“It’s almost even more insulting that you believe me to be obtuse enough to believe you,” Ambrose shot back. “Nicholas, I’ve known you long enough to recognize when something’s eating away at you. So, out with it.”
Nicholas exhaled heavily, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. He should have seen this coming—Ambrose was too perceptive to be lied to so easily.
“Must I?”
“Well, since you made me undertake this long journey and use up the time I could have spent with my family otherwise,” he narrowed his eyes slightly, “I would say yes, you owe me that much at least.”
“It has just been a stressful time for me with work,” Nicholas offered. “I’m managing my estate, and it seems to have taken quite the toll on me.”
Ambrose laughed out loud at that. “Because you’ve always been so dedicated to estate management.”
Nicholas ignored him, downing the brandy in one swallow. He reached for the bottle, but Ambrose leaned forward and snatched it from the table before he could.
“That’s enough of that,” Ambrose said, setting the bottle on the floor. “Tell me what’s really going on.”
Nicholas leaned back in his chair, glaring at his friend. “I don’t remember you being this intrusive.”
“Is that what you call concern?” Ambrose retorted, crossing his arms. “Because from where I’m sitting, you look like a man on the verge of self-destruction.”
Nicholas didn’t respond, his jaw tightening. Ambrose studied him for a moment before leaning forward.
“Is it Violet?”
The name hung in the air between them, Nicholas’ jaw clenching as he debated whether to answer.
“This has nothing to do with her.”
“Liar,” Ambrose said simply, his tone devoid of judgment. “You’re telling me the reason you’re here looking worse than I have ever seen you is because… you’reconcerned about matters of the estate?Nicholas, you have been a duke for years and I have never seen you like this. But you’ve only been married a few short months.”
It was impossible to lie to Ambrose.
“Do you feel rather special at having figured it out?” Nicholas retorted.
“I do,” Ambrose grinned. “What happened between you two? Last I saw you, you seemed adamant on insisting that matters between the both of you were… pleasant.”
“They were. That’s the whole problem,” Nicholas sighed, finally letting himself be honest.
Ambrose blinked, confused. “So, there was no fight between you? Why on earth do have such a long face then? This makes little sense.”
Now that Nicholas thought about it, it did sound quite absurd. He had left precisely because things had been goingtoo wellbetween the two of them.
“I had to leave her. It was the only option,” Nicholas admitted with a frown that seemed to deepen as he spoke. “That is why I am here, hiding out in the lakeside cottage.”
“Leave?” Ambrose repeated, incredulous. “You left your wife—yourduchess—alone at your estate? Are you mad?”
“Quite possibly,” Nicholas muttered. “It is a lot more complicated than it sounds.”
“Complicated, or cowardly?”
Nicholas shot him a glare. “Do you think I haven’t accused myself of cowardice? Do you think I haven’t questioned myself every damn moment since I left?”
“Then why did you?” Ambrose pressed, his tone softening. “What could possibly make you think this was the right course of action?”
Nicholas clenched his fists, the words spilling out before he could stop them. “Because I’m in love with her.”
Ambrose sat back, blinking in surprise. “Well,” he said after a moment, “that’s unexpected.”
Nicholas let out a bitter laugh. “It shouldn’t be. It’s the most predictable disaster of my life.”
