Married To A Duke

Do you want to tell me something?

Amelie

A week later

Seven days.

One hundred and sixty eight hours.

Ten thousand eighty minutes.

Yeah, that’s how long it has been since that kiss.

Since the biggest mistake of my life.

 Since my betrayal to my best friend.

And since I have been avoiding him.It’s sort of a dance we were playing.

I spent most of my day in my bedroom with my ear pressed to the door, waiting for him to get out and go about his business so I can tiptoe out of there. Most of the time Zurich would creep up on me, making me embarrassingly squeak and sometimes it was Mrs Mathews who was just there. She sat with me when it grew too much for me, when the loneliness got to me so much that I just sat there crying silently. When I looked at him from the window and saw him gazing back at my bedroom window like he could see me through the curtains. When all I wanted to do was just look at his beautiful face and be able to act on these feelings that no matter how much I was trying to bury, they keep multiplying within me. And that’s how my week went. Hiding. Crying. Holed up in my room reading historic romance where every Duke and every rake reminded me of him.

Now as I sat in my room in the huge wingback chair, looking out the window I was startled out of my thoughts by the toll of the bell. It rang so loudly that even the window pane vibrated. My eyes sought the tower. From here it wasn’t too far and I could see the silhouette of three, perhaps four men on the roof. Someone’s being executed. Oh my God. Was it my father? But he won’t do it when I said no? Someone else then. But why?

I looked down at the driveway and noticed for the first time that how every soldier was on attention. The one patrolling around the perimeter hasn’t stopped. And the gate was even highly guarded. Was I so engrossed in my mind that I didn’t notice that something has happened?

I don’t know how long I paced in my bedroom, my gaze on the gates below as I peeked from the window. It was when the gates started to open and the Rolls Royce glided inside that I hurried out of my room. I descended the stairs so quickly, I was surprised that I didn’t tumble down. Racing across the hall, I grabbed the door handles and pulled the wooden doors open. And there he was. Stepping out of the car with both Zurich and Jesse on either side of him.

He looked up and if he was surprised to find me standing at the threshold he didn’t giveaway anything. The only words I heard were silent and spoken by his eyes as he raked them over me, as if he missed the sight of me just like I did his. When he climbed the three stairs to where I stood, I looked up into his blue eyes at his deep greeting.

“Hello, Amelie.” I didn’t say anything for a moment silenced by his beauty. I hadn’t realised that I had missed his face this much. And once again the fact that he was so beautiful registered in my mind. A throat cleared by his side and my eyes skittered away to see Jesse frowning down at me. I swear this man hated me for some unknown reason. When I looked back at Gabriel, his lips were tilted up from the corner in amusement. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to get inside, Amelie.”

“Oh.” I whispered. And then, “Yes, I’m sorry… I.. please, don’t mind me. Come inside.”

I stepped to the side and watched as three of them stepped inside and walked towards his office. “Gabriel…” I called, but he was listening to Jesse and didn’t pause. It was like he didn’t even heard me. “Gabriel!” I called out again.

Three of them halted, Gabriel turned to me. “I’ll meet you in the study.” He said to the other two men as he stared at me. His lips were pressed in a tight line, before he started to walk back to me and said, “Yes, Amelie, do you want to say something?”

I licked my lips. “Yeah. I wanted to ask if everything is okay?”

He looked at me for a while. Then said, “Of course. Why won’t it be?”

I lifted my shoulder and let it drop. “I… I heard the bell.” And something was making me unsteady and on edge.

His blue eyes seemed to read everything. “Your father is still alive, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

I shook my head. “No.” I looked back at him. “I know he’s alive. I was just… forget it.” I said as I started to walk back towards the stairs. But as I passed by him, his strong fingers wrapped around my upper arm and he whirled me around. With a squeak, I grabbed his arm to keep upright and not to slam into his chest.

“If you have something to say or ask then do it in clear words, Amelie. As much as I can read between the lines, I hate doing it.” As much as his words were simply spoken, his eyes glittered with something not so simple.

I parted my lips and closed them like a fish out of water. It took me sometime to gather my thoughts before I asked, “Can we talk after you’re finished with your men?”

He gave me a single nod, with a curt, “Of course.” Before he pushed me away, gently, and turned around. But as gentle as it was, it still felt like I had somehow disappointed him.

