Page 5 of Bound By the Duke

But it wasn’t the fall she kept thinking about. It was those cold eyes that had seemed to see everything and yet nothing at once.

She didn’t know his name.

But deep in her bones, something told her that she hadn’t seen the last of him.

CHAPTER 2

By the time Aurelia reached the front steps of Banfield House, her light brown hair was half-loose, her skirts were damp with dew, and her arms ached from carrying a very unrepentant cat.

Yet, the traitor looked perfectly pleased with himself. He had chased birds, hissed at nobles, and gotten carried home like a king on his throne.

Aurelia, on the other hand, was still fuming.

She hadn’t evenwantedto step out this morning. But her mother had insisted that fresh air was good for the complexion, and now here she was, windswept, muddy, and still unnerved from the stranger in the park.

That cold, unpleasant man with a mouth that cut like a sword and eyes that looked like they could see straight through her.

She hadn’t been able to forget the way he had stared at her. Or the way he had insulted her cat.

She was still muttering to herself when the front door swung open, nearly hitting her in the face. But before she could protest or accuse one of her siblings, her mother appeared.

“There you are,” Lady Scovell’s voice rang out sharply like a pin. “You are back. Finally.”

Aurelia blinked, immediately growing suspicious. There was a stark contrast between how her mother had approached her in the morning and now.

“Um, you’re scaring me, Mama.” She cleared her throat before stepping into the manor.

Her mother followed right behind her, waiting for her patiently to set her pet on the nearest cushion. “No time for fear, Aurelia. Your father and I need to speak with you.”

That made Aurelia pause. That was not a promising sentence. Nothing good had ever followed the words,Your father and I need to speak with you.

“For what reason, if I may ask, Mama?”

“Just come with me. You will see.” Lady Scovell stepped closer to squeeze her hand.

Aurelia took a deep breath. That was one eventful day. Then, she nodded her head in acquiescence, handed her gloves and hat to the butler, and followed her mother to the drawing room.

The drawing room was quiet and dim, lit only by the soft flow of the wall lamps. The tall windows were closed due to the evening chill, and the atmosphere was warmed by the heat radiating from the fireplace.

Her father was already waiting there, standing near the fire with a frown etched so deeply on his face that it could have been chiseled by a sculptor.

For Aurelia, this was another sign that the conversation wasn’t going to be about ballrooms and ribbons.

“Aurelia, sit down,” Lord Scovell spoke without preamble, and that alone was warning enough.

So, she sat down, taking a deep breath.

Her mother remained standing, either too nervous or too excited to sit properly. “We have news,” she announced.

Her voice was bright, and she wore an even brighter smile.

Aurelia looked up at her. There was something strange and suspicious about her mother’s sudden cheeriness.

“What kind of news?” she asked, feeling the knots in her stomach tighten.

Lord Scovell cleared his throat, bringing her attention back to him. Unlike her mother, there was still no trace of joy on his face.

“What kind of news, Papa?” Aurelia repeated, curiosity gnawing at her soul.