“Unhand me. Who are you, and by what authority are you engaging with me?” She tried to fight back. The force of his hold jerked her backward, knocking her off balance. She twisted, swinging out blindly with her free hand, her nails raking down the fabric of his sleeve. It was all to no avail as he towered over her and barely even flinched.
“You will let me go.” The words came through gritted teeth, her breath sharp and uneven.
The man only chuckled.
“Oh, Duchess,” he murmured, drawing her closer, “you misunderstand. You are coming with me. Thank you for your little detour; you made my jobthatmuch easier.”
She yanked, twisting her body, desperate for leverage—but he was far stronger than she was. Her free hand shot up, aiming for his face, and then a sharp blow struck her on the head.
For a moment, all Isadora felt was a white, hot, burst of pain. Her knees buckled, and the world around her blurred into the background.
The last thing she heard was his voice, sounding awfully too pleased.
“Much easier than I expected.”
And then there was nothing.
CHAPTER 24
“Has the Duchess returned?”
It was the first thing that Evan inquired of his butler that morning—not about the work but her. She had been gone for two days now, having left without saying goodbye and only leaving a note that said sheneeded to be around family and would return when she felt better.
Evan had crumpled up the note and thrown it in the trash immediately. His frustration was immense, but there was little he could do.
Isadora had decided to remain angry with him. Justifiably so in her head, but to him, she was asking the impossible. They had reached a crossroads.
“Not yet, Your Grace,” the butler replied politely.
“Very well. See to it that you let me know when she does,” he instructed, “or else I might have to go and collect her myself.”
He muttered the last part under his breath. If she kept this up for much longer, he would have no choice but to go and retrieve her.
How long can a duchess stay removed from her duke, no matter what the argument?
“That will be all,” Evan dismissed the butler, and turned back to his desk to focus on his work. But it was no use, he was already too distracted.
He glanced around the room—Isadora had changed the entire place. In all his years of occupying the study, he had not once thought to change it,but Isadora knew instantly what he had needed, even before him.
She knew better.
A thought entered his mind. What if she was right about having children, too? Was it only something he was denying himself out of spite?
He exhaled through his nose, rubbing a hand over his face. This was not how things were supposed to be. Their marriage was meant to be uncomplicated, serving a single purpose of him being taken more seriously in the business community.
But how quickly everything had turned upside down.
The truth was that he missed her. Despite their differences, he hated being away from her. In the mornings, he found himself expecting to hear her voice drifting through the halls. Every evening, he glanced toward the dining table, half-expecting her to appear at his side, only to be met with her absence.
It was maddening.
He had been so certain that putting distance between them was for the best, that time apart would cool her frustration and allow her to see reason. But all it had done was make him realize just how much he loathed an empty house.
And, even worse, how much he loathed himself for being the reason she had left.
With a sigh, he reached for the glass again, bringing it to his lips.
She had wanted a future. A family. A life together that was more than just obligation and propriety. And he had denied her.
