Page 20 of The Duke’s Ultimatum (Unrelenting Lords #1)

CHAPTER 20

T he lines on the ledger began to blur, and Derek’s head began to pound. Stopping a runaway girl was not on his agenda for the week, but there he was recovering from a night of being yelled at by an overcharged young woman dead set on running away with a boy barely out of leading strings.

Derek leaned over his desk and rested his head in his hands, rubbing his temples. When he first heard of the duchy, he was a bit excited at the prospects and connections he would make that would aid his businesses. He did not stop to consider the family responsibilities that would come with it or the emotional women he’d have to handle.

There was a light knock on the door that echoed through his head. Cringing he yelled for whomever it was to go away.

The knocking abruptly stopped only to pick up again.

“What?” he demanded.

The door creaked open, and a blonde head followed by owlishly big green eyes popped up from behind the door.

“I’m sorry to interrupt you, Your Grace, but may I have a word?”

Eleanor.

Derek inwardly groaned. He had not had enough rest to navigate these waters.

He rubbed his eyes to clear his vision of sleep and sat back in his chair. He extended his hand to the chair in front of his desk.

Eleanor dipped her head and closed the door behind her. She walked slowly to the chair and sat down.

Derek eyed her. She didn’t enter with her normal flounce and flair. It was when she sat that he noticed the dark smudges under her eyes. Concern flared within him, and he sat up straighter.

“Is everything all right, Eleanor?”

She tilted her head at his inquiry.

“It is now, thanks to you.”

Derek blinked a few times. Surely he didn’t hear what he thought he just heard.

“I’m going to need you to elaborate on that, Eleanor. I’ve had a rough few days, and I’m not sure I follow.”

A small smile formed on her perfectly plump lips. “I saw you and my sister last night.”

Derek dipped his head in understanding. “I’m sorry if we woke you. I realize now that we were just under your window.”

Eleanor’s eyes dropped to her lap. “It’s fine. Thank you for bringing her back. I can’t imagine the turmoil this family would have gone through if she was able to follow her young heart and run away with Bryon.”

Derek groaned as the look of devastation in the young girl’s eyes as she yelled her insults at him came back to him. “Yes, she is young and foolish. She would have regretted it in the morning or soon after, I’m sure.”

Eleanor sighed. “I spoke with her last night. She’s young, but perhaps not foolish. She knows what she wants, and she just wants to experience the world. I see her as hopeful, and I’m jealous of her in that respect.”

Derek considered the woman in front of him. Once again she was an enigma. Someone who was put together so well and had the world at her fingertips yet held back. It was as if she didn’t know what she was truly capable of.

Eleanor shook her head. “But that is not the only reason why I came to see you this morning.”

Derek leaned his forearms on his desk. “What else can I help you with? Beatrice planning on running away to hide away in a library?”

Eleanor let out a quiet chuckle. “Not that I heard of, but I wouldn’t put it past her.”

Derek became lost in her smile. She looked so tired and overwhelmed, but the small curve in her lips lit her eyes and softened her look. He felt an increasing need to reach over this desk and pull her into his lap and coddle her. Someone so beautiful shouldn’t look so sad; she should always be smiling.

Derek stretched out his fingers before balling them into fists. Whatever feeling this was, he needed to disperse it quickly.

Eleanor cleared her throat. She was sitting straight in her chair, the air around her stilled, and Derek immediately knew he wasn’t going to like what she had to say. He’s been in enough business meetings to know when someone was about to change the parameters of a deal.

“I was thinking. When I accept Simon’s offer of marriage, I will take Sarah, Beatrice, and my mother with me.”

Derek sat back. “What?”

Eleanor tried to force a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Your Grace, when you inherited the dukedom, I’m sure you weren’t considering the efforts needed to take on four women. I don’t blame you; we are a handful,” she said trying to make light of the situation, but all Derek could feel was the rumblings of anger starting to build within his gut.

“I admit I was ill-equipped for the matter at hand, but I am a quick learner, and if last night is any indication, I think I rather prove my capabilities in protecting this family.”

Eleanor’s eyes rounded. She leaned forward and put a delicate hand on the desk. “Oh, Your Grace, I did not mean to offend you. I just see your struggle, and I know…” She paused to consider her words.

Derek could see the toll this conversation was taking on her, and blast it, it was making him want to take care of her again.

“It’s just I know what it’s like when your life doesn’t turn out the way you want it to. I can help you escape that fate, and I can help my sisters escape that as well. And my mother,” she smiled, “well, we’ll throw her in there as a part of a packaged deal.” She winked, but her humor didn’t reach its intended mark.

There were so many questions Derek wanted to ask her regarding what she just offered him. What did she mean about not getting what you want? Or about protecting her sisters from a similar fate? Regardless of those inquiries, there was only one question he needed answered this moment.

“If the Viscount asks you to marry him, will you accept?” His voice came out gruff. His heart was pounding; something was telling him that he wasn’t just concerned about where the girls would end up.

Eleanor paused and after expelling a breath she nodded her head. “Yes.”

The anger that was bubbling low before rose to bile in his throat. He swallowed it down. “I see.”

Eleanor shifted in her seat.

“That is… unless you have someone else in mind?” Eleanor’s eyes lifted and met his.

Her eyes sparkled, and he couldn’t help but notice the look of hope in them. Did she not wish to marry the Viscount? Was there someone else she was interested in? Was it he?

