“Good,” a voice said from the door, and she pivoted because she knew it. Vaughn leaned against the jamb, his green eyes bright as they held hers, and he smiled. “I cannot tell you how happy I am to hear that.”
* * *
If Vaughn had feared what he would find when he came to Evelina’s house that morning, all his anxieties were washed away when she turned to find him at her door and her entire being seemed to light up. There was no denying her joy to see him, her relief at his presence and her love that seemed to turn on every light in his dark life. She was so perfect and lovely and he was shocked that he hadn’t fully recognized his feelings for her sooner.
How could one be anywhere near her and not fall head over heels in love?
“Get out!” Southwater sputtered as he took a long step toward Vaughn. “This isn’t about you!”
He shifted his stance, just in case his old “friend” was about to try to start a physical fight. “No. Nor is it about you. This is abouther.”
“Vaughn,” she whispered.
He put his attention back on her. “Evie, I know all this went so badly. I did itallbadly, from the very start. But if you’ve even once considered returning to this man who never deserved to look at you, let alone call himself yours, in order to protect me, I must beg of you not to.”
“See here,” Southwater said.
“You don’t have to choose me,” Vaughn continued, as if Southwater wasn’t even in the room. “I would fully understand if you didn’t, couldn’t, after how I began all this. But please don’t lose yourself, not for him. Not for me. You are far too precious.”
Now Southwater snorted. “Please. As if you care for her. It was always obvious that she was only a means for revenge.”
Vaughn never looked away from Evie. “It started that way. My strongest emotion was anger and hatred for Florence and for you. But the longer I spent with Evie, the more she captivated me. The more I forgot about living for what I hated and started moving toward what I-I—” He took a step toward her. “I don’t want to say this in front of him, but I will. I started moving toward what I love, Evie.”
Her gasp cut across the short distance between them. She lifted her hands to clasp them before her chest and they trembled.
“I love you, Evelina Comerford.”
* * *
The room was spinning as she stared into the eyes of this man, this glorious, wonderful, utterly perfect man who had just declared his heart was hers. For a moment all she could feel was the pure joy of knowing her feelings were returned.
“He doesn’t mean that,” Southwater snapped, and broke the spell. “How could he?”
She turned toward her former protector and looked him up and down. “Just because you never did?”
The truth fluttered across the duke’s face. Of course he never had. He’d said the words a few times. He’d made promises like a man who did. But when it really mattered, like that horrible night her sister had been taken, he’d shown the truth of himself.
“Evelina,” he began.
She motioned to the door. “Get out, Southwater. Go back to your scandal, I won’t save you from it. Go live with your choices.” She smiled at Vaughn. “And I thank you for them.”
Southwater looked stunned and for a moment there was only silence in the room between them. Until he erupted. “You think you have the right to try to humiliate me, you little bitch? You think you have the right to even look into my face? I’m the Duke of Southwater and you’re nothing but a?—”
He didn’t get to finish. Vaughn leapt forward, cocked his fist back and hit Southwater so hard that the duke careened backward and hit the floor, skidding backward on his arse.
“Finish the sentence,” Vaughn growled as he towered over him. “And I will make certain you lose teeth with the next punch.”
Evie staggered toward him, let her hand rest on his forearm. Disgust lined Southwater’s face, but there was also fear and there, somewhere amongst the ugliness, regret. Not enough. But just a little.
He got up and smoothed his jacket before he pivoted and started for the door. “Good riddance to you both then. You deserve each other.”
Evie sighed and went to the parlor door as he departed, shutting it so they wouldn’t have to hear him shouting in the foyer.
“Should I go out and help Parsons eject him?” Vaughn asked.
She shook her head. “Arabella always hired the kind of servants who could handle themselves if need be. I think Parsons used to be in the military, he can handle one stuffy duke.”
“Good, because I don’t want to leave you.” Vaughn stepped toward her again and took her hand.
