Page 30 of The Haunted Duke

“Evander, please,” Patricia scolded, pointing to the open seat next to Helena. “The wall does not need your assistance staying up. Come and sit so we may get started.”

The next day, Patricia and Mary-Anne had scheduled several musicians to audition for the party that would commence the wedding celebration in two days. Though his mind screamed at him to stay precisely where he was, Evander pushed away from the wall and walked over to the small cluster of chairs set up for them. He did not want to sit. He did not even want to be in the blasted room. Not after last night. Not after sharing yet another private moment with Helena he certainly was not supposed to have.

His steps faltered when he reached the chairs and found everyone else was seated. Patricia and Mary-Anne were already in the two chairs closest to the performers, and Helena and the empty chair were placed several feet behind them. All three women looked at him curiously, as if silently willing him to take the empty seat beside Helena.

“We must make sure the music carries properly,” Patricia explained as he took his seat. “Mary-Anne and I shall listen for mistakes. You two will listen for clarity.”

Beside him, Helena gave a stiff nod, but she did not look up from her tightly clasped hands in her lap. He did not blame her for not looking at him. With the way he had been treating her, and especially after their intense conversation the night before, he was sure she was more confused than ever. She did not deserve that. She already had enough to worry about.

After he had left her in the ballroom, Evander had spent the night dwelling on how vehemently she had defended him to her little brother, even after he had behaved so poorly. He wanted to do better. She did not deserve this callousness from him. After all, she had no idea who he was. Nor would she ever.

“You chose well,” he murmured, nodding to the large bouquets set up around the room. “They look lovely. I am sure Jeremy will love them.”

Helena let out a soft breath of a laugh as she looked up toward the nearest bouquet.

“Well, that is one thing at least,” she murmured back.

Evander nodded awkwardly as their conversation started, then died right then and there. He was awful at this. Making small talk. Even with the people he was not secretly in love with.

A moment later, the first round of musicians began to play, and Evander did his best to focus on the music. It became difficult, though, as Patricia started to whisper vehemently to Mary-Anne. That, and being back in the ballroom with Helena. So very close to her, just as they had drawn close the night before. Evander’s mind began to conjure the memory of Helena’s touch. Of her vehemency. She had always been a ray of sunshine, but last night she had been more like a lightning storm; passionate in the way she had yanked off his scarf and demanded that he stop hiding. She had been so… impressive that he had wanted to cry.

“I see now where Jeremy gets his obsession with party planning,” Helena whispered next to him.

He looked at her, surprised, and found a small smile on her plump lips. She was trying too, it seemed.

“Indeed,” he whispered back. “I am not sure who is more particular. Jeremy, or his grandmother. I cannot imagine Damien sparing an assortment of flowers a second glance.”

Helena cupped her hand over her mouth to stifle her giggle, but even so, the little sound of joy slithered into his ears and nestled into his brain.

“It is strange, is it not?” Evander quietly replied. “That despite his love for parties, he is missing from one of the most important parties of his life?”

Helena’s hand dropped away from her mouth to reveal her smile had faded, and Evander fought the urge to kick himself. He had meant to be playful, but it obviously sounded accusatory.

“I know Jeremy cares about this wedding as much, maybe even more than I do,” she whispered back. “So whatever business has called him away, it must be terribly urgent.”

Though he was instantly curious about her statement regarding her care for the wedding, Evander nodded and decided to change the topic.

“So…” he floundered for a moment. “What do you and Jeremy usually talk about when you are alone together?”

Helena’s brows flew up as she glanced at him.

“Oh,” she murmured, rubbing her hands together. “Well, in truth, Jeremy and I have never shared any alone time together.”

Now it was Evander’s turn to raise his brows. He had not been expecting that.

“We see each other frequently, mind you,” she added after a moment. “But we are always in a group. Our friend Letty is always there. Though she can be a bit catty at times, some of his other friends usually join us. They are all fairly lovely people to converse with.”

“And… what do you converse about?” Evander gently nudged.

Helena shrugged her dainty shoulders, the cupped sleeve of her gown falling to the side a little as she did so. Evander’s eyes at once became riveted to the naked slope of her creamy, unblemished flesh. It was the perfect spot to sink his teeth into. Not at first, though. He would brush his lips gently against her shoulder. Maybe even skim the tip of his tongue over the rounded joint to experience what she tasted like. Then he would bite. Slowly. Take his time to sink his teeth there, just enough to make her gasp and tremble…

“Our families, mostly,” she answered, interrupting his fantasy. “Lately, it is a conversation about how Jeremy’s and my family are about to become one. One big happy family, as Jeremy likes to say.”

“I see,” Evander mused, dragging his gaze back to her face.

Then he wondered where all of these supposedly lovely people were. Why were they not helping Helena with the wedding? If they were such good friends to Jeremy, would they not want to assist his bride-to-be while he was away? In truth, though, he did not care about Jeremy’s friends. He simply wanted to know more about Helena.

“And tell me, what is your family like?” he whispered, needing to know more about her. Wanting to know if she was still the young woman he had admired from afar. Perhaps if he learned something unsavory, he could finally release himself from the obsession she had come to be.