Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

T wo days went by rather quickly.

Selina, fueled by the prospect of potentially meeting someone she might fall in love with, spent the time eagerly chattering with excitement to her sister and brother-in-law.

Thalia, especially, was encouraging, never hesitating to remind Selina that she had beautiful qualities, and, just like her husband had said, any reasonable man would realize that right away.

This quelled some of Selina’s worries and motivated her to look forward to the party even more.

Her excellent mood only soured at the mention of Aaron — a task Benedict had taken upon himself, deriving far too much joy from how her expression fell each time he reminded her that his cousin would also be with them.

“I never would have imagined him to be interested in social gatherings,” she mumbled the night before they were to leave. “He seems like the sort who would prefer his own company — and brags about it because he is of the belief that no one else could possibly be as entertaining.”

“It fascinates me, how much distaste you have for each other,” Benedict replied with a grin, laughing when Selina shot him a displeased look. “But you are half-right. He does mostly keep to himself. Aaron doesn’t care much for the ton as he dislikes the idea of having his personal business out in the open for all to know. And you are well aware of his preference for propriety which tends to be a tricky thing when dealing with other people who might not hold such values as high as he does. Still, he does possess enough social skills to do well with others.”

“Ha,” Selina scoffed, “I would like to see that.”

Benedict’s smile was disconcerting, his words even more so. “I imagine you would. You seem quite interested in my cousin lately, Selina. Has he perhaps managed to charm you?”

“Absolutely not,” she nearly shouted, aghast. “That’s not — that is preposterous. He couldn’t have — not when there is nothing charming about him. A fact that will be made obvious when he manages to evoke nothing but dislike at the party.”

“If you say so,” Benedict said, far too cheerily to be anything but annoying.

Selina, now regretting that she had decided to stay and talk with Benedict for a little bit after her sister had retired early for the night, stood and declared, “I do not like your cousin at all.”

“You have made that abundantly clear — last year when you first met and a lot in the last few days.” Benedict nodded serenely.

Rolling her eyes, Selina left the room, mumbling, “I do not like you very much, either.”

“Good night, dear sister-in-law!” Benedict called after her, laughing when she didn’t respond.

Selina returned to the room she had been staying in, sighing when she was finally alone.

She had not liked what Benedict had attempted to insinuate because it only dredged up thoughts she had tried to erase.

It was annoying how often she thought about how Aaron held and kissed her hand. She was sure there was nothing gentle about that man, and the more she thought of that unexpected moment before his departure, the more she was proven right. The kiss bore purposeful pressure, as though he intended to leave an imprint of his lips on her skin for all to see.

His grip on her hand had been firm, and his dark green eyes carried a fierce gaze that seemed like he was barely restraining himself from devouring her.

She hated him. She hated his high and mighty attitude. She hated how easily he dismissed her. She hated how much he bothered her simply by being.

But that moment they had shared filled her with a strange sense of excitement whenever she recalled it.

“And I am supposed to hope to be courted while he is around? God, please give me strength,” Selina prayed silently as she climbed into bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

Unfortunately, it seemed God was intent on building her tolerance considerably because the following day, Aaron informed Selina that her sister felt unwell, and neither she nor her husband would be traveling with her, leaving Aaron as her source of company.

“I do not need to go at all. How am I supposed to enjoy myself at a party when my own sister is unwell?” Selina protested softly, not wanting to look like a child throwing a tantrum before this man of all people.

She had tried to see Thalia but had met Aaron right as she rounded the hallway of her sister’s room, and he had told her Thalia was asleep. It was dismaying to learn that her sister had been in discomfort all night and could barely sleep then. Now, both of them stood in the corridor, speaking about what Selina was to do next.

“According to Benedict, Thalia expressly said that you are to, under no circumstances , cancel your attendance, and I agree. This is important, Lady Selina. To you and your family. Do not worry about Thalia. She will be taken care of by her husband, and they will join us at the Bancroft estate as soon as she is feeling better. In the meantime, I will look after you in their absence,” Aaron stated clearly.

It was interesting how delicately he had approached the matter. He seemed to understand that she was truly disturbed by the information and was willing to let their bygones be bygones at least for now.

