Page 7 of The Haunted Duke

“Evander?”

The glass shattered in Evander’s hand as he squeezed his drinking glass too tightly, and his friends froze.

Helena Robinson?

Memories flooded his mind of a long-forgotten time. A time when he was on top of the world. When he was brave enough to face anything—except talking to Helena in person. She was exactly as Bridget had described—a ray of sunshine. One that shone so brightly that it cast everything and everyone else into dull shadows. Evander had always been fearless before he was captured. He had not been afraid of anyone. But when it came to Helena, he transformed from a fearless man to a love-struck boy quietly longing for her.

He remembered their letters. How timid he had been after sending his first one, so timid that he had not signed his name. How relieved and happy he felt after receiving one from her in return. For months, they had corresponded, sharing their deepest secrets and desires through pen-sketched words while he kept his identity a mystery.

It was thoughts of her that had kept his will to live from extinguishing entirely while he had been tortured, even long after he had given up his hope of returning and finally meeting her. After he was rescued, such hope never returned. He had been too broken, a hideous beast, to return to a woman who was full of such pure light.

“Evander!” Adrian snapped.

Evander jolted out of his shock, surprised to see that Adrian was now at his side, holding a cloth napkin to his bleeding palm.

“What?” Evander asked, staring down at the growing crimson stain on the crisp white napkin that was pressed into his hand.

“You tell us,” Adrian urged. “Should we fetch the physician?”

“No,” Evander said quickly, forcing himself to pull away from the memory entirely. “No, I am all right. I just… had a spasm in my arm, that’s all.”

He caught Adrian and Damien sharing a look of doubt.

“I am fine,” he said, enunciating each word as he closed his fist around the napkin. “Damien, go on. What do I have to do with Jeremy getting married?”

“Are you sure you—”

Damien’s words stopped abruptly as Evander shot him a warning look. His friend huffed out a breath, as if he knew Evander was trying to hide something, but obliged.

“As you know, Jeremy has a penchant for parties, but he often gets out of control when left alone,” Damien went on as he and Adrian settled back into their chairs. “He will need help to organize the wedding party, but unfortunately, his wedding is taking place at a very precarious time. You see, Caroline’s pregnancy is not going as smoothly as her first one. I worry about her and prefer not to be away from her side for too long. The physician said that she would be better in a few weeks.”

Sensing where this was going, Evander asked, “And why can Adrian not assist with this?”

Adrian’s lips lifted up into a sheepish half-smile.

“I am afraid my little girl has her papa wrapped around her tiny, adorable finger,” he replied. “She cannot be away from me for more than a couple of hours before she starts crying incessantly. Bridget is busy with Samuel, and Elara and Constantine have their hands full with their children.”

“Why can you not all act like proper aristocrats and hire nannies?” Evander asked dryly, earning him an equally dry laugh from both men.

“We have several, but is it a crime that we love our children?” Adrian said with a shrug.

“Well, have Jeremy move the wedding date then,” Evander insisted, the edge in his tone growing sharper.

“He cannot,” Damien answered, giving Evander an imploring look. “The entire reason he is doing this is that our grandmother’s health is failing fast, and her last wish is to see him married. She cannot even leave her country estate anymore, which is why they are holding the wedding there rather than in London. It is going to be a big, old-fashioned country affair. A week-long house party. The whole ceremonial thing. Jeremy, Miss Robinson, and her family are all already there.”

Feeling a sudden, intense migraine coming on, Evander rubbed his temples.

“What exactly are you asking me to do?” he gritted out.

“I do not trust that Jeremy is capable of handling this all on his own. I need you to go there and help him. Jeremy has always looked up to you and considered you an older brother. He would be absolutely elated if you assisted him,” Damien answered.

“Absolutely not!” Evander slammed his uninjured palm on the table. “Do I look like I would be good at organizing wedding parties?”

“I do not believe there is anything you cannot do if you put your mind to it. Please, Evander. We are family now.”

It was as if a brick had settled into his gut, the weight of it dragging him down into a fresh sort of hell he never knew would be possible.

“Damien…” Evander pleaded. Then stopped. What else could he say? Please do not make me watch the love of my life, the love I was never bold enough to tell anyone about, get married to another man? No, he could not say that.