Page 11 of Miss Hawthorne’s Unlikely Husband (The Troublemakers Trilogy #3)

“You have been a good friend to Ada. From the very first you have always stood between her and danger when it wasn’t your duty to do so; it was mine. It is a debt I take seriously.”

When her voice came, it was a broken whisper. “A what?” A debt? What on earth was he talking about?

“I believe in repaying kindness.”

Was the man trying to kill her? That was even worse. He was simply repaying a debt ?

Her head was shaking, refusing to acknowledge what was happening as inescapable as it was. “I do not believe that. I… I am more than that, I know I am. I know that you care for me as I am and that you—”

His stare was hard and unmoved, mortifying her into doubtful silence. “Yes?” he prodded, one eyebrow cocked, his arms folded over his chest.

“You danced with me all the time,” she finished weakly.

“I enjoyed your company and you are an accomplished dancer.”

“But you—” You only danced with me. She couldn’t say it. It seemed so stupid and obvious with those hard dark eyes staring at her. Did it mean nothing then? “You told me that any man would be lucky to be my husband.”

“Yes, I did.”

She could barely see him with the tears in her eyes. “You said you wouldn’t mind being claimed.”

“You were nervous when you entered because Ada and Lady Starkley were absent. I was only trying to encourage you.”

She had been a little nervous to be on her own, but— Kindness.

Was that all it was? Hot tears spilled over her cheeks before she could stop them.

She gave herself a moment to catch her breath.

It was the only way she could speak past the pressure in her throat and her chest. “I do not want you to only see me as an extension of Ada.”

“You have no idea what you are asking for.”

His dismissal was almost insulting. She took a step forward, desperate for the insult to shock her into something other than mortified silence. “Yes, I do.”

He looked away from her, shifting impatiently on his feet. “Elodia, I have shown you patience today precisely because of who you are to her.”

He was so mean and implacable. So ruthlessly arrogant. It was almost enough to make her hate him. Or at least want to. “I don’t need you to coddle me as if I were a child.”

That eyebrow came up again and he tilted his head. “Are you sure about that?”

“Yes, I am a woman in my own right and I want to be seen and treated as such.”

He placed his hands on his hips and pinned her with his eyes.

“Very well. Then let me make my position as clear as I can. I am sorry you have wasted your time with such delusions. Your behavior today is beneath your rank and breeding and speaks to an immaturity which goes to the very core of why you are not a good match for me. I do not believe that you are acting out of any malicious intent, so I will not demand that you leave my house, but I hope that you have the self-respect to leave my presence and put this fantasy to rest.”

She couldn’t meet his eyes anymore. She didn’t think she would ever be able to do so again.

Delusions. It was a harsh word, but an accurate one.

She had deluded herself into believing that she meant more to him than she did.

How many times had he tolerated her arrogance, her audacity when she’d imagined a rapport?

What was she going to do? He wanted her gone.

He wanted nothing to do with her now. “I’m sorry to have wasted your time. ”

“You haven’t. Yet.”

Yet. The threat was implicit. If she lingered any longer, who knew what he would say or do?

She couldn’t argue it anymore, couldn’t pretend she had allowed herself an inch of dignity to hide behind.

There was nothing left but to retreat. She’d asked to be treated as an individual instead of Ada’s friend, and he had fulfilled her request.

Without that tenuous thread of connection, they were strangers. He’d said as much. With an agonizingly tight throat and burning eyes, she nodded to herself then turned to walk to the door.

“Elodia,” his voice came behind her, terse and sharp. “You need to take this back with you.”

She paused and glanced over her shoulder, still unable to look at him.

No, she wouldn’t take it back; she wouldn’t take anything back.

It had been the truth of her heart, meant for him alone.

It didn’t matter that he didn’t want it.

She’d be damned if she’d gone through all that and broken her heart for nothing.

“It’s already yours,” she replied, unable to keep the sadness from her voice.

Then she slipped from the room, wondering how her legs could keep moving when she could barely feel them. In the hallway, she leaned against the wall, struggling to breathe.

How had it gone so wrong?

It had been like speaking to a stranger. A cold eyed and stone hearted stranger. And even then she knew he had spared her the worst of his temper. Even now, he was being kind. She’d never known kindness could ache so much.

