After a few minutes, she felt her chest constrict, and she grew restless.
“I shall be outside,” she whispered to her friends, quietly rising to her feet.
“Would you like us to come with you?” Jane offered softly.
Nora shook her head. “That should be unnecessary. Enjoy the performance. I shall return shortly.”
She rose out of her feet and quietly slipped out of the theatre, feeling as though she could only breathe once she could no longer feel the duke’s gaze on her.
Nora found a spot in a hallway with no people, and luckily, there was a spot where she could sit, so she settled down. A few deep breaths did not seem to calm the anger she felt at the duke, much to her annoyance, and she clicked her tongue.
“He really is the most vexing person I have ever met,” she muttered under her breath.
She did not understand why her affairs had gone so beyond her control so quickly. And as much as she wished to point the finger of blame at her brother, she had to admit that things had been going wrong long before he involved himself so deeply.
Nora had dreamt of a love like the one her older sisters had found. She had prayed that she would meet someone who made her feel as special and adored as the dukes who swept her sisters off their feet.
Instead, she had somehow encountered a very selfish man who was not concerned about the implications his actions had on her. And in her bid to move past it, she had somehow been saddled with another man whose sole goal seemed to be to make things as difficult as possible for her.
She only wanted to be loved. She desired to build a home away from the cold walls of her childhood. She wanted to absolve her brother of the duty of watching over her.
But it seemed as though her failings remained prevalent.
“There you are,” a voice called as footsteps approached her. “I was hoping that I would see you tonight. I am glad my efforts did not go to waste.”
Nora’s spine stiffened as she recognized who the voice belonged to, and she spoke up in a stern voice.
“Leave me be. I have nothing to say to you.”
The man did not listen, still coming to a stop only when he was standing before her.
“Don’t be like that, Miss Nora. Do you have any idea how devastated I have felt these last few weeks? You suddenly dissolved our engagement without a single word, and all my efforts to contact you have been thwarted by your bothersome brother —”
“Do not speak about my brother that way. You have no right,” she snapped, rising to her feet.
Tobias Crane swallowed and nodded quickly.
“I did not mean to upset you, Nora. My deepest apologies for my callous words. And for whatever else I did that upset you so much that you refused to speak with me again. I thought I would run mad with despair.” He said earnestly.
“Perhaps you should have,” she told him quietly. “Then you might have understood how I felt.”
He stared at her in shock. “Surely, you do not mean that. Please, Nora. Please reconsider breaking our engagement. You are unlike any other woman I have ever met. You are the love of my life, and every second we’re apart threatens to kill me with heartbreak. Do not do this to us.”
Nora shook her head and stepped aside, moving to walk away.
“Unbelievable. Even now, you delude yourself into believing that you are the victim.”
Tobias grabbed hold of her by her wrist and pulled her back towards him.
“Please, Nora. Just — just say you’ll think about it.”
“Absolutely not! Do not touch me!” she tugged her hand out of his grasp and hurriedly walked away.
But she had barely gotten far when she realized that only a dead end lay ahead of her. He had her cornered.
“Dear Lord,” she mumbled, whirling around and gasping as she came face to face with him.
“Why do you insist on playing these games? On prolonging our pain? I do not understand why you have refused to face the truth. You and I make a wonderful match together. I will make a good husband for you, and you know it. I am your best chance to marry soon.” He stated, backing her up against a wall.
