“We appreciate that, Your Grace.” Though the way Felix seethed hinted at anything but appreciation. “But considering this betrothal has lastedfour years,she is rather old to be out now.” Felix’s voice was as stiff as his posture. “Men typically want a young wife. Combine that with a broken betrothal, and it will not work in her favor.”
Felicity snorted. “You hear that, Duke?I’mtoo old. Ironic, isn’t it?” Oh, the bloody, bloody,bloodyirony.
Felix shot her a side-glance, his anger fading into confusion. Whereas now Ash glared at her from behind his mammoth desk. What was it with men having such large desks? Were they compensating for something? Ash probably needed such a large desk to hide his massive amount of stupidity behind.
“Any man would be a fool to overlook you because of your age, Lady Felicity.”
She hated the tact in his tone. Fuck tact.
“Yet, I know of one such idiot,” she murmured, staring straight at Ash.
“Felicity,” Felix hissed.
Ash’s jaw worked, but he continued in a neutral tone, “You are beautiful and graceful and accomplished. I am sure many gentlemen will be thrilled your hand is once again available.”
He was infuriating. And hurtful. As if the only things important about her were the attributes needed for parading her around gentlemen so they could see if she met their criteria. Her stomach clenched like a fist had latched onto it and squeezed.
Those attributes that were purely for show in society, a facade and not the true her, were all that mattered apparently. It would land her a future with another man just like Colborn. And it wasbloody poppycock, because the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with was sitting right in front of her. God, it hurt like the fucking devil.
So, she laughed it off. Albeit somewhat hysterically. “Yes, you are correct. Another nameless, faceless,interchangeablebroodmare is on the market.” She clapped animatedly. “What a boon!”
Her frustration raged inside her, volatile, swirling madly, dangerously. And she knew she was at risk of falling apart here in this study if she didn’t leave soon. She was losing control of herself. She. Needed. Control. But it was slipping away.
She knew underneath all the excuses Ash created, he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, too. She pressed her hand to her chest, against the unbearable ache. She knew he felt it, too. Because this strength of feeling inside her was something that only existed because there was an equally strong feeling that existed in him. It fed off their combined love and created something bigger than each of them on their own.
I want to be so deeply inside you, so entrenched in you, consumed by you, that you and I are no more; only us remains.
One didn’t say such things and not mean them unless they were an unmitigated arse. And Ash wasn’t an unmitigated arse. He wasn’t an arse at all. What he was was daft.
She stood abruptly, the men jumping to follow suit, and she dropped into an exaggerated curtsy. “If you will excuse me, Your Grace, brother. I should probably go work on my watercolors, or practice my needlework, or do something else predictable for an unmarried miss.”
She turned and stormed to door but paused and swirled back to face Ash. “Thank you, Your Grace, for making my decisions for me, treating me like a possession, just like everyone else in this god-forsaken life.” Not even deigning to give them a chance to discusstheir futurebetween themselves.
Damn the man.
She let out a low growl as she reached the door.
“Lady Felicity…”
Chin held high, she ignored him and left the room. Bugger the dim-witted man to hell! How dare heLadyFelicityher! She had one thing to say to that. And it was a big, bloodyfuck you.
34
Ash
“LadyFelicity…”
Ash watched Felicity as she stormed out of the room, chin held high. She didn’t answer him, and she didn’t look back. He did think he might have heard a growl…
He winced. Fucking hell, she was angry with him. Angry might be putting it lightly. He just wanted her to have the best options possible for her future, reassure her that her brother’s worries thatshewas too old were absolute lunacy. Gentlemen would be tripping over themselves to win her hand.
He sank back to sitting and looked back to Lord Bentley, who was collapsed against the back of his armchair, his face drawn.
“I must apologize for my sister, Your Grace. I am beyond shocked at her behavior. Felicity is a free spirit, but she was raised to conduct herself properly in society, in front of company. I am beyond embarrassed for the both of us. I have no idea what has gotten into her.”
“No apologies are necessary, Lord Bentley. It is quite clear I have offended your sister. And that most definitely wasn’t my intention.”
But it might as well have been. Because hadn’t he just done exactly what she had come here to save herself from? He had decided her future for her, stripped her of her control, of her choice. And Ash, more than anyone, didn’t have the authority to be that person.
