constructed, confirming what he had been denying for far too long.
He loved her. Completely, irrevocably. The realization settled heavily over him, yet he knew he couldn’t act on it.
He couldn’t risk her future or his own responsibilities for the sake of his feelings.
Letting her go was the right thing to do. It had to be.
Elsbeth met his gaze. “I just wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done for me, Niles,” she said. Her voice carried a vulnerability that made his heart ache.
“It was my pleasure,” he replied, his words laden with sincerity. And it was the truth. He would do it all over again if it meant he could spend even one more moment with her.
She glanced at the window. “I should go,” she murmured.
Yes.
She should go.
Table of Contents
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- Page 34 (Reading here)
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