Page 55 of The Duchess and the Beast

“You better,” she returned with a sheepish grin.

“I will write you the moment I arrive,” he assured her, kissing her knuckles again. “And every day thereafter.”

“Good. And perhaps, if time permits, I shall indulge in reading them,” she teased lightly.

Sebastian chuckled deeply and met her eyes. She needed to see how much he cared for her, and how painful this trip would be. And as he held that stare, a feeling rose inside of Sebastian that had been building for some time but was now so close to breaching that he could barely contain it.

It was no secret that he cared for Virtue. No secret either that his feelings for her were growing every single day. But what he realized in that instant, what became suddenly undeniable, was that he was beginning toloveher. At least that was what he suspected the sensation fluttering in his stomach to mean. He had never experienced such a thing before, but that must have been it.

“I...” He half went to say it, the words catching on his tongue, for the thought of saying it out loud terrified him. “I...”

“Yes?” she perked up, leaning in as if expecting it.

“I... shall buy you a souvenir,” he pivoted in a most cowardly manner. “In London. A gift fit for a queen, I think.”

Disappointment flickered across her features, but she quickly veiled it. “You will?”

“It is nothing less than you deserve. As to what I shall purchase... you will have to wait and see.”

She rolled her eyes only to drop her face into another pout. “I will miss you.”

“And I, you.” He leaned in and kissed her as fully as he could, a complicated task with the blasted mask on. Yet she met him eagerly, holding the moment, for they were both aware it would be their last for some while.

And when they reluctantly parted, again, Sebastian thought to tell her the truth, that he loved her, the words burning at the tip of his tongue. But again, the coward inside of him pushed that thought back.Later, it whispered. Upon your return. After you have had time apart to confirm if this love is fleeting or not.

Not that he harbored any real doubt, of course.

As Sebastian left the estate and kicked his heels into his mount, his thoughts weren’t on London and his friend as they should have been, but very much back in his home, on his wife, already missing her even if only minutes had passed.

Yes, he loved her, he now knew. And what was more, deep down, he suspected that she loved him too.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

It had not yet been a full day since Sebastian's departure, and Virtue already felt his absence deeply.

She woke to an empty bed in the morning, rolling over and extending an arm to wrap him so she might pull herself into his burly frame, only for her arm to grope at thin air, the realization that she was alone hitting her like a slap in the face.

She wandered into the dining room mid-morning to break her fast, for a brief moment expecting to see Sebastian already seated waiting for her, to find the room empty and that pang of loneliness that had struck her earlier return.

She thought to spend a quiet morning in the library to read, but even that seemed unappealing without Sebastian’s presence. Lucy suggested a stroll through the lands to take in the lovely weather as Virtue had yet to see the village since moving here. It was a reasonable idea, yet Virtue had hoped to explore the village for the first time at Sebastian’s side, when he felt secure enough to stroll the lands unmasked. The notion of goingwithout him filled her with an unreasonable sense of guilt, prompting her to decline that also.

“What then?” Lucy sighed with exasperation, throwing her hands up in despair. “What shall we do? Mope all day?”

“I don’t see why not,” Virtue replied dully, her voice devoid of its usual lilt.

“The weather is far too lovely for moping,” Lucy countered.

“I expect a storm to arrive later,” Virtue said, her gaze drifting toward the window.

Lucy frowned. “Have you been outside today? I don’t think I have seen a day this clear in months!”

“Oh, is it? Perhaps it is just merely my temperament then,” Virtue sighed. “It feels as if it might rain.”

“Now, really...” Lucy clicked her tongue and crossed her arms.

“It is funny, is it not?” Virtue mused, more to herself than to Lucy. “If you had told me just a few weeks ago that I'd be pining after the Duke like this, I would have laughed and called you mad.”

“I still think you are,” Lucy muttered, just loud enough for Virtue to hear.