Derek cursed under his breath. How many times must he remind himself that she is not for him.

Derek forced his head to move from side to side. “No. I think the Viscount is an excellent match for you.”

The words tasted like ash on his tongue, but it was the right thing to say.

Did Eleanor’s shoulders just drop?

She licked her lips, suddenly sitting taller. Nervous energy expounded from her small frame. “Well, that’s that, then.” She popped up out of her chair, almost knocking it backwards.

“Oh, sorry. I’m not sure what has gotten into me. I guess I’m just excited over your approval of Simon.”

Derek clenched his jaw at the sound of Simon’s name.

“Splendid,” he ground out.

Eleanor smoothed down her skirts. “Well, that’s all I needed to talk to you about. I’ll leave you to your work.”

He stood to walk her out. He walked her to the door when she abruptly turned and bumped right into his chest.

Both inhaled sharply. Her eyes trailed up his chest and landed on his. “Thank you, again, Your Grace, for stopping my sister. Truly. I am forever indebted to you for your actions.”

They both stood there, lost in each other’s gazes until she finally blinked and turned.

The door clicked shut, leaving Derek standing there, cursing his luck.

“Where was I? Oh, I find it particularly uncouth for such manners to be allowed during a performance.” Simon’s words carried over the cacophony of the opera’s lobby.

Eleanor scrunched her face. “I don’t think it’s that they are allowing for it happen. The poor man had a coughing fit; he couldn’t stay there and cough throughout the whole performance.”

Simon picked off a speck of lint from his jacket. “If the man was ill, then he shouldn’t have come in the first place.”

Eleanor took in a breath and blew it out. Pointing out that the man most likely wasn’t sick and just had a tickle in his throat would be moot. She learned quickly that if Simon had an opinion on how things should go, and if they didn’t go by the book, then they were wrong. It was something she used to respect, his need to follow the rules, but lately, his lectures were growing tiresome.

“Other than the interruption, how are you enjoying the performance?” Eleanor had become quite good at getting Simon to relax into more pleasant topics when he seemed to be particularly rigid.

Simon exhaled heavily. “I do wish Madame Cora was performing tonight. Did I mention I saw her when she first debuted?”

Eleanor bit her lip and nodded. “Many times,” she said under her breath.

Simon leaned in. “What was that? It’s so loud in this lobby; it’s as if the majority of the people haven’t been to an opera before.”

Eleanor just smiled.

“Speaking of such people, where is the newly appointed Duke? Out doing backroom deals, no doubt.”

Eleanor’s back stiffened. She could take a lot of Simon’s opinions, but she drew the line when they called into question anyone she cared about. And not only was the Duke technically related to her, but she had come to care for him.

“He is escorting my sister and mother to the Wilkens’ residence this evening.”

Simon’s eyes shone with interest. “Is it true that your sister and the Wilkens boy tried running away together, but the brute of a man threw her over his shoulder and locked her in her room?”

Eleanor gasped. “No such thing happened. Where did you hear that?”

Simon lifted a shoulder nonchalantly. “Word gets around.”

Eleanor was positively livid. “Well, that’s a garish rumor, one you should have stopped immediately. Regardless of what anyone may think of the Duke, it is ridiculous to speak about him like that.”

Simon gave Eleanor a blank look. “Eleanor, have you ever really looked at the man? His hands are rough, his shoulders are wide, and I’m surprised he can fit through doors. Not to mention his behavior when he first arrived was screaming of lower class. It is completely within the realm of reality to think he would act like a barbarian.”

Eleanor’s pulse ticked up, and her eyes took in the company she held. “Simon,” she said harshly, “he is nothing of the sort, and I would expect you to defend him from such disrespect now that we are courting. If anything should come of us, he will be in a fixture in our lives. He may have made a few missteps when he first arrived, but it is our Christian duty to give him some allowances as he navigates his way through his new role.”

Simon softened. “Oh, look at you, you poor thing. You’re all flush and out of breath.”

His patronizing tune irritated Eleanor.

“I’m sorry for speaking so harshly about our good old Duke. I suppose you’re right; he seems to be on board with our arrangement, so I guess it is in my best interest to give him those allowances.”

Eleanor eyed the man before her. It wasn’t exactly an apology, but coming from Simon, it was the best she was going to get.

“So, you’ll be kinder to him in the future?” Once again she forced her hand to lay on his arm, hoping the connection would instill confidence between them.

Simon’s eyes warmed. “Of course. After all, I’m getting what I want, so why shouldn’t you get what you want?”

The lobby lights dimmed, notifying the audience the second act was about to start. As Simon led her into his box, Eleanor couldn’t get Simon’s words out of her head. Is this what she wanted? Yes, she was getting Simon to finally treat the Duke with the respect not only his title but the man, himself, deserved, but shouldn’t she be getting more out of their arrangement than that?

Eleanor looked over to where Simon sat with a satisfied grin on his face. The man looked as if he had the whole world at his fingertips. She turned to face the stage. She was doing the right thing, she told herself. This was her course in life. She was to marry the Viscount, be the dutiful wife, and keep peace within her family.

Everything she grew up wanting was now at her fingertips, and all she had to do was say ‘yes’ when Simon proposed.

Her heart settled into her stomach. If it was what she wanted, why did the thought of saying yes churn her stomach and crush her heart?