“Which is quite a favorable outcome for you, Lady Selina,” he added seconds later with a coy smirk, and Selina was reminded of who she was speaking to and how seriously he took his role as the bane of her existence.

Selina let out a groan, trying to remain as civil as she possibly could because she was simply not in the mood to add the Duke to her list of worries. “Are you sure that is a good idea, Your Grace? I am of the distinct impression that you will abandon me as soon as we arrive.”

“You are in good hands, I assure you. I am a reliable gentleman. And it will not be too long before your sister and brother-in-law join you there. Do not worry.”

It was likely meant to be consoling, but something about his tone told her he was mocking her about her attachment to her family.

“It is too late. I am already consumed by worry,” Selina sighed.

He regarded her curiously for a moment then he stepped closer towards her, causing her to instinctively take a step back. Aaron did not stop, did not falter, simply kept marching to her purposefully until her back met a wall, and she found herself effectively trapped.

His hooded gaze burned as it raked over her shorter form, and he leaned in as though he was going to kiss her.

With her heartbeat echoing in her ears, Selina squeezed her eyes shut and waited for whatever was to come.

“Are you afraid of me, Lady Selina?” Aaron whispered, his breath fanning over her ear, sending a wave of shivers through her body.

Her eyes darted open, and her arms darted out to push him back in panic, cheeks burning with shame and… something else.

Somewhere in her mind, she knew and understood that his words were meant to infuriate her, but that did little to stop her from responding to his goading the way he expected.

“Absolutely not. If I have to be subjected to your boring mannerisms for a day or two, so be it. As bad as that might be, there are worse situations to be in, I’m sure.” She forced herself to smile sweetly.

Benedict had enough foresight come out to escort her to the carriage, as though he knew she needed further motivation to get inside, especially when Aaron held his hand out to her to help her inside, asking with a curious quirk of his eyebrow.

“Well?”

The image of him kissing her hand flashed through her mind, filling her with irritation.

She immediately climbed in with a sound of dismissal, effectively ignoring him. However, it wasn’t as satisfying when he climbed in after her, chuckling lowly.

“Safe travels, dears. Try not to kill each other before we arrive,” Benedict poked his head into the carriage to say, his tone imploringly gentle, as though he were speaking to children.

“No promises,” Selina stated honestly, shooting a scathing glare in Aaron’s direction.

Benedict sent a look to Aaron before sighing and shutting the door to the carriage.

“His character has undergone some… concerning changes since he got married,” Aaron noted, settling back against his seat.

“I hope you do not mean to imply that my sister has in any way been a bad influence,” Selina warned.

“Of course not. While I do think my cousin is different now because of her, I do not think she has affected him negatively. Thalia simply isn’t capable of such, and I still marvel over the fact that she married him, out of all the men out there. But I respect her enough to admit that she is… good for him. It is a shame, though, that the same cannot be said about you. I still find it hard to believe that she is your sister because you are nothing like her. I imagine you were a difficult child to raise.”

He spoke so… casually, as though he were remarking about the weather instead of calling her upbringing flawed, and it infuriated Selina to no end. He sounded so sure of himself, as though his words were all factual, and there was no way he could be wrong.

That was the same thing that had gotten on her nerves during their first meeting. Aaron had been so sure that she had been a trespasser and doubted her claims of being related to Thalia, only relenting when Benedict arrived to make the necessary introductions. Even then, he dismissed her without much regard, practically called her undisciplined, and left.

“The same could easily be said about you and Benedict. Are you absolutely certain that you both are related? Because he is more of a living person than you are. You move and act like a pencil caricature — lifeless . It is a wonder why you are bothering to go for this house party at all. I am fairly certain you will just make a nuisance of yourself, and everyone is going to have to stew in the discomfort of your presence the whole time. Knowing that this event might be dampened by your presence is a travesty,” she snapped back angrily.

Aaron regarded her blankly for a moment then said, “I wonder if it is all right for you to be so callous with your words and carefree attitude. You have many issues with my character. I think it is ironic, considering people would rather have a stickler for the rules than someone who doesn’t hold a shred of reliability in them. Lady Selina, you are easily the sort of person who cannot be trusted.

“Which is tragic because I believe that you are getting far too old to let such mannerisms speak for your character. It won’t be too long before you run out of time and chances to find a husband willing to put up with such behavior dwindle significantly. Soon, you will be all alone — which honestly is likely what is best for you.”

