Chapter 17

Levi had breakfasted in his room for so long that he knew his staff was still becoming accustomed to serving him in the breakfast room.

But he would take any opportunity to see Siena.

She had not yet joined him, as she had likely slept late due to their activities last night. The thought produced a grin, although he was sure that she would be down shortly.

As Levi sipped his coffee and waited, Thornbury placed a paper down next to him, knowing that he enjoyed reading the news from London, even if he would never actually admit to it.

"The post arrived this morning, Your Grace," he said, to which Levi nodded absently, not taking much notice of it – until the headline at the top caught all of his attention.

Vanishing Virtue: Highborn Heiress Evaporates on Eve of Eminent Nuptials! Society in Uproar as Aristocratic Bride Disappears into Shadows of Intrigue!

The idea that there could be two missing brides within the nobility was certainly unlikely.

He picked up the paper, so intent on the story that he didn't notice anyone else enter the room.

In a shocking turn of events that has sent the upper echelons of society into a frenzy, the beautiful Lady Siena Whitmore vanished on the day of her grand nuptials to the Baron Mulberry. Was it a daring escape or something much more sinister?

Rumors abound of a clandestine affair with a mysterious suitor, a man deemed unsuitable by the rigid standards of high society. Could Lady Siena's heart have led her astray?

Others suggest that the disappearance is shrouded in the dark veils of family intrigue. Could Lady Siena have unearthed long-buried secrets that propelled her to flee the impending union?

Or was she ruthlessly snatched away from her true love just moments before they recited their vows to one another, and is now being held in a land far away against her will as she waits for her beloved to rescue her?

The Baron Mulberry, left at the altar and bewildered by the sudden turn of events, has joined with Lord and Lady Sterling in issuing heartfelt pleas for the safe return of his intended bride. His grief and confusion have only intensified the public"s fascination with this captivating tale of love and loss.

As the search for Lady Siena ensues, society holds its collective breath, eager for the next chapter in this scandalous saga. Will the fair young lady return to the arms of the viscount, or has she truly forsaken her aristocratic destiny for the tantalizing allure of a love deemed taboo by the ton?

He cast the paper down in front of him, nearly chuckling at the amount of fiction within it.

Until he noticed Siena standing in front of him, her face white as she stared down at the table.

"What is this?" she asked, reaching out a shaking hand.

"It's nothing," he said, trying to hide it beneath the edge of the tablecloth. "Just an old scandal sheet. It's?—"

"It's about me," she said, slowly sitting as she brought a hand to cover her mouth. "I suppose I should have expected that I could not just vanish without question, but I assumed – wrongly, obviously – that Eliza would see to an explanation." Her eyes flew up to meet his, and it didn't take her long to understand the grim expression he was wearing.

"No one will come here, Levi, I promise. No one knows I'm here. No one, except—" she hesitated, biting her lip.

"Eliza?" he finished, a brow raised.

"Yes, I did write her again, although I omitted nearly any mention of you besides this being one of your residences. There are also the tenants and the people from the village. I don't believe anyone saw me, but if they were talking to the servants, perhaps word of my presence here could have been shared that way. Unless you believe they will be loyal to you?"

He snorted. "Besides Thornbury and McGregor, I haven't exactly given my servants reason to be loyal. I showed up here and haven't spoken with any of the servants or tenants until the day the stables burned down."

"Oh," she said softly as she pushed the paper away from her as though it was offensive. "Well, I suppose all that I can hope now is that soon enough there will be another scandal, and everyone will forget about me."

"I highly doubt it," he scoffed. "You are a missing lady. A beautiful one of high birth. No one will ever forget you. If you do not appear again, your name will be remembered in the history books."

He stood now, unable to sit still any longer. "I should have thought of this before, but I didn't think you were staying here for any longer than it would take for the roads to clear. And then… well, then I became distracted. This is foolish, Siena. You cannot continue to hide here, pretending to all that you are what – dead? Lost? Gone forever?"

"I am not pretending anything," she said, standing as well and gripping the back of her chair, her knuckles turning as white as her face, causing a pang of regret to fill him, although he wasn't entirely sure what he was regretting – that he was saying these thoughts aloud? That he had formed this connection in the first place? "This is my life, Levi. I told you that this is the first time I can truly make choices for myself, so forgive me if it is taking longer than I had planned to determine what my next step might be."

"I'm sorry," he said, letting out a deep sigh, hating to see her like this, especially knowing that he was only adding to her discontent. "None of this is your fault, Siena. I take the blame. I told myself to enjoy this time with you without fear of the repercussions. Then the paper arrived this morning as a stark reminder that as much as I would like to think I live in my own world, disconnected from the larger one, it is still out there, with thoughts and opinions that do have substance, whether I like it or not."