With a frown, I started to go on my way, but stopped when I felt something on my hand. I turned my hand and looked at the red in my palm. The hand with which I had grabbed him. Eyes wide with realisation and my stomach in knots, I looked at him. With his back to me, he was turning to the right where his study was.

A distressed whimper left me as I ran after him. With my hand on his shoulder I turned him around. My hands were frantic as I patted his chest and then tugged his suit jacket down his shoulders. My eyes zeroed on his left arm that I had grabbed earlier. “What…” My throat closed as I saw the tear in his shirt and the blood dampening the white cotton. “What happened? How did this happen?”

Strong and warm fingers wrapped around my wrists, pulling my hands away from him. “I am okay. No need to worry yourself.” He said calmly like there wasn’t at least more than a half foot vertical s***h in his arm.

“But you’re bleeding!!” I cried.

“Amelie.” I looked up at the command behind my name. “Calm yourself.” He gripped my chin between his thumb and forefinger as he said, “Breathe.”

I inhaled sharply and with more calm than before I said, “Let me help you. I will tell Z to call for the doctor, you might need stitches.” Amusement lurked in his blue eyes as if it was all a joke. And I didn’t like it. “There is nothing funny about this. You are hurt.”

“You are adorable, Amelie.” I frowned at his remark. “But it’s just a scratch, nothing serious.” The blood didn’t say that it was just a scratch. “I don’t need stitches, not even a doctor.”

“But—” He shook his head. I gritted my teeth. “Fine. Then, let me do the first aid.” Without waiting for him to say anything, I grabbed his hand as I tugged him toward the stairs. “How did this happen?” I questioned. “And what the hell were your men doing, for you to get hurt? Aren’t they supposed to protect you?” I pushed open my bedroom door and turned around to look at him. “You should fire them all for the incompetency…” I trailed off at the look he was giving me. His eyes weren’t dark or amused, no, now he looked at me like he was confused. And he had no idea what to do with me. There was a line etched in his forehead and his gaze was locked on me but it didn’t feel like he was seeing me.

“Gabriel…” His name seemed to shake off whatever was going inside his mind and his face became an indifferent mask as he arched a brow at me. “Sit down, please.” I said, tugging him to the bed and then without looking at him I went to the bathroom to get the first aid box that he had used for my injuries not too long ago.

When I came back, I stopped short as I watched him folding my blanket and putting the pillows at the head of the bed and then he tucked the corners of the bedsheet on all sides, smoothing the wrinkles on top of the mattress. When he stood up and found me standing there, he rounded the bed and sat down where I had left him in the first place. I rolled my shoulders as if I was going into a battle as I went to him. The next few minutes were spent in silence as I unbuttoned his shirt and did my best not to ogle him while I bandaged him. When I was done, I put everything in the box and turned around to run to the bathroom where I could breathe properly without inhaling his addicting scent but his question stopped me.

“Do you want to tell me something, Amelie?” I looked at him over my shoulder, he watched me with a stoic face. I didn’t know what he was asking about. My mind went to the fact that I had been hiding from him for the last week but then he said, “Did you think I wouldn’t have find out?” My brows scrunched up in confusion, I really didn’t know what he was talking about.

He stood up, jerked his shirt over his shoulders and buttoned it all the while glaring at me. “I learned something today, and imagine my surprise… The woman who had come running into my home for my help. The woman I had helped and given a sanctuary at my home. For whom I was ready to kill a man and killed one today, was hiding something as big as the fact that she was pregnant.” I gulped at the cold and hard look on his face. He stepped forward, I tipped my head back to look up at him. “Were you going to tell me?”

“I—” What do I say to that? There was nothing to tell, because I wasn’t pregnant. It was just an excuse to get out of the wedding my father was forcing on me. “I didn’t think that was something you needed to know.” I said and watched as his jaw clenched and his eyes flashed.

“Not even when you were straddling me and kissing me?”

I felt the blood leaving my face as shame and cold made me shrivel away from him. “I am sorry. It won’t happen again, Gabriel.” He hid it well. But I saw how he winced. And it only hurt me more and I turned that hurt into anger as I bit out, “It wasn’t like I was the only one, you participated equally. Fûck, I wasn’t even aware that a kiss could be like that.” I pointed my finger at his chest as I said, “You are equally responsible for it. It wasn't like you pushed me away. You should be ashamed too that you betrayed her.” And with that I turned away and ran into the bathroom, closing the door behind me.

I should’ve kept my distance.

To Be Continued...