“Have you compromised yourself with His Grace?” she demanded, and Elinor’s eyes widened, her mouth dropping open.
At home, her stepmother had her cornered against the parlor wall before Elinor could remove her gloves.
“What?” Elinor gasped. “Of course I have not!”
Lady Morland just shook her head. “I cannot think of another reason why he would offer to marry you so quickly. I do not understand it, Elinor, so I needed to ask.”
Elinor stepped around her stepmother, trying to hide her hurt. “Nothing untoward has happened. He simply likes my company. I intrigue him.”
“It is most likely that he pities you,” her stepmother hissed. “Elinor, if you are hiding anything, Iwillfind out, and if you have done anything to jeopardize yourself or my family, I will have you out of this house faster than you can apologize!”
“I have nothing to hide.” The lie sat heavy on her tongue. She had too many things her stepmother absolutely could not know. But she lifted her chin. “I am hiding nothing, and I have not compromised myself.”
Her stepmother stared her down for several seconds before she exhaled. “Fine. Go upstairs. I imagine I will have a great deal of consoling to do with Belinda.”
Elinor couldn’t escape fast enough. If her stepmother discovered any of her secrets, the punishment would be far worse than being forbidden to attend a ball. She would see Elinor out of the house. And with the engagement only being a ruse, Elinor would have no options. She could not rely on the duke taking her in through their marriage, because it would never get that far.
Back in her room, she sat on the edge of her bed, wondering what would happen next. She found herself more excited than nervous now. He had taken control of the situation as promised, and even if she worried about what would happen when they broke off their engagement, she had to think of the children in the workhouse.
It was all about them. That was Elinor’s singular focus. Anything else could wait.
“Well, well, well.”
Dominic’s voice cut through the hum of conversation at White’s the following day. “If it is not the most talked about bachelor in the ton.”
Lucien chuckled. “I am always the most talked about.”
“Yes, but this is for quite a big reason.” Dominic sat down opposite him. “A reason you did not tell me about. Why did you not say anything regarding Lady Elinor before?”
“When one knows, he knows,” Lucien said, and even as he heard the practiced ease in his own voice, something underneath it rang truer than he expected.
Dominic studied him, unconvinced. “You are not that sort of man,” You have not once mentioned wanting to settle down. Did you not escape the Morrows’ ball purely to avoid such situations?”
“I did,” Lucien said slowly. “But then I met Lady Elinor, and realized that perhaps it was not that I had an aversion to marriage, only that I had not met the right lady. She is … different.”
Of all the women, why had Lady Elinor given him pause? What was it about her that, despite their pretense, he still searched for her face first in a crowd?
Dominic watched him for a long moment. Then he set down his glass.
“I can see the walls you put up, and I will not pry them down. I will respect your defenses, whatever it is you need to get through each day.” He paused. “Regardless, I want you to know that you can trust me. I am your friend, and I am here for you. It is only ever on you if you decide to let me in. I do not know what wouldmake you not be able to trust, and I will not pry, but I want you to know.”
“Thank you,” Lucien said after a long moment. “I appreciate it.”
Dominic paused, as if thinking that his appreciation would extend to being trusted. But Lucien only nodded. His mind cast back to a younger version of himself, the boy who had once thought his future would be so secure. A version of himself that had not yet been tormented by fickle things like the heart’s desires.
Now, Lucien knew better, and he knew how to ignore his own thoughts, giving in to only simple pleasures. And yet, sitting across from the one friend who had never asked for more than Lucien was willing to give, every word he could have reached was lodged in his throat.
Self-protection had him silent, and for once, he could not even find another topic to smooth it over.
Chapter Ten
Lucien did not really know why he was at Fielding House that night, but he found himself pushing open the main door, glancing around at the bare floorboards.
He hummed under his breath, displeased. The new flooring he had ordered to be laid had still not arrived, and he was not happy. The longer the renovations went on, the longer he and Elinor risked being found out.
He told himself the urgency was practical. Nothing more.
Lucien shook off his thoughts as he walked up the staircase, patting the new railing. It shined beneath the light fixture in the ceiling that Lucien had ordered to be replaced, and he was content knowing that nobody would hurt themselves on the stairs. He did not know why that had bothered him so much, but the thought of rushed children, forced to work, hurrying down a staircase that was not stable, sent a shudder through him.