Page 25 of His Graceful Duchess (A Lady’s Vow #3)

CHAPTER 25

“ W here am I?”

A sharp pain throbbed at the back of Isadora’s head as she stirred, her consciousness creeping back slowly. The smell of damp wood infiltrated her senses.

She blinked, her vision adjusting to what appeared to be a dimly lit chamber, and it was then she realized her hands were bound.

“Is someone here?”

The last thing she remembered was walking on the trail, and then….

“Ah, the prized duchess is awake at last.” The same voice that had taken her away called out from behind her. The words sent a chill down her spine.

Slowly, the figure revealed himself.

“Hartenshire?” Isadora choked. He was the one who had brought her here? A sense of panic gripped her at the realization.

“Pleasure to meet you again, Your Grace. ” A mocking smile settled on his lips. “You were knocked out for quite a while there. I was worried I might have killed you by accident.”

The words were so nefarious, but he said them so casually. Hartenshire seemed different since the last time she had seen him at the wedding. He looked like a shell of his former self, the disgrace of it all having transformed him into a mad man.

He came to stop just a few paces from where she sat.

“Why have you brought me here?” Isadora clenched her jaw. It was hard not to scream, but she knew that it would not do her any good.

“Come now, Duchess,” he mused, chuckling as if he drew amusement from seeing her so distressed. “Do you truly need me to spell it out for you?”

Her stomach turned, but she refused to break his gaze.

“Is this some sort of payback for not marrying my sister?”

“Oh, to hell with that woman,” he spat. “What your husband did to me was far worse. I have been banished from society, disgraced and discarded with little thought. How exactly did you expect me to react to that?”

Isadora had not thought of him since the ball. She thought of him as a mere obstacle that had now been put firmly in the past.

“You reap what you sow,” she answered, her hands straining against their binds. “I do not see how bringing me here does anything to restore the reputation that you soiled yourself.”

Even though her tone was even, her heart fluttered against her chest. She did not trust this man not to hurt her.

“Why don’t you try and make a guess?”

Isadora opened her mouth and then closed it again.

“Stupid woman,” he spat. “This is for ransom. Your dear husband has caused me a great deal of trouble, and I think it only fair that he be made to pay for his transgressions.”

“He did nothing,” Isadora fought back. “You had it coming.”

“He humiliated me,” he said simply. “Ruined my reputation before half of the ton. And what’s worse, he did it for you . So, you see, this arrangement serves two purposes. One, Evan shall be forced to restore what he has taken from me. And two—” He reached out, brushing a gloved finger against her cheek.

She flinched violently, jerking away.

“—he will know what it feels like to lose something precious.”

A chill ran down her spine, but she reminded herself to be strong.

“You are a fool if you think he will bend to your demands.”

“Oh, he will,” Hartenshire said smugly. “I have already sent word. A letter detailing the terms. He will restore my standing, clear my debts, and offer public retribution—or he will never see you again.”

“You underestimate him,” she warned. “Evan is not a man who cowers before threats.”

But even as she said the words, she knew that she was only putting up a front. At this moment, she had no way of knowing what Evan was thinking.

Had he even received the letter? Would Hartenshire stay true to his own terms?

“Oh, but he will ,” he said. “Because for all his callous arrogance, there is one thing he values above all else. You. Like a lovesick puppy, he will follow you to wherever you are.”

His gaze swept over her, and Isadora felt violated even though he had not so much as touched her.

Would he follow her?

She knew that Evan cared for her and that his feelings had grown into something deeper, but would he truly give in to Hartenshire’s demands?

“If you believe that taking me will be the key to your redemption, then you are an even greater fool than I first thought.” She forced herself to meet his gaze again. “You will fail.”

Hartenshire paused mid stride, his smirk faltering for the briefest of moments.

“You believe yourself clever,” she continued if only to stall him, “but you are playing a game you cannot win. Evan will not negotiate. You have already lost.”

A flicker of something dark passed over Hartenshire’s face. “Is that what you think?”