Her gaze softened as she stared at him, before saying softly, "but does it truly matter? That is the world I ran from, and I have no intention of returning. What I have found here, with you, has had more meaning to it than anything that I left behind. Last night was magical, Levi, truly. Don't forget that man you were then."

"I am not forgetting him," he said, shaking his head. "However, I am also remembering the rest of the world."

"Can I not be your world?" she asked, the supplication on her face and in her voice melting the icy walls left around his heart.

He walked around the table toward her, taking her face in his hands. Her skin was so soft and impeccable, his scarred hand on her cheek in stark contrast. But then she nuzzled her face into it, and he was reminded that she had yet to show him any sign of caring about such a thing.

"I can see that becoming my reality, every single day that you are here," he said softly, and she closed the distance between them, pressing her lips against his.

It was a brazen act in the light of day, when any of the servants could step into the room and see them, but if she didn't care, then neither did he.

Which made him wonder when he saw the worry in her expression after she pulled away.

"I do have one concern," she said.

"Only one?" he asked lightly, although he was instantly filled with trepidation.

"There is speculation that I have been taken against my will or run away with a lover. Are you concerned that if I am discovered, you might be blamed?"

He hadn't considered that yet, which was foolish for it was a very valid concern, but he shrugged his shoulders.

"So be it. You will be there to disagree with them."

"Of course," she said, although she was obviously still troubled. "Although I would have to explain that I ran from my wedding, and if I am discovered…" she looked up at him with tears and worry swimming in her eyes, her next words on a whisper, "what if I am forced to return to him? To Lord Mulberry?"

He gripped her shoulders tightly. "I will never let that happen."

"How could you prevent it? My parents made an agreement with him. There was a dowry. I have no power to walk away. You might be a duke, but in this, you would be unable to stop them."

"If it came to that…" he said, closing his eyes as he gritted his teeth, not wanting to make her any promises but knowing he would do anything it took to prevent her from marrying another man, especially one like Mulberry, "then I would marry you myself."

Siena blinked at his words,trying to understand exactly what he was saying.

"Levi, did you just… propose marriage to me?" she asked.

"No," he said, holding up a finger between them. "I simply meant that if it came down to you having to marry Lord Mulberry, then I would marry you first."

"I see," she said as dejection filled her at his words. He didn't want her, not for the rest of their lives. When he had said he was living in the moment, he truly meant it.

"Siena, what are you thinking right now?" he asked, reaching out and taking her chin between his fingers.

She saw no reason not to be honest.

"I am thinking about the fact that you do not want me as I want you. That you do not feel the same emotions for me as I do for you."

He leaned forward, intent upon her.

"How much I want you and what I can offer you are two incredibly different things," he said. "Do not get them confused. The truth is, I want you very, very much, in every way possible."

"Then why—" she began, bewildered.

"Because the life I have to give you is not the one you deserve."

"Is that not up for me to decide?"

He stood back, crossing his arms over his chest for a moment as he remained silent, contemplative. "We shall see how long it is until you are finished with me and ready to return to the world you knew – or one better than it. I do promise you that while you are here, I will do all I can to keep you happy."

She regarded him, contemplating his words, wondering if there was more she could say, but eventually she simply nodded her head. "One day at a time."

As it happened,neither of them had to choose.

Later that afternoon, they were sitting in the library, each lost in their own book. Levi appreciated that with Siena, there was never a need to fill the quiet with mindless chatter, and yet he had a feeling that they were both uncertain of what to say, for neither of them were sure of just what direction to take next.

The butler interrupted them, his austere face wrinkled in consternation.

"Your Grace," he began before clearing his throat as though he was concerned about continuing.

"Yes, Thornbury?"

"It appears we have guests."

"Guests?" Levi repeated as he and Siena exchanged a glance. "Who?"

"I am actually not entirely sure. Collins spotted the carriage coming down the drive and thought it best to advise you before they arrived."

Levi moved purposefully to the front of the house, sensing Siena hurrying behind him trying to keep up. He knew he should slow but he couldn't seem to prevent his legs from their long, fast strides.

He stopped at the window of the drawing room so abruptly that Siena ran into the back of him.

The carriage, elegantly grand, clearly carried noble passengers. Its sleek black exterior was trimmed in gold with the family crest proudly displayed on the side among intricate designs. Levi struggled to recognize to whom it belonged, but it seemed that it wasn't here for him.

"Eliza!" Siena gasped, causing Levi to stiffen completely. He didn't follow Siena as she ran out past him in a flurry of cream skirts, leaving the drawing room for the front foyer. She didn't even wait for anyone to open the door for her, and it slammed heavily behind her as she ran out to embrace the richly dressed woman who disembarked from the carriage on his front drive.

So much for their interlude alone.

If there was anything he hadn't wanted, this was it. An intrusion on the peace he had finally found. He should have known.

Happiness was just not for him.