Chapter Twenty-Seven

L ord Rex, Duke of Smythington

Flynn and I returned to my study, my knees still shaky from the stress I had been under since learning of Harry's disappearance. Scotland Yard had left, and I needed a stiff drink.

"He is home, and he's safe." A strong hand settled on my shoulders, and Flynn pulled me into his body. He wrapped his arms around my neck and kissed my cheek.

I was glad we were alone because I needed his strength. He was a constant in my life, and I loved him. My row with Eleanor over her father's decision still plagued me, and I needed to clear the air with Flynn. I turned in the circle of his arms. Before I could speak, he caught the back of my head with his palm, his mouth devouring mine. My earlier anguish inflamed into need, and I pulled his hips closer to mine, wishing to feel anything other than the panic that had surged through me.

Flynn broke away and rested his forehead on mine. "He's fine. You saw him with your own eyes. You needn't be afraid anymore."

"I know. I can't help thinking I might have lost him." I couldn't bear the thought of losing another child. Eleanor's two miscarriages tortured both of us until we were blessed with Harry.

"You didn't lose him." He pulled me back into his arms, his embrace welcome after the harrowing ordeal.

I inhaled his woodsy cologne, wishing to lose myself in his arms. It was madness because I was usually the strong one. I was supposed to be in control, but I didn't feel in control. "I am glad you are here. I owe you an apology." My accusations at the hotel were unfounded and based on jealousy. "I had no right to accuse you of trying to manipulate me into the affair. I was the one who challenged you to obtain Eleanor's consent. "

"You were a prat, and although I would like to say you were completely wrong, I'm not sure you were."

A chill chased down my spine at his admission. In the days since the argument, I had convinced myself I had overreacted when it came to Flynn. While he hadn't been at liberty to tell me the truth because of his promise to Eleanor, my wife deliberately kept the truth from me. I pulled out of his embrace and tried to wrap my mind around his confession. "So you are saying my assumption is true? You wanted to bed Eleanor, so you proposed the ménage?"

"On some level. I can't say for certain I didn't instigate our ménage for my own selfish reasons." Flynn shook his head, running his fingers through his dark hair. Conflict furrowed his brow. "I can tell you that Eleanor is innocent in all of this. I was jealous. As a married couple, you are free to follow your passions for each other. I desire you both, hence my eagerness to accept the challenge."

"I appreciate your honesty. It doesn't make me feel any better, given what I learned about your proposal to her." I wasn't sure what to think. My nerves were shot, and I simply wanted to restore peace to my household.

He narrowed his eyes at me and settled his hands on his hips. "Do you know how hypocritical you sound right now? You were perfectly all right telling everyone you won her hand over me. Never once did you think to ask how I felt about the situation."

" You never told me you proposed, hence I had no idea you were serious about her. You were courting Mary at the time and told me you planned to marry her." I shook my head, scratching at an itch under my chin. I often broke out in hives during stressful periods. That wouldn't do. "How was I supposed to know if you didn't see fit to tell me?"

"Because I didn't want you to know." He flashed me a brittle smile, the pain dulling his eyes. "I was courting Mary. You know how the two of them were, one never went anywhere without the other. The night I was supposed to meet Mary by the fountain at your father's house party, Eleanor came to tell me Mary was sick. The music was playing, and we were dancing in the fountain, and, well, I kissed her."

"Did Mary know?" I asked, the betrayal still raw.

"Eleanor made me promise to tell no one. Shortly after that night, the marquess told me she had accepted your offer."

The marquess chose me over Flynn. I had thought it was the beginning of my love story with Eleanor. It turned out to be based on a lie.

The creaking door drew my attention and it was on the tip of my tongue to tell the servant to leave us alone. Eleanor slipped inside, her hair in disarray. The terror she had worn earlier had disappeared, yet her expression was still drawn. She closed the door with a click and rested her back against it. "Harry is in the bath. I instructed his manservant to send word once he is out."

"I am glad to hear he isn't traumatized by the events." I moved to the sideboard, needing the excuse of fetching a drink to regain my equilibrium. Eleanor's refusal to accept Flynn's proposal had broken his heart. I rubbed salt into the wound for over twenty years without considering his feelings. I unstopped the sherry decanter and poured three glasses. While I was still upset over his confession, my smugness was inexcusable.

"I am still in shock that he was in the back garden the entire time." Flynn splayed his hands on his hips, pushing aside his coat to reveal his flat belly under a paisley brown waistcoat.

"I am glad you spied him, otherwise all of Scotland Yard would still be looking for him." After an hour of pure chaos, I had anticipated such an outcome. I brought over a glass for him and Eleanor.

She accepted it with a curt nod. Now that the struggle with Harry was over, she seemed determined that we return to being polite strangers. "Luckily, you have a good eye, and we have plenty of worms in the flower beds."

"Indeed." I downed my glass before pouring a second for myself. Flynn had insisted we talk, but what transpired had turned ugly. In our case, the truth didn't set us free but rehashed bitter feelings.

"This is my fault," Eleanor said, her shoulders slumping. She tapped her nail against the rim of her glass. "I wasn't here when he arrived home, and he just went out to the garden, not knowing where I was. None of this would have happened if I had not been at the conservatory."

