Page 98

Leo was such a great man. The only man she’d ever met who understood her stances and agreed with them. It was a rarity in their world. He saw her as an equal, treated her as such. There was nothing but respect between them. And friendship. That had become exceedingly clear after the Duke. Leo was the perfect man for Theo. But he wasn’t the right man.

The right man was all wrong for her.

Ironic how that worked.

Leo’s smile slowly faded. “Something amiss, Theo?”

She frowned, quickly shaking her head. “Of course not.” He studied her, and she rolled her eyes. “What, Leo? What are you trying to see?”

“Something’s off about you. I’m trying to determine what it is. I’ve known you a long time, Theodora Dawson. Know you better than most—in many, many ways.” He winked, drawing a chuckle from her. “But I know when something's wrong.”

She sighed. “It’s nothing of consequence.” Lie. “With time, I’ll move past it. Time heals all wounds, isn’t that what they say?” She punctuated it with a smile, but even she could feel it fell short.

“Does this have to do with the Duke?” Leo asked quietly.

“I heard Bash and he visited you,” she said instead of answering his question.

Leo nodded slowly, eyes still searching hers. “He was…territorial.”

Her nostrils flared, indignation igniting again.

Leo paused, hesitated. “I wasn’t pleased with how he spoke about you, and I made it known. I don’t think it endeared him to me.”

“I believe Bash may have hinted at our…history…to His Grace,” she said tightly. “Another man who believes a woman is meant to be solely his.” She laughed humorously. “Which is comical. As though he hadn’t had any lovers before me? I guarantee he’s had enough lovers to fill an entire village. I cannot even count my lovers on two hands! But I’m tarnished? Used goods?”

Her hands balled into fists. “I’m so tired of it, Leo. So bloody tired of the hypocrisy. You get every advantage in this world. You have an entirely different set of rules you get to live by.” She threw her arms out wide. “Why? For the life of me, I don’t understand. Why am I less than? Why am I meant to serve you? Women are the ones who bring life into this world! There are no men without women. Yet we are treated like dirt.” She waved toward Zephyr. “Like cattle. Examined and inspected like livestock being sold. Lord, most men treat their horses better than their wives. And don’t get me started on the poor women they abuse. I see so much of it. And I’m so. Bloody. Tired. Of it.”

Leo lifted his dirty apron off and settled it on the wall. Then he walked over and stood before her.

“I hate myself,” she whispered, staring into Leo’s kind eyes. For falling in love with Raphael. For being sad that he was gone when he’d proven he didn’t deserve that from her.

Leo wrapped her in a hug. She sank into it. Into the comfort of her friend.

“I wish you were him,” she said thickly. And it only made her hate herself more.

“What’d he do?” Leo murmured, arms tightening.

Her eyes sank shut. “He asked me to marry him.”

“He what?” The shout had Leo and Theo jumping apart.

Theo’s gaze clashed with Bash’s. “Don’t tell me you told him no. Is that why he left?”

“Sebastian,” Theo soothed.

He shook his head violently. “No. You tell me right now, Theo. You tell me he asked you to marry him and. You. Turned. Him. Down. Tell me you’re that fucking daft.”

“Bash,” she said sharply.

“No. You don’t get to reprimand me. Not when you drove him away. Things were going so well, Theo! Now he’s gone. Now I’m never going to get a chance to have my brother. All because of what? I know you like him. I saw the way you two looked at each other. I know there was something there. Something real.” He swung a violent arm toward Leo. “You’ve never once looked at Mr. Turner the way you look at Rafe.”

She opened her mouth, but he kept going.

“We could have had everything!” His green eyes turned pleading, and her throat squeezed. “You could have finally been my sister in truth. I could have had family. We could have all been family.”

Her heart flinched, guilt pouring over her.

“There was so much more I wanted to learn about him.” His voice broke. “No one else understands. No one had to live with our father. And he accepted me. Everything about me. Did you know that, Theo? He caught a man trying to take advantage of me. And he saved me. And he didn’t care one bit that I prefer men.”