Page 72 of The Duke's Bride in Disguise

"No," Raff admitted; in fact, Ava had done the opposite by repeatedly telling him that she could not marry him, "But that is not the point."

"So," Annalise gave a sigh, "Apart from her name, she acted nobly toward you."

Raff recalled the night in the garden, when she had held him close and soothed him during his attack. The tenderness she had shown him, and the sadness in her voice when she had told him that she could not be his bride, stabbed at his heart.

She had been trying to tell him, he realised with shock, all that time, she had been trying to let him know just who she was.

"I know what Ava and Emily did was dishonest," Annalise continued, "But haven't you ever wanted to be someone else for a day? Ava grew up in an orphanage, unloved and alone, living life at the bottom of the social ladder, whilst you were on its top rung. Imagine how frightened that poor girl must have been, when she found herself falling in love with a duke—a man who would never take her as his bride."

"In love?"

Raff felt as though Annalise had punched him in the gullet; how did she know that Ava had fallen in love with him? Had she told her?

"It's plain to see, to anyone who cared to look," Annalise said softly, "Though, now that you know who she really is, do you even care that she loves you?"

On that ambiguous note, Annalise took her leave, leaving Raff standing, pondering her words. He thought on all that he had said to Ava during their time together, and the one moment which stood out in his mind, was his stupid declaration that he wanted her for her lineage.

No wonder the poor girl had not felt comfortable in confessing who she really was, Raff thought, he had as good as told her that she was not worthy of him.

He knew what it was like to feel unworthy—Lud, he had spent the last year of his life feeling he was not good enough to hold his title. The idea that he had inspired the same feelings in Ava, left him feeling wracked with guilt.

But, what could he do? As a duke, he could not marry an orphan with no family to speak of—could he?