"This isn't your fault." I cupped her cheek and brushed back a falling tear. Comforting her was second nature, and although I was upset with her for keeping something important from me, I still loved her. "Harry made a foolish decision. It doesn't reflect on you. You worked hard for your acceptance at the conservatory, so you simply can't quit because of a little setback."

"Until I get Harry settled, I won't feel comfortable attending class, and if I miss classes, then I'll be asked to leave. Therefore, I will resign my position for this year and return next year."

Flynn met my gaze and lowered his own.

I clutched the glass in my hand, my ears burning with shame and dread. The conversation during our tryst was coming back to haunt me. It would seem Eleanor wasn't the only one keeping a secret. I downed the contents of the glass, needing the fortification for what I was about to confess to my wife. "I am afraid that won't be possible."

Eleanor took the glass, her knuckles turning white. "Beg pardon?"

"You are a talented musician, however, the conservatory didn't accept your application. You exceeded the age limit for students," Flynn explained.

Eyes wide in shock, tears liquefied her eyes.

I knew I was breaking her heart, but I had to tell her the truth. "When Flynn told me they turned you down, I asked him to use his influence to get you the position. They made an exception based on your title and the generous donation I gave on your behalf."

Hand raised, she stepped away from me, tears beginning to fall. "I told you I didn't need fixing. I told you I wanted to do this on my merit as a musician and not because I'm a duchess. You told me you wouldn't interfere. You gave me your word."

"If not for the silly age rule, you would have been accepted based on your talent." Flynn swirled the sherry in his glass. "You have exceeded their expectations with your brilliance. Rex and I just nudged them along to see the value of having you as part of the conservatory."

His words did little to soothe her. She glared at me. "You accused me of lying while you have been lying to me?"

"My donation to the conservatory was intended to help you obtain a lifelong dream. The lie you told rocked the foundation of our marriage. There is a difference." I crossed my arms, glaring back at her. "I have no issue admitting I overstepped my bounds because it meant so much to you."

"The point is moot. You arrogantly went against my wishes and made the decision for me." Stormy blue eyes bore into me, her color high. The tears began to fall with more speed, and she wiped them away with her knuckle. "It is no wonder everyone at the conservatory stares at me like I am an oddity. I wasn't sure if I would fit in, and now I know it is all a ruse."

Having barely spoken since she'd started at the conservatory, I had no idea she was having difficulty. "You were admitted because you are talented."

"Indeed," Flynn said. "Rex was not trying to fix you. These were extenuating circumstances. I have since convinced the board to accept students based on merit, regardless of age. Something that should have been changed ages ago." He finished his drink and set the glass down with a decisive click.

"So you forced them to change the rules because of me?" Instead of placating her, Flynn's comment seemed to inflame her further.

"You simply don't grasp what you have done." She shook her head, fury dotting her cheeks. "As far as I am concerned, this conversation is over. If you can't understand what you have done, then it is your fault, not mine. My focus from here on out is on Harry and Harry alone. I have nothing else to say to either of you."

Sweeping out of the room, she slammed the door behind her.

I watched her go, feeling helpless and frustrated in turn. "I knew it was a bad idea to step in and I was proven right." The rift between us had enlarged to the point that I wasn't sure I could build a bridge to reach her.

Sadness resting in his eyes, Flynn approached me and cupped my jaw. "I'm afraid bed play won't solve the problems in your marriage. You need to go to your wife, talk to her, and pray she forgives you. Now, I have news of my own to impart. As much as I would love to, we cannot continue with our trysts." He sighed heavily. "I have decided to marry Olivia."

"You asked her to marry you?" It felt as if my world was dropping out from under me.

"Yes." He raked a hand through his hair. "The nights we spent together, Eleanor fell asleep in my arms. When I woke in the middle of the night, she was snuggled up to you. The two of you belong together, and I realized I was trying to force something that would never happen."

"I am sorry you felt left out." I turned my cheek into his palm, and taking his hand, I pressed a kiss to it. "We've been married for twenty years. It is natural for us to gravitate toward each other."

He removed his hand from mine and shrugged. "I know. I guess I missed what I had with Mary."

I nodded my understanding. "When are you getting married?"

"Olivia wishes to marry by special license." A sheepish smile twisted his lips as he looked down at his feet. "That night, I realized what you and Eleanor have is special, and I want that again."

"Are you in love with her?" I had to know he was doing the right thing for the right reasons. My own marriage was in shambles after years of thinking it was infallible. How na?ve I had been.

"I love her but not in the same manner you love Eleanor. Despite being annoying and calling me names at times, she keeps me on my toes. She is comfortable to be with, and I find her attractive." He shrugged again before dipping his head, his lips gliding over mine in a sensual kiss. I placed my hand on his chest. The kiss was full of regret and goodbyes rather than passion.

He clasped my wrist before releasing me. "The nights I spent with you and Eleanor will forever be etched in my memory."

"I understand." After one more lingering kiss, I forced myself to pull away. I needed to escape his company before I broke down. "I had best check on Harry. Promise me you will come and say goodbye before you leave."

"You'll be the best man at my wedding." He walked with me to the door, our shoulders bumping. We were kindred spirits who had instantly connected upon meeting. Our desire for each other might not be conventional, but our love was genuine.