“That is what I know .”

He did not like that answer. She saw it in the way his jaw tightened, in the way his fists curled at his sides.

And then, a crack rang through the room. Pain exploded across her cheek.

He had slapped her.

Her head snapped to the side from the force of the slap, the sting was immediate.

“How dare you?—”

“Shut up!” he barked. “If you argue again, you shall get another one. Such a mouth on someone who is the root of the problem. This is your fault to begin with. You and your meddling ways.”

Isadora tasted blood where her teeth had cut into the inside of her cheek, but she slowly turned her head back to face him.

“You got what you deserved.” She held his gaze, daring him.

For all his cruelty, he had wanted her afraid. No, he had expected fear. But she would not give it to him.

“Oh, you will regret that.”

Hartenshire sneered down at her, lifting his hand, but before he could strike again, the door burst open. Both of them froze.

Isadora knew who was there before she even turned her head.

Evan.

He stood at the threshold, looking angrier than she had ever seen him before. His gaze locked onto her—her bound wrists and the angry mark left by the hand to her cheek.

Then his eyes shifted to Hartenshire.

The Marquess had been smirking only moments before, but now, that smug expression was wiped away instantly.

“Marwood! So, you have decided to arrive finally.” Hartenshire tried to sound menacing, but he seemed to wither at Evan’s arrival.

It was the last thing he managed before Evan lunged.

A feral growl ripped from his throat as he crossed the room in a blink, his fist colliding with Hartenshire’s jaw in a brutal punch. The Marquess reeled backward, crashing into a wall.

“You dare to touch my wife?”

Hartenshire had barely regained his balance before Evan was on him again, grabbing him by the lapels of his coat and slamming him against the wall.

Hartenshire wheezed, his hands scrambling uselessly against Evan’s grip.

“P—perhaps we can?—”

Evan didn’t let him finish, and another punch connected to his jaw. This time, Hartenshire spat out blood.

Isadora could only gasp as she watched the scene unfold around her.

“Did you really think you could take her away from me ?” Another punch. “Do you think a small man like you has any power to take away what is mine and then threaten me ?”

Evan was pounding away at him, and the only other sound was Hartenshire’s screaming.

“Please—” he pleaded, “I?—”

“So, you’ve come to your senses now, you bastard?” Evan shook him against the wall. “Finally in your place? Do you even know who you’re threatening when you threaten me?”

Isadora had never seen Evan like this before. The fact that she was behind his anger made her flutter both with unease and a love so profound that she did not know where to place it.

Evan drew back his fist again?—

“Your Grace!” A sharp voice rang out from the doorway.

Isadora turned, barely able to process the sight of uniformed constables flooding into the room.

“We shall take over from here,” one of the men announced.

Evan held Hartenshire there for a moment longer but then released him. He slid down to the ground, holding the side of his jaw and concealing the sight of his now bloodied face.

Evan shoved him toward the officers without a second glance. “Take him before I do something unforgivable,” he growled.

The constables seized him immediately, restraining his arms.

As they restrained the Marquess, Evan spun to Isadora, already reaching for the ropes binding her wrists. Relief like never before flooded her.

“Are you hurt?” he demanded.

“I—I am fine,” she whispered though her cheek still burned from the blow. “Evan?—”

She barely had time to finish before he was pulling her into his arms. She pressed against him, inhaling his familiar scent.

“You came for me.”

For the first time since she had been taken, she felt truly safe.

“I thought I had lost you.” Evan pulled her closer to his chest, his voice breaking. He kissed the top of her head and then her cheeks.

“I am sorry,” Isadora rushed out, now crying with tears of her own. “I should not have left. I am the one who put myself in danger?—”

“No,” he stopped her. “I am here now, and there is nothing to worry about.”

Beside him, Hartenshire swore and kicked as the constables dragged him away.

“He will never see daylight and freedom again,” Evan promised. “I promise you that. That fool made a mistake trying to keep the woman I love from me.”

The woman I love.

