Peter’s gaze flickered with something—hesitation, perhaps—but he stepped aside, allowing her to enter. The door closed softly behind her, and they were alone.
Lavinia’s heart pounded as she stood in the center of his room, her eyes fixed on him. He was as composed as ever, his hands clasped behind his back, his posture rigid. But there wassomething different in his eyes, something that told her he was not as calm as he appeared.
“I don’t know what to say to you,” she began, her voice trembling slightly. “I’ve been thinking about last night, about everything that happened, and I… I need to know where we stand.”
Peter’s expression hardened slightly, though his voice remained gentle. “Lavinia,” he said slowly, “last night was a mistake.”
Her heart sank at his words, but she refused to back down.
“It did not feel like a mistake,” she argued, her voice stronger now. “Not to me. I—” She hesitated, her cheeks flushing with emotion. “Peter, I love you.”
The words hung in the air between them.
For a moment, Peter said nothing. His face was a mask of conflicting emotions, but he did not move, did not reach for her as she had hoped he would. Instead, he sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck as if trying to find the right words.
“Lavinia,” he began, his voice gentle but firm, “you don’t know what you’re saying. What happened last night… it should not have happened.”
Lavinia’s chest tightened. “Why?” she demanded, her voice cracking slightly. “Why shouldn’t it have happened? We careabout each other. I know you feel something for me. I saw it in your eyes.”
Peter shook his head, his jaw clenched. “You don’t understand,” he said, his voice strained. “You think you know, but you don’t. This… this is not a game, Lavinia. Your reputation, your future—it’s all at stake.”
“I don’t care about my reputation!” Lavinia cried, stepping toward him, her hands balled into fists at her sides. “I care about you. I’m willing to sacrifice everything for you. Why can’t you do the same for me?”
Peter flinched at her words, his expression a mix of anger and pain. “Because I know what the world is like,” he said harshly. “I know how cruel it can be, how unforgiving. You think you can handle it, but you have no idea what you are asking for.”
Lavinia’s eyes filled with tears, her chest heaving with emotion. “I know what I feel,” she whispered shakily. “And I know that I love you. I thought… I thought you felt the same.”
Peter’s expression softened slightly, but he did not move toward her. Instead, he looked away, his gaze distant. “Lavinia,” he said quietly, “I care about you more than I should. But this… it can only end badly.”
His words cut through her like a knife, and she felt her heart shatter into a thousand pieces. She had been so sure, so certain that they were meant to be together, but now, standing here inhis chambers, she realized that he did not feel the same way. He would never sacrifice for her the way she was willing to for him.
Lavinia wiped her tears, her hands shaking as she turned away from him. She could not bear to look at him anymore, could not bear the pain of knowing that he would never be hers.
Without a word, she left his chambers, the door closing behind her.
The weight of her disappointment and heartbreak pressed down on her as she walked away, leaving Peter and the shattered remnants of her hope behind.
CHAPTER 19
Peter stood at the window in his chamber, gazing out at the sprawling estate as it was bathed in the soft morning light.
The day was clear and crisp, but the beauty of the landscape did little to quell the storm brewing within him. Yesterday morning had been turbulent, fraught with a flood of emotions and an unsettling realization.
Lavinia’s confession had shaken him to his core, leaving him in a state of turmoil. The memory of the hurt in her eyes made his heart ache with an unquenchable longing.
Her confession had stirred something deep inside him. He wanted to tell her that he felt the same way—that he loved her too, but he could not conjure the words. They represented emotions he was simply incapable of feeling, so it was useless to pretend otherwise.
The idea of leaving without expressing his feelings was unbearable, yet he could not muster the courage to find the right words. The fear of complicating matters, of pushing her away, held him back.
In the end, he had decided that it was best to leave early, to escape the emotional entanglement that seemed inevitable if he stayed, but his mother had other plans.
Just before Lavinia had declared her love for him, his mother had expressed a wish to remain at Crawford Hall for at least another day. Perhaps a few days. Peter wanted to deny her, but it was clear the Dowager Duchess was not making a request. She wanted to stay with her friends, and she expected him to do the right thing and remain as well.
Peter turned away from the window when he heard a knock on the door. Madeline entered the room with a frown on her face. Her eyes were filled with a mix of concern and irritation.
“Peter, what on earth are you doing?” she exclaimed, her voice sharp with frustration. “Why are you sulking in your room? There’s still so much to enjoy here!”
Peter sighed, trying to maintain his composure despite the whirlwind of emotions inside him. “I must return to town as soon as possible. The estate needs someone to look after it, and there are matters that require my attention. I have to leave, so it is futile to run around the gardens and pretend that my duties are not waiting to be fulfilled.”