She would leave; she wouldn’t trespass on his goodwill any longer. She returned to the parlor where Ada was playing with her children. When she entered the room, Ada looked up with a smile but a worried frown chased it away the moment she took in the expression on Elodia’s face.

“Ellie?”

“I have to go home.”

“Is everything alright?” Mr. Thompson asked, his eyes flicking over her shoulder to the empty doorway.

“Yes. I forgot I have a prior engagement with Papa.” She forced out a laugh and shook her head. “I have completely lost track of time.”

“Do we?” Isolde stood.

“No, you can stay here, Isolde. Don’t come with me. Return when you’ve finished. I will see you all later.” Hurry. Hurry. Get out of there.

“I’ll walk you out,” Ada said, rising to her feet.

Elodia shook her head hard. “Don’t treat me like a stranger. I know the way.” She smiled, turned and left as quickly as she could manage.

She needed to get home as quickly as possible. In the quiet, she’d have to find a way to piece together what was left of her heart and survive.

*

It took A’wei three days to ask.

In hindsight, Richard supposed he should have taken himself elsewhere.

Foolishly, he had imagined her silence was an indication for either ignorance or distraction.

She was a new mother after all. But he should never have doubted her ability to multitask or meddle, especially when it came to those she loved, like Elodia or him. She was his sister after all.

Even if he had been entirely justified in his sentiments with respect to Elodia, he regretted allowing his irritation at Rachel to spill over onto her.

He was too angry even days later. Too full of shame and venom to be gentle.

His skin still crawled with Rachel’s belief of her ownership of him, and Elodia’s confession, despite its teary and heartfelt delivery, had somehow sounded the same.

Another highborn lady believing she had a claim to him and his affection.

He hadn’t lied to her, but he hadn’t been as kind as he knew she deserved.

In the moment, all he’d wanted was for her to leave him alone.

To laugh and lie and say she was teasing him.

Now every time he saw that damned box on the desk, he remembered the way her face had flooded with incomprehension, and then the stunned shock of hurt and embarrassment.

He remembered how thin and soft her voice had been when she’d left.

She had always been a bit brazen, stubborn and assured of herself.

In truth, he’d enjoyed her forthrightness.

But now he was remembering the way she’d fiddled with her bracelet at the ball.

How small she’d seemed all by herself until her father appeared.

And how quickly he had capitalized on it when it suited his comfort.

Perhaps he’d overestimated her confidence.

So much ill humor seemed to bounce off of her as if she were impervious to it.

Perhaps he’d never expected it to come in his direction in that way.

Or perhaps he was embarrassed to have missed it, especially as Leo and Basil had been proven correct when they pointed out that she seemed sweet on him.

If she wasn’t arrogant in truth, then was it him?

Had he truly treated her differently? Was he to blame for her behavior?

Had he strung her along only to crush her in the final moment?

So when the knock came on the door to his study on the third day, he was prepared to face either his sister or her husband.

“Brother,” A’wei called, sticking her head around the open door. “May I come in?” He turned to face the door, hoping his expression was more tranquil than he felt.

“This is still your home, A’wei, you don’t need permission to be anywhere within it.”

She cast her eyes about the room before entering and closing the door behind her.

“What can I do for you, sister?” he asked, sitting down behind his desk.

“I was checking to see if your mood had improved as yet.”

Cheeky little busybody. “It has not.”

“Ah.” She nodded, and took a seat in one of the free chairs.

“Is that all?” he asked.

She fixed an impatient look on him for a few moments before letting out a tolerant sigh. She couldn’t know how much she reminded him of their mother at the most inconvenient times. “Did you see Ellie before she left a few days ago?”

“Miss Hawthorne?” The minute the words left his mouth, he knew they were the wrong ones.

He only ever called Elodia ‘Miss Hawthorne’ in mixed company.

Ada’s head tilted to one side and he knew she was about to take an hour of his life.

Their mother used to do the same thing before pinning him down on a lie.

One word and she would tilt her head before smiling softly and eviscerating whatever story he’d told with cold, calm precision.

“‘Miss Hawthorne’?” she repeated.

“A’wei,” He was going to need every ounce of patience for this. Elodia would back down, but his sweet bulldog of a sister never would.