Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

“ T he Duchess has often remarked that the estate was her pride and joy.”

The Bancroft estate was indeed an incredible sight, serving as a testament to the butler’s words.

The grounds had been painstakingly taken care of with neat lawns and a lovely garden that Selina envisioned herself sitting in alongside the man who might catch her attention soon.

The manor itself took her breath away. Thalia had told Selina how hard Nora had worked to make the house into a home for herself and her husband, and it was evident in every single drape and every piece of furniture how much love and nurturing Nora had poured into her home.

“Might I see Nora for a little bit? She expected me to arrive with my sister, but Thalia fell ill suddenly, and I think she would have wanted me to inform Nora of why neither she nor her husband could arrive in time. I would also like to greet her briefly,” Selina said once the tour had come to an end.

“Certainly, My Lady,” Mathew agreed, gesturing down a hallway. “Right this way, please.”

Selina followed him closely, still in awe of the house, distracted by the beautiful paintings hanging on the walls. The butler led her to a door and asked her to wait outside momentarily before stepping inside.

He emerged moments later and held the door open for her.

“You may go in, My Lady.”

Selina thanked him quietly and walked inside.

Nora was speaking to a servant, but she immediately shifted her attention to Selina when she entered the room, smiling kindly at her.

“Selina! How lovely to see you again!”

“The honor is mine, Nora…” Selina trailed off as she curtsied, her lowered gaze spotting a small child clinging to Nora’s skirt.

The Duchess laughed, looking down at the little boy.

“This is my son, Damien. Won’t you greet the lovely lady, dearest?”

Damien looked up at his mother then back at Selina, raising his hand to wave at her silently.

“He is rather shy. With all the people arriving for my party, he has grown a little restless and has decided that his mother’s arms are where he wishes to remain, until he decides otherwise,” Nora sighed fondly, bending forward slightly to lift the boy into her arms.

The servant, who Selina guessed was Damien’s nanny, seemed to understand that her services weren’t needed, and she curtsied before quickly slipping away.

“He is quite precious,” Selina said, charmed by the quiet child.

“Thank you,” Nora replied with an earnest smile. “Our dearest Thalia is about to find out, firsthand, what sort of adventures are brought about by motherhood. I heard that she did not come along with you; is everything all right?”

Selina sighed, feeling her earlier worry over her sister’s return. “She felt rather ill this morning, and Benedict thought it would be best for her to rest for the day. They intend to join us as soon as she is feeling better.”

“I see. Such days are common with her condition. I am sure she will be as right as rain tomorrow,” Nora assured her gently.

“I hope so. Thank you,” Selina told her sincerely.

Nora shook her head gently. “Please, think nothing of it, my dear. You are like a sister to me, and thus, your well-being is my priority. Thalia informed me that she hoped this party would serve as an avenue for you to find a match of your own. I truly hope that you find what you need here. Try not to fixate on your quest too much, it keeps you from enjoying yourself. I would like you — and all of my guests to have a wonderful time while they are in my home. All right?”

“All right, Nora. I will try,” Selina promised.

“Excellent. Please get some rest; dinner should be served in about an hour.”

“Thank you,” Selina smiled, shifting her gaze to Damien. “Goodbye, Lord Damien.”

The boy perked up slightly and waved at her again, this time a little more cheerfully.

The sight was so adorable, Selina had to fight the urge to reach out and pat his head, opting to wave back instead, nearly squealing joyfully when he beamed brightly back.

Nora seemed to notice Selina’s struggles and laughed, making Selina feel a little embarrassed, and she quickly left, thankful there was a maid stationed outside the drawing room to lead her back to her room.

“If you need anything, you can simply call for me, My Lady. I will be right outside your door,” the maid, who had introduced herself as Claire, said after they arrived.

“Thank you,” Selina replied, eager to lay down for a moment.

When she finally sank into the sheets, she sighed deeply and let herself relax.

It felt a little surreal, being here after months of mostly seeing the walls of her own home. Her quest made this event feel significant, and she hoped that she would achieve her goal — especially now that she had gone ahead and turned it into a challenge.

The dining room was easy to find because of the tour she had been given but also because a majority of the guests seemed to be heading in the same direction. She felt the sensible thing was to follow them.

