Page 55 of The Duke Who Claimed Her

“Thank you,” she said as she stood. “I will see myself to my rooms.”

With that said, Arabella strode from the dining room. But she did not make her way up the steps to her quarters. Rather, she turned sharply down the hallway, which led to the drawing room.

The residence was pitched in darkness, few lamps lit, as if the night warned her off what she was doing. Her heart raced, and her legs trembled; her entire body rallied against her. But she steadied herself the best she could, needing to believe that this was right.

She might not have the courage to stand up to her father. And she might not have the courage to confront Caspian. But that did not mean that she was helpless. This was her home, her life, and she needed to act like it.

So, a minute later, she walked into the drawing room.

A fire burned hot and menacing in the main hearth, but the room was empty. Using the flames’ orange light, she quickly crossed to the correspondence desk where Mrs. Robertson was known to leave the daily mail for Caspian to read. There, a pile of letters was stacked, and with trembling hands, Arabella began to sort through them.

What are you doing, Arabella! If Caspian finds out…

But he would not find out. As she searched through the letters, she tried her best to deduce which ones were common fair and which were invitations. Her father had said that various lords would be writing to Caspian soon, and she had no doubt that such letters would be found in that pile.

As to her plan? It was rather simple. She would take those letters. She would burn them. And in so doing, Caspian would never know of her father’s machinations, and Arabella would be free of having betrayed him.

It was because she was so focused on those letters that she was not paying attention to her surroundings, which was why she did not hear the approaching footsteps until they were in the room with her.

“What are you doing?”

Arabella froze. With both hands sifting through the letters and her back to the doorway, she stood so still that it almost seemed as if she was hoping it was someone else he was speaking to. The flames flickered across the room. Her heart pounded. And her blood went cold with fear.

“Arabella.” Footsteps coming toward her. “What are you doing?”

Arabella’s mind raced as she searched for answers. Anything! Something that she could say to explain what she was doing. She had no doubt that Caspian would be furious at her, and she was desperate to come up with some explanation that might ease that fury.

“I was just…” She swallowed and gently set the letters down. “This is not what it…” Then she turned around.

As said, she was braced for his anger. When she turned, she found his eyes, looking for the fire that surely burned behind them. She knew her husband well enough to know that he was a man who liked control and who did not like things changing around him. Her being there would be enough to set him off without a doubt.

Surprisingly, when she found those eyes, she did not see any sense of fury. There was no glare, no scowl, and no look of warning. Rather, he looked confused, almost concerned, as if he had done something wrong that he needed to apologize for.

Not what I expected at all.

“Are you looking for something?” He stopped several feet away from her. But he did not stand tall, and he did not look as if he meant to intimidate.

“I… I…” The urge to lie could not be found. If she were scared, that might not be the case, and if she thought he would be angry, it certainly would not be. But as she looked at Caspian, she realized that he was not what she had expected.

And it was because of that startling realization that the words came before Arabella could stop them.

“I need to tell you something,” she began, looking away with shame. “I ought to have done days ago, but I did not know… I was scared of what you might say.”

“Is something the matter?” It sounded genuine, as if he truly cared.

“It is my father.” She forced herself to look up, wanting him to see how sorry she was. While she hated being so weak and helpless, for some reason, it did not feel nearly as bad when Caspian was involved. “He came to me a few days… He threatened me. He threatened you.”

“What?” His jaw clenched.

“He told me that in a few days, you would be receiving invitations to various gambling tables and events. That lords you knew would be asking you to join them.” Her stare was pitiful and pleading. “And where he did not say it specifically, I think he means for you to lose. My feeling is that these lords, whoever they are, might owe him favors, and if you owe them money, then he will own you…” She winced and shied away. “I am so sorry, Caspian. I should have told you sooner.”

Caspian did not speak at first.

With her head still bowed, she felt him watching her. No doubt this news infuriated him, and no doubt he would let her know it. While she was not responsible, she should have said something to him earlier, and that she did not… He is right to be angry with me.

“Arabella,” he sighed, his voice soft. “There is no need to be so frightened.”

She started. “I… I am not…”