These days, they had gotten a little closer, and it made her believe that perhaps their marriage would feel less lonely when the time came. Lately, her thoughts were less focused on her sisters and strayed more to her betrothed. Of course, she still wanted to be reunited with her sisters – more than anything. But… she also wanted Silas. With all that, he was.
For once, it was not just about what she could do or how she could put herself forward to provide. She wanted him, his kiss, his touch, his deep chuckles and passionate gaze. She wanted him to be her husband, to have a proper future with him.
But as they got closer to their wedding, she could not help but feel as though she was waiting for the other shoe to drop – like the days of peace she had received had come to an end.
She kept her eyes on the window, watching the moonlit trees sway in the wind and exhaled deeply.
“I hope we win, at least…” she mumbled to herself.
The morning did not bring with it the peace Agnes had hoped for. Still, she persevered, determined to spend the day supporting Scar as much as possible rather than being weighed down by her worries.
Silas came down to join the women for a light breakfast, steadfastly ignoring every suggestive expression sent his way, opting to focus on his eggs and coffee instead. He did engage Agnes in a simple conversation about the weather and her expectations of Scar’s performance at the competition later that day. She had tried to quell concerns, not wishing to burden her betrothed with her discomfort, especially when they both got into a carriage and left for the field, where the competition was to be hosted.
But Silas had already noticed that she did not seem to be herself, a little put off by the silence hanging over them.
“Did you sleep at all last night?” he questioned, glancing at her from the corner of his eyes.
Agnes leaned away from the carriage window and said,
“Do not ask questions to which you already know the answers to.”
Silas nodded. “That’s fair. But you have nothing to worry about. You have done a fantastic job with Scar, and I have no doubt whatsoever that he will be bringing home the winning title. It will be all right.”
She merely sighed and shifted her gaze back to the window, leaving Silas to stew in the feelings of dismay at her mood. He was not sure what her concerns were or why she would not share them with him, but he was ready to do whatever it took to make sure that nothing went wrong that day.
He had already failed to protect her once – when she fell while mounting Scar. In his defense, he sought out his cousin as soon as he shared his suspicions, but the git was not home then, and his stewards had no idea where he had gone off to. Silas had made numerous efforts to confront him, but it seemed as though Lewis was quite intent on avoiding him – even though his actions only served to further implicate him.
Today, however, Lewis was sure to be at the competition, as his desire for an ego boost was surely greater than his survival instincts. Silas was going to find him and give back the consequences of his actions. Their age-old rivalry had gone on long enough for the moron to know better than to involve someone else – Silas’s wife-to-be, no less. Until then, the Duke planned to do whatever he could to keep his betrothed spirits up.
“Perhaps some good news might encourage you to lift your chin,” he started, waiting until her gaze slid to him in mild interest. “I have made some preparations, and after ourwedding, we will make our way to the countryside to visit Lady Prudence.”
Agnes sat up and faced him properly, her eyes wide and shining with hopeful anticipation.
“Please tell me you do not jest,” she breathed, clutching onto his arm.
“I gave you my word that I would reunite them with you, and I am nothing if not a man of my word,” he smiled down at her, resting a hand over hers as they held onto his. “You will be with them again soon. Like you have wished for so long.”
If Agnes had not quite known it before, she was very sure of it now. She was in love with this man.
Words failed to leave her at that moment, to tell him just how grateful she was, how much she cared that he had not forgotten their initial deal and had even made attempts to fulfill it without her knowledge. The joy in her heart knew no bounds, and she leaned forward, capturing his lips in a sweet kiss.
Suddenly feeling shy, she tried to pull back, but he stopped her with a hand bracing against the side of her neck, tilting her head back so he could deepen the kiss. Silas inhaled deeply, breathing in her scent and relishing the calm that always came with it.
It was strange. He had not felt satisfaction such as this in a long time, not since his grandfather passed. But he supposed that itwas merely an additional effect of letting Agnes into his life like a storm. She had awakened various emotions within him – some he had not realized he was capable of feeling – and had even given him a sense of purpose.
He wondered how long it would take for her to fill up all the voids he had lived with for years after they got married, knowing from what he had experienced with her that it was not a question of if but when.
It was a struggle to let her go, and he only conceded because he felt the carriage come to a stop. Still, he held onto her, soaking up her blissful, flushed expression – this one much softer than the ones he saw after he had guided her to a release – his heart thundering in his chest as she lay her head against it and muttered,
“Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me.”
It would be fine, surely… if he just let go this once.
He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead, stroking her hair gently.
“I do know. And you are welcome, Agnes.”
Slowly, she pulled away and smiled at him, and he nodded at her curtly, knocking at the door sharply. The coachman opened it, and Silas stepped out, holding out a hand to Agnes. She slipped hers into him, accepting his assistance out of the carriage, herattention immediately caught by the mass of people and horses on the field, separated by the numerous colorful tents around.