There was a large table in the middle of the room, set up with gleaming dishes and shiny cutlery, and before each spot was a card with the name of a guest on it. The grandeur of it all made Selina relieved that she had changed out of her earlier clothes into something that would fit the occasion.

Many of the seats were already occupied, so Selina’s search was narrowed down considerably. It did not take her too long to find her seat, and as she settled down with polite greetings to the guests seated beside her, she looked up to see Aaron sitting right across from her.

It was a struggle to keep a sneer of disdain from forming across her lips, especially as his gaze raked over her seated form and his lips pulled into an amused smirk.

Why, oh why, must I be seated across from him of all people? she groaned silently before resolving not to let him ruin her evening.

Although she was aware that it would be tricky as she would inevitably have to look at him each time she stared ahead.

Like she had, he also changed from the clothes he had worn earlier, settling into something more formal. He looked… less stiff beneath the soft lighting in the dining room.

Almost gentle.

His previously wandering glance landed on her again, and he seemed surprised to find her looking at him. Embarrassed over being caught staring, Selina shifted her focus elsewhere, swearing to herself that she would not look at him again.

She tried to assess if she could get a head start on the challenge by speaking to the man seated on her left, but he was already engrossed in a conversation.

Selina sighed, deciding it was best to focus on her dinner just as the appetizers were served. She had barely dug in when she heard a giggle coming from across her.

She looked up, frowning at the sight of Aaron leaning slightly towards his left, his gaze trained on the woman by his side as he said, “I am being completely serious,” yet his tone suggested he wasn’t, at least not entirely.

His expression was playful and open, completely different from the man who loved to argue with her. As he waited for his companion to regain her composure, the corners of his lips came up slightly, mirth dancing in his eyes.

The woman had her hands covering her mouth as she laughed, her eyes sparkling as she stated, “You couldn’t possibly!”

“I’m not sure I like your lack of faith in me, Miss Ophelia,” Aaron teased with a smirk.

Something twisted into an uncomfortable knot inside Selina, and she quickly blamed it on the fact that Aaron had managed to make some progress before she could and was on his way to winning their bet before she even started.

It was puzzling how quickly he had charmed a woman — a skill Selina had been very sure he did not possess. For some reason, watching the woman bat her eyelashes at him while leaning further into his space as if she were being pulled into his orbit disturbed Selina greatly.

“Pardon me,” she spoke up slightly, leaning forward to catch the attention of the friendly duo sitting in front of her, “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I simply had to tell you — I love your necklace! That is a stunning pendant.”

The woman’s eyes took on a brighter light, and she leaned forward as well, smiling happily.

“Thank you! It was a gift from my father. The pendant is an amethyst which is my birth stone. When he gave it to me, he said it was because the day I was born was the best day of his life, and he wanted me to carry along a reminder that he has and always will love me,” she gushed excitedly.

“Well, it certainly sounds like he adores you. That is such a lovely gift.” Selina smiled back.

“It is easily the best I have ever received in my life. I didn’t care much for jewels, but this makes me feel so special,” Ophelia sighed, lifting her hand to trace along her pendant with her fingertips.

“I can see why. And it suits you so well!”

“You are far too kind! Thank you! My father believes it is a symbol of protection and guidance, and I have always felt safer with it on. It’s as if it has luck within it. There are so many bad things out in the world, and I believe nothing’s wrong with a little bit of luck.”

Selina glanced at Aaron, deriving far too much satisfaction from the glare he had fixed on her, and she sent a coy wink at him before returning her attention to her new friend.

“Absolutely. You are quite right.”

Their conversation went on for the rest of dinner. Although Selina would have liked to have some moments of silence to gather her thoughts properly during their meal, she couldn’t deny that she was delighted with the outcome. Still… she felt anxious whenever she glanced at the Duke to find him glaring at her.

There was a mix of uneasiness and excitement that left her feeling a lot more drained by the end of the night.

Aaron had not attempted to talk to anyone else after she had succeeded in stealing the attention of the woman who had piqued his interest, only speaking when spoken to.

It might not have been fair, but Selina did not care enough to be bothered by the consequences of her actions.