“Evan,” she turned to look at him. “I?—”

“I love you,” he whispered, “I am sorry, and I love you.”

Tears were flowing freely down Isadora’s cheeks now.

“I love you, too.”

He kissed her then, tender and brief. And entirely unconcerned about who might be watching.

“Come,” Evan murmured against her skin. “We’re going home.”

“Do you feel faint? Should I call for a doctor? Or perhaps?—”

Evan had not stopped worrying over his wife since the moment they had arrived home. Every few moments, he would turn toward her, his eyes scanning her face, her wrists, every inch of her, as though checking for injuries he had missed.

“Evan,” Isadora tried to insist. “Please. I am fine.”

“No, you are not,” he argued back. “Let me see your wound.”

“It will heal in a matter of days,” she said as he ran his fingers over the faint scratch marks on her wrist where the rope had bound her. “You need not worry. I am with you now.”

She reached for him, moving closer and pressing her hands against his chest. His heart was hammering beneath her palms.

“I am safe. Thanks to you,” she whispered, looking up at him.

He exhaled, his hands rising to cup her face delicately. And then, with a low curse, he pulled her against him.

She felt everything in that embrace. Her own hands curled into his back, holding onto him just as tightly.

Oh, how I have missed him.

His breath was warm against her hair. “I thought I had lost you.”

“You never will,” she murmured back.

For a long while, neither of them moved. But finally, someone had to break the silence.

“I am sorry about making you upset before,” Evan sighed, rubbing her back gently. “If I had known that this is what it would lead to, I would have never let you out of my sight.”

“I suppose we forgot all about our problems, didn’t we?” Isabella smiled.

“But I don’t want to bury them, either. I do not want resentment to build between us. Say what you need to say,” he said quietly.

Isadora drew in a breath. He was right. Never again would she let things between them get so bad again.

“Do you want a family?” she asked.

It was a blunt question, and one she knew the answer to already. But if they were to move forward, then she was going to have to ask it once again.

“Not for your father,” she continued. “Not out of rage or some desire to punish a man who is no longer here. But for us .”

He said nothing, his fingers digging deeper into her back.

“Because if this is truly what you want, if this is your choice in its finality, then I am willing to compromise. I can live without children, Evan. But I cannot live without you .”

His head snapped up, his eyes locking onto hers with surprise.

“You…” His voice faltered. “You would give that up for me?”

Isadora had thought long and hard about this.

“While I was trapped in that dreadful chamber, while I wondered if I would ever see you again… I did not think about children or what we might have one day,” she swallowed. “I only thought of you . I missed you, Evan. And what we have now. ”

Evan’s expression shattered. And then, he kissed her.

It was not urgent, but rather, it was slow, seemingly filled with all the things he had not been able to say. His fingers trailed over her cheeks.

“I thought about this, too,” he admitted in a raw voice. “About what you said, of me doing this only out of spite.”

Isadora searched his face, waiting. Her breath hitched.

Could this be…

No, she was not going to get her hopes up.

“And I…” He took a deep breath. “I do not know if I want children, but I promise you that I will think about it. Only for you.”

“It should not only be for me,” Isadora said immediately, “I want you to want this as well.”

“My dear…” He kissed the top of her head. “… that will take me far longer than you think. Some wounds do not heal so easily.”

“Then I shall wait,” she insisted. “I blamed you for being selfish before, but in a way, I was doing the same exact thing. I was imposing what I needed upon you without considering the baggage you carried.”

Evan only listened to her, his expression shifting to one of vulnerability.

“But if I love you, then I ought to be more understanding,” Isadora continued. “I should have understood this before.”

“My darling,” Evan took her hands in his. “You are more than I deserve.”

His words sounded so sincere that Isadora was rendered speechless for a moment.

“You are,” he repeated. “You have come into my life and turned everything I know upside down. Before you, I did not know how to fully trust people, for I thought that they always only act on their own interests. But you…”

“You’ve been the same for me.” Isadora smiled. It felt like her heart had swelled. “You have taught me to stand up for myself more and take up space when I was only used to shrinking myself.”

