Page 53 of Trapped with the Beastly Duke

He thought he would be angry, yet he was not. He looked at the portrait of his father behind her. As usual, his father smiled at him, those warm brown eyes tugging at his heart.

“I shall leave.” Rose made to put the seal back in the gold box as Alexander walked into the room.

He carefully took the seal from her, his fingers brushing against hers. “This was my father’s. The seal of our house.”

Rose said nothing for a moment. “It is the most ornate seal I have ever seen.”

He felt a lump form in his throat. “He commissioned it the day he married my mother. He said that he would have a sealthat not only carried the symbol of our house but showed his love for her.”

Absently, he turned the seal over in his hands. He had scarcely used the thing, instead using one with a wooden handle and a more plain head. He had claimed it was a matter of practicality, but the truth was that his father’s seal reminded him of that night.

“This seal…” Alexander murmured, staring at the thing in his hand. “That something so small caused my family such suffering.”

Rose placed a hand on his arm. “What do you mean?”

Alexander looked at her as the pain and sadness flooded through him. His eyes met hers. That citrusy scent washed over him. The warmth of her hand on his arm sent shivers through his body.

“You do not have to tell me, not if you do not wish to.” Rose’s voice was soft, full of understanding. “Yet, I would like to understand.”

For a moment, he considered brushing her aside. Refusing to answer her. He glanced at the portrait of his father, then back at the woman before him.

I cannot keep this from her.

“I worry that you will think less of me.” The words slipped past his lips before he could stop them.

Gently, Rose touched his face. “I will not. I could not think less of you when I can see the pain this causes you.”

How can you say that when you do not know the truth of who I really am?

Alexander swallowed. “This seal is why my father was killed eight years ago.”

Rose stiffened, but she didn’t pull her hand away. “What happened?”

“I woke up to the sound of yelling. I was not in the Duke’s rooms at that time, but I was not far from them.” Alexander closed his eyes, remembering the horror that had filled him as he emerged into the dark hall.

“As I emerged into the hall, two men ran past me. One knocked me to the ground. I only saw one of their faces, yet it still haunts me. The man had one green eye and one blue. His lips were so thin that it was as if they were not there. He had three missing teeth, and dark, greasy hair. My father found me a moment later. He said that there were intruders in the castle. He asked which way the two men had gone, and I told him. He told me that they had stolen our seal and who knew what else.”

Rose nodded. “If the seal fell into the wrong hands, it would cause great harm. The seal would legitimize any order that would be within a duke’s power to grant, including the gifting of money and land.”

“With the seal, someone could claim almost anything, and there would be no question. They could claim my protection, my wealth, my lands.” Alexander clenched his fists in agitation.

Rose shuddered. “Do you think that is why they broke into the castle?”

Alexander shook his head. “They stole it in its box. I suspect they saw the gold and simply thought it was a valuable trinket. They could not have known how important the thing they stole was. They took some jewels and other such things that night. If it was just the seal they were looking for, they would have been more circumspect. For it is one small thing that they could steal and then make a retreat.”

Rose looked thoughtful but didn’t say anything.

“It matters little why they took the thing, just that they did. And we needed to get it back.” Alexander sighed. “I wanted to go with him, but he told me my duty was to keep our family safe. He handed me a sword—the same sword I brought with me lastnight.” He could hear the steadiness of his father’s voice. “He left me. And before I could follow, I heard Olivia scream.”

Rose’s hand tightened on his arm, but she did not interrupt him.

“I ran to her room and yanked the door open.” In his mind’s eye, Alexander saw the hulking figure of the intruder stalking towards his sister.

“I was not as strong as I am now, nor did I have my father’s skill with a blade. All I could see was a man twice my size moving towards my sister. I yelled and lashed out with the blade. He turned, parrying my blow with ease. I swung again, but I was off-balance. He punched me, then brought his blade down on my face.”

He rubbed the scar on his face. “He laughed as I fell to the ground. Yet, I still held my sword. The pain was unbearable. The world was spinning, but I needed to keep Olivia safe. I forced myself to my feet. The man had turned his back to me by then. I felt a rage fill me, unlike anything I have ever known. I could barely see. All I could hear was the fear in Olivia’s voice and the laughter of the man before me. I threw myself at him blindly. I had no other thought than to keep him away from my sister.”

The sound of a man’s scream filled his ears. He could smell the metallic scent of blood. Taste it in his mouth. The way his sword had sunk into the man’s back. The slick, wet sound of it as he drove it in further. The desire to hurt the man all over again filled Alexander.