Sadness resting in his eyes, Flynn approached me and cupped my jaw. “I’m afraid bed play won’t solve the problems in your marriage. You need to go to your wife, talk to her, and pray she forgives you. Now, I have news of my own to impart. As much as I would love to, we cannot continue with our trysts.” He sighed heavily. “I have decided to marry Olivia.”
“You asked her to marry you?” It felt as if my world was dropping out from under me.
“Yes.” He raked a hand through his hair. “The nights we spent together, Eleanor fell asleep in my arms. When I woke in the middle of the night, she was snuggled up to you. The two of you belong together, and I realized I was trying to force something that would never happen.”
“I am sorry you felt left out.” I turned my cheek into his palm, and taking his hand, I pressed a kiss to it. “We’ve been married for twenty years. It is natural for us to gravitate toward each other.”
He removed his hand from mine and shrugged. “I know. I guess I missed what I had with Mary.”
I nodded my understanding. “When are you getting married?”
“Olivia wishes to marry by special license.” A sheepish smile twisted his lips as he looked down at his feet. “That night, I realized what you and Eleanor have is special, and I want that again.”
“Are you in love with her?” I had to know he was doing the right thing for the right reasons. My own marriage was in shambles after years of thinking it was infallible. How naïve I had been.
“I love her but not in the same manner you love Eleanor. Despite being annoying and calling me names at times, she keeps me on my toes. She is comfortable to be with, and I find her attractive.” He shrugged again before dipping his head, his lips gliding over mine in a sensual kiss. I placed my hand on his chest. The kiss was full of regret and goodbyes rather than passion.
He clasped my wrist before releasing me. “The nights I spent with you and Eleanor will forever be etched in my memory.”
“I understand.” After one more lingering kiss, I forced myself to pull away. I needed to escape his company before I broke down. “I had best check on Harry. Promise me you will come and say goodbye before you leave.”
“You’ll be the best man at my wedding.” He walked with me to the door, our shoulders bumping. We were kindred spirits who had instantly connected upon meeting. Our desire for each other might not be conventional, but our love was genuine.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Lady Eleanor, Duchess of Smythington
It had been two days since Harry’s disappearance, and I was still so furious at Rex I could hardly see straight. For Harry’s sake, I kept up the pretense of a happy marriage by still sleeping in the same bed as Rex. However, the invisible wall was back between us, more impenetrable than before. The only thing soothing my heartache was my music, but the guilt over Harry kept me firmly at home.
A maid knocked on the door and announced Olivia’s arrival. During a brief conversation with Rex, I learned she and Flynn would marry. Where before my husband and I could discuss anything, all topics seemed to be difficult for us now.
The moment I looked at Olivia, tears started to fall. I turned my head away for a long moment before meeting her regard. She rushed forward to draw me to her plump frame.
“How are you faring, my dear? By your tears, I would say you are still upset over Harry’s disappearance and the stupid thing Flynn and Rex did.”
“He told you about the proposal?” I worried my handkerchief. My father’s actions on that night had seemed sound. I had been wavering between physical desire for Flynn or Rex’s quieter appeal. The fact Flynn told Olivia was yet another boundary he had crossed.
She frowned and cocked her head. “Do you mean the audition?”
I nodded, glad she clarified things before I revealed more. She was my best friend, and I could confide in her about the conservatory. The conflict regarding my proposal was between Rex and me, a deep cut to our marriage I wasn’t sure would ever heal. Had I simply watched what I said, we might be back on even ground. Except he’d betrayed my trust. “I told Rex not to try to fix my problems, and he went ahead and did so anyway.”
“I warned them not to.” Olivia guided me to the settee near the window. I often sat in the chair beside it and looked out onto the garden while playing.
“I am so humiliated.” I wiped the moisture off my chin, still infuriated by the entire affair. I buried my face in my hands and shook my head, shocked by everything that had transpired. “I was too old to qualify, and everyone knew it except me.”
