She was quiet for a moment before nodding. “All right. So, you punched somescoundrel, hard enough to knock him to the ground. It looked like you broke his nose, too.”
She did not sound upset, just concerned. Her voice was as gentle as ever. She waited for him to respond, but he did not. “Evan, look at me.”
He glanced at her to see her look of worry. Pain lanced through him just by looking at her, so he stared out of the window again without saying anything.What am I supposed to say? I made an ass out of myself tonight. She has every right to be furious with me, so why is she looking at me with those blasted understanding eyes?
“It is not like you to lose your temper over nothing,” she said. “I am sure you have a good reason for punching him.” Shehesitated a moment before saying, “Did he say something about Lilly? Did he suggest that she was not yours?”
He shook his head. “No. Nothing like that.” Thank heavens for that. If he punched someone over a question of his daughter’s heritage, then he might as well shout to the whole ton that he had questions about it as well. He was not sure if he had a good reason for getting violent in the middle of the ballroom. There was never a good reason to lose control of one’s emotions, after all. But at the same time, he could not bring himself to regret it, not after what that man had said about Marina.
“Talk to me, Evan. Please.”
A lump formed in his throat at the sound of her pleading tone. “I cannot,” he said, forcing the words out. “Not yet.” He did not want to shut her out and ignore her. But he could not talk about it. Not yet.
She nodded in acceptance. “All right. When we get home, then.”
Marina thought the ride from London to their estate took entirely too long, especially when she was waiting for an explanation. Evan looked positively wrecked.
She wished she had just told Lord Sherwood that she had promised her first dance to her husband. It would have been a lie, and maybe it would have confirmed everyone’s suspicionsabout the Pembertons being antisocial—after all, what couple goes to a ball and only talks and dances with each other?
But she had really wanted to dance with her husband at least once before they had to leave.Although I am sure the blow was justified, no matter what the ton will think about it. Evan is not one to go into a blind rage.Baron Jefferson must have said something truly wicked to get such a reaction out of him.
When they arrived at Pemberton Manor, Carlson opened the door for them. His lips were pursed as they entered. “I take it things did not go to plan,” he said.
“No,” Evan muttered as he strode inside.
The butler looked at Marina questioningly. She gave him an apologetic smile. “I do not know what happened either. But I’ll talk to him.”
The man nodded. “If anyone can get through to him, it will be you, Your Grace.”
She felt fortified by having Carlson’s approval. After all, she knew how close the man was to the duke.
She followed Evan to his room, even as he tried to close the door behind him. He did not stop her as she entered his bed chamber and closed the door behind her. “All right, we are home now,” she said. “Tell me what happened.”
He slouched onto his bed and covered his face with his hands. “What happened is you have broken me.”
That was the last thing she had been expecting. “Me?” She could not believe it. “How could I have broken you?”
“Before marrying you, I had complete control of my emotions,” he said. “I prided myself on being rational—making the objectively good decision. I did not care what people thought of me, and I suppose I still do not. But because of you, that control is gone, and now I have all of thesefeelings.” He spat out the word as if it were a nasty one.
Marina sat next to him on the bed. She stayed silent, not wanting to interrupt his tirade now that he was finally allowing himself to speak.
“I do not even know myself anymore,” he said. “I lose all control of myself because of you. Just one word against you is enough for me to resort to violence.” He looked down at his hand. “I have never punched someone before, and now I’ve done it in the middle of a ballroom.” He flexed his hand. “It was more satisfying than I was expecting.”
“Whydidyou punch him?”
“I do not want to repeat it,” he said, his gaze darkening. “I should not have done it, but I do not regret it. And this is your fault.”
“How is thismyfault?”
“You have driven me mad,” he said, his gaze falling to her lips. “I have never wanted anyone the way I want you.”
She sucked in her breath with surprise. But before she could respond, he kissed her. His lips were urgent and rough, almost bruising. Like he had indeed been driven mad with desire.
She melted into the kiss, unable to stop a slight sigh from escaping her lips. The world around them faded away as she focused on the heat of his lips and his warm scent. It was easy to forget about everything else when he was kissing her like this.Perhaps he has driven me mad the way I have done to him.
Urgent knocking on the door had them breaking apart. “Enter,” Evan said brusquely as he stood up.
Carlson opened the door, his expression serious. “Begging pardon for the intrusion, Your Grace. Lady Lilly is missing.”