Evan brought a hand to cup the side of her face. “Perhaps it was fate all along that we both ended up in each other’s lives, darling.”

His gaze was so piercing that Isadora blushed. “Whatever it was, I am glad that we ended up together.”

“Oh, glad is an understatement, darling.” Evan smiled. “I would not know what to do without you.”

He bent down to kiss the top of her head and then the back of her hands. “I promise to always be there for you and never put you in a dangerous situation ever again. You are everything to me, Isadora.”

Isadora let herself revel in the moment, only whispering back I love yous of her own.

“Come, sweetheart.”

Evan had gone into Isadora’s chambers early that morning, standing over the side of her bed. Isadora woke up slowly and then shot up in bed when she noticed him standing there.

“Evan?”

“It’s not a dream, darling,” Evan teased. “I’m really here. Now, get out of bed. I need you to come someplace with me.”

Isadora yawned and stretched as she got out of bed. “It is so early in the morning. What could be so urgent?”

“You’ll have to wait to find that out.”

Isadora pouted at him. Normally, it would work on him, but he wanted it to be a real surprise.

“Come on, darling.” He bent down to kiss her on the cheek. “We don’t want to be late.”

Isadora groaned, but she ultimately got herself dressed. A while later, the pair had descended the stairs, and Evan was leading her outside. The early morning air was crisp, and Isadora made a move to shield her eyes from the sun.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Evan grinned, “because then you just might miss it.”

Then, she finally saw them. Two horses saddled and waiting. Evan had the pleasure of watching her face light up instantly.

That was exactly what he had wanted.

“Are we going riding?” She turned to face him, practically bouncing up and down in place.

“I thought you might enjoy it.” He tried to downplay it, but truthfully, he had really wanted her to like the surprise.

She laughed, practically bounding toward the horses, her earlier sleepiness now completely forgotten. Evan stood back and simply watched her in fascination.

The woman that he loved, doing what she loved most. He could see it in the way her fingers brushed over the horse’s mane. Nothing harder than a gentle caress.

“Do you need my help getting up there?” Evan grinned, teasing her again.

Isadora shot him a look. “This is what I know how to do best.” And then, as if to prove a point, she effortlessly mounted the mare.

“Fair play.”

She looked so free as she began to ride the horse. In her element. Evan found himself falling even more in love.

“Well? Are you coming? Or have you forgotten how to ride?”

“I might as well have.” He shook his head, smiling, and then mounted his own mare to follow her to the fields.

“Try to keep up,” she teased before kicking off into a gallop.

He watched her for a brief second before urging his horse forward and chasing after her. They rode through the open fields, laughing.

“You are a great rider,” Evan commented as they slowed down their pace. “I can see that you take this seriously. And I can see how happy this makes you.”

And he realized at that moment—he would do anything to keep seeing her this way.

“Oh, this was well worth the early morning,” Isadora sighed happily, running her hand over her horse’s neck. “That was so wonderful.

“I just wanted to see you happy,” Evan admitted.

Isadora blew him a kiss from afar. “We should make this routine. Just riding, you and me.”

“I think we can do that,” Evan agreed.

“Yes, and it will give us something to do together as well. If we cannot have children…” Her voice was still light, though Evan stiffened at the words. “… perhaps we can have more horses instead.”

At that moment, Evan felt overcome by an overwhelming desire to embrace her. How could anyone be this pure, and gentle? She had conceded to his demands of no children, and she had agreed to settle for a horse.

Only for his sake, only because she understood that Evan had too much trauma from his past. If that was not unconditional love, then Evan did not know what was.

I will change for you, Evan promised her in his head. I will not let my past control me any longer.

“Did I say something strange?” Isadora spoke up again. “Why did you go so quiet?”

“No reason,” Evan shrugged, the biggest smile spreading across his lips. “I was just thinking about how much I love you.”

Isadora blushed instantly. “You know I love you more.”