The dig at her gradual approach to spinsterhood was apparent, and it took everything within Selina not to raise her hand to strike him across the face.

Instead, she tapped into the hope she had been culling for days and lifted her head confidently as she informed him, “Mock me all you want, but that will not diminish my expectations. In fact, I am positive that I will find my match at this house party. Sadly, the same cannot be said about you because you will never find anyone who wants to be with you with this sort of behavior, Your Grace. There are saints in this world, but when it comes to you, no one is that tolerant.”

A slow smirk worked its way onto his lips, and Selina got the sense that she had wandered into dangerous waters.

“I did not know you were so concerned about my affairs, Lady Selina,” he said first, ignoring her look of disbelief as he added, “But do not fear. I am actually quite confident in my abilities to attract a woman.”

There was nothing scandalous about his words. Nothing to suggest he intended to come across as lecherous.

And yet… the way he had spoken sent a chill down her spine and twisted her insides into disconcerting knots.

“I sincerely doubt such a thing exists. But if…” She swallowed, begging her mind to rid itself of the distracting haze that had settled upon it moments earlier. “If you truly believe you have what it takes to attract the affections of a woman, then perhaps we should make a bet. The first one to obtain a match in the house wins.”

Selina expected him to see her challenge as childish and was ready to taunt him for having doubts in his so called ‘abilities’ after all, but he caught her off-guard by asking, “And what will be the winner’s prize?”

“You can have anything you want. I mean — the winner. The winner can have anything they want,” she retorted, still feeling unsettled.

The notion intensified as he slowly raked his eyes over her, his gaze seemingly tracing every visible inch of her from her head to her toes. Unable to bear his silent scrutiny, she lowered her eyes, blushing heavily and trying not to squirm as Aaron remarked causally, “You should really watch the way you talk, Lady Selina. One could easily get themselves into trouble if they do not exercise care. You cannot fathom the thoughts that go through a man’s head at such an offer.”

Selina clenched her fists by her side, biting her lip to keep herself from saying something that might betray the uneasy feeling in her gut, only speaking when she felt calmer.

“So? Are you interested or not?”

“Oh, I certainly am. It sounds like a promise of entertainment at least. Whoever finds a match first wins, and they earn the right to ask for whatever they want from the one who lost. Easy enough.” Aaron nodded.

“I am glad you think so. That way you won’t pout to much when you lose,” Selina stated sweetly, noticing vaguely that the carriage was slowing down.

“I should say the same to you, Lady Selina. But I am far too good of a competitor, so all I will say is, may the best man win.” He smiled just as the carriage stopped.

He stepped out first and held a hand out to her. She considered ignoring his assistance as she had earlier, but now that they would compete against each other, Selina thought that perhaps she could attempt to be civil at least.

So, she placed her hand in his, fighting the urge to shiver as his fingers wrapped around hers firmly, and he helped her out of the carriage.

They were greeted by the butler, who assigned servants to handle their belongings, and he then informed them that dinner would be served in about two hours.

“Would you like a tour of the estate in the meantime?” the butler, Mathew, offered kindly.

“I would much rather have some rest, thank you. But I am sure Lady Selina would love a tour. She is always so full of boundless energy,” Aaron said.

“Really? Shall we begin then, My Lady?”

“What?” Her smile dropped instantly, and she glanced between the butler and the Duke. “I don’t — I mean —”

“Don’t be shy, Lady Selina. Take a look around, familiarize yourself with your beautiful surroundings.” Aaron leaned in to mutter the last part to her. “Find enough hiding spots to cry in when I eventually win this challenge.”

“You little —”

“Enjoy your tour!” He pulled back to beam at her before he walked away.

She stared at him until he vanished from her line of sight, her hands curling into fists as rage began to brew within her.

Just you wait, Your Grace, she said to herself. I will ensure you regret crossing paths with me, you pompous showboat.

“My Lady?”

“Yes?” she blinked, returning her attention to the butler.

“Shall we begin the tour now?”

Selina glanced around, noting that the grounds were indeed lovely, and the manor itself was grand, and a tour did sound like a good time.

“Of course. Let us start.” She nodded with a smile.