He drew a breath, and the words he had buried for two years finally came.
“Malcolm was right,” he admitted, a bitter smile forming on his lips. He could feel every bit of the self-loathing within him. “He was right that I show no feelings. It was my way of surviving. When we were boys, we suffered under our own father. Every time I showed any emotion, crying, fear, or even speaking out of turn, he would punish Malcolm. It was his way of teaching me a lesson. He would cane Malcolm or lock him in some dark room. My father would never touch his own heir. So he let Malcolm pay for my weaknesses. For my mistakes.”
Madeline gasped softly, her hand flying to cover her mouth. Kenneth wondered if he was further pushing her away from him, but he kept going.
“So, I stopped showing my emotions. I became a statue for my father, a man he believed could handle anything. It was my way of keeping Malcolm safe. And when that thing with Roberta happened... The idea of telling him made me think that it would destroy him more. I thought I was protecting him, but I was wrong.”
Kenneth caught Madeline’s eyes then. He wanted to see how she felt about him now that his past was out in the open. She seemedto gauge the depth of his emotions, her brows furrowed and her eyes glassy with unshed tears.
“But now...” Kenneth began.“Now I know I have been a fool, Madeline.”
Then, he dropped to his knees right there in the open where anyone could see him. It did not matter that the cobblestones were wet and hard. He just knew he should act with humility. She was worth it. He reached for the hem of her long wool coat, as if that was all he deserved to touch.
“I realize that I have succeeded in destroying what we have, but I need to say this.” His shoulders shook violently as he tried to rein in his emotions. “I love you, Madeline. I love you with an intensity that frightens me. I am but a broken man, but please do not leave me. I will not be able to survive a life without you.”
Madeline’s face crumpled as tears streamed down her cheeks. She looked down at him, possibly torn about what to do. Kenneth could not blame her. People passed by, slowing their pace to gasp and whisper about them. It was a scandal. They might be married, but society’s ridiculous laws expected a man of his stature to maintain decorum and restraint. He no longer cared.
“Kenneth, please,” Madeline begged, even as tears continued to flow. “You do not have to kneel for me to stay. People will talk!”
“Let them talk!” Kenneth roared, even as he rose from his kneeling position. He reached out to cradle her face with his large hands. His gaze was unyielding and unapologetic. “Let all of London gossip about us until their tongues fall out. I will not be enslaved by my father’s rules and theirs anymore. All I know is that I love you, and I do not care who hears me say it.”
To his surprise, a low chuckle escaped Madeline’s throat. Her cheeks were pink from the cold, and no longer from humiliation. Her shoulders had relaxed, and her eyes softened their gaze.
“Such a stubborn man,” she murmured, her hand coming to rest against his chest. “I love you too. I have loved you for longer than I care to admit. I only feared you could never love me back, that all you would ever give me was your name and your bed and nothing of your heart.”
“That is not true. It was never true.” He caught her hand and pressed it harder over his racing heart. “It was always yours. I was simply too much of a coward to tell you.”
She smiled then and placed a finger against his lips. “And I should tell you, before you ride down half of London again, I was never leaving you. I only went out for a walk to clear my head.”
Relief coursed through Kenneth, and he could no longer wait. He captured her mouth with his. It did not matter that they were on the streets of London, with members of the gentry gawking at them.
There was a raw tenderness in his kisses, with his lips revealing a more honest declaration of love. He pulled her against his chest, wrapping her waist with his strong arms.
Let everyone see our love.
The walls finally crumbled down, and as they did, it was with total annihilation.
“Shall we go home?” he whispered, as they finally pulled away from the kiss.
“I would love that,” she replied.
Epilogue
The gates of Huntington House swung shut behind them. This time, Madeline did not feel like she was being held prisoner. Instead, she felt safe and content as Dominion went further into the courtyard.
Kenneth did not immediately dismount after he pulled the reins to a halt. Instead, they lingered atop the stallion with his arms wrapped around Madeline’s waist. She was securely pressed against his chest, where she felt like she belonged.
“We are home,” he whispered in the crook of her neck, emotion heavy and thick in his voice. He was no longer trying to hide what he felt.
Madeline could not help but smile. Mere hours ago, she was at a loss. She was walking the streets of London, wondering about the fate of her marriage. Seeing Kenneth coming for her atop his horse and declaring his love was like a dream come true.
Am I finally going to get my fairy tale ending?
Footmen scrambled to assist them when Kenneth finally swung his leg over the saddle and reached up to help her down. Whatmust they think? It must be a rare sight for a duke and a duchess to return home on one horse without a carriage. It was probably even rarer to welcome home a duke with unruly hair and a torn shirt and a duchess with tear-stained cheeks and swollen lips, but they were eager to be of service.
“Kenneth!”
The Duke’s name resounded from above. It was followed by heavy footsteps going down the grand staircase. Madeline’s eyes snapped to where Malcolm stood, catching his breath at the bottom of the stairs.