“We simply must take a walk together in the gardens tomorrow. I had such a wonderful time talking with you,” Ophelia stated sweetly.

“As did I,” Selina said, only half lying. “And a walk together sounds good. Have a good night, Miss Ophelia.”

“And you as well, Lady Selina.” The woman waved a little before she walked away.

Once she was out of sight, Selina sighed deeply as the exhaustion she had ignored for hours resurfaced. It had been a little tiring to converse with Ophelia, but it was a worthy sacrifice to make to Selina.

She could only hope she had better luck attracting someone tomorrow. With renewed resolve, she began to retire to her room.

It seemed many other guests had already turned in for the night because Selina found herself wandering the hallways alone. With a yawn, she turned down another corridor, eager to return to her room and get some much-needed sleep.

She had been so distracted by the tiredness within her that she failed to hear the sound of footsteps approaching her. It wasn’t until a hand wrapped around her wrist that she realized that she had been followed.

“Excuse me —” She tried to pull away, freezing in place from the single scathing look Aaron shot at her.

The words in her throat dried into nothing, and she felt the fight leave her body, allowing him to drag her wherever he wished.

They’d only taken a few steps before Aaron pulled her into an empty room, locking the door before he backed her into a corner.

“What the hell was that?”

Selina regained some of her composure, and she feigned innocence.

“I have no idea what you mean.”

She saw a muscle in his jaw twitch, showing that he was upset but still trying to retain his perfect imagery. For once, she wondered what it would be like to break through his curated personality.

Would he be as dull on the inside as he was on the outside?

“You clearly cheated,” he said through a clenched jaw. “You saw that I was making some headway, and you sabotaged my efforts.”

“Is that what happened? I merely told a nice woman that I liked her jewelry. That is hardly a crime, is it?” She stared at him with a smile.

When he did not respond, she rolled her eyes and retorted, “It is hardly cheating. After all, there was nothing in the rules that said we weren’t allowed to interfere with the other person’s activities. It is not my fault that you aren’t as charming as you believe you are, and as a result, you could keep her attention on you the whole time. Do not be discouraged, Your Grace. Tomorrow is another day filled with countless possibilities.”

Aaron stared down at her for a moment, and then he stepped closer towards her. Instinctively, Selina took a step back, startled when she hit the wall when she attempted to take another.

“You are absolutely right. Our rules had no such stipulations — we didn’t even make any rules to begin with, so I can do the same to you. I can play this game as well,” he told her, his voice low in a way that sent shivers through her body.

She tried to snap at him, to tell him that he could do whatever he wished, but once again, she lost the ability to speak as he leaned in suddenly.

She inhaled sharply as he began to whisper into her ear, her knees growing weak as she stood there, cornered and helpless.

“You have underestimated me greatly, Selina. I can actually set my sights on you and scare away every other potential suitor — dissuade them from even considering approaching you at all. Or I could take it a step farther and make things much worse for you by making you actually fall in love with me.”

Selina didn’t understand why her body had suddenly abandoned her to this fate. She wanted to push him away, to leave, but she felt frozen in place, dizzy on his scent.

“I’d like to see that. You, utterly helpless against the charm you believe I have,” he mumbled softly, leaning in closer, his cheek brushing against hers lightly.

Each time he whispered to her, his breath fanned against her ears, weakening her knees even more.

It was overwhelming, trapped in a whirlwind of confusion over his actions and her own reaction to it.

Just as she had begun to think that there was nothing more to this tense moment between them, his lips pressed against her neck. She gasped wetly, arching into him with a shiver, her fingers reaching out to grasp his jacket. His hands fell to her waist, pulling her flush to him, and her knees weakened at the lack of distance between them.

Aaron leaned back slightly, his dark gaze sweeping over her slowly before meeting her eyes, the pools of want tugging at her own unconscious inhibitions. Her hands had moved to his shoulders, her grip on them the only thing keeping her standing as she stared up at him, lost in his intense eyes, shuddering as she noticed how he easily towered over her like this.

“Our bet has become quite interesting,” he mumbled huskily, stepping back from her completely.

His eyes swept over her body again, the heat of his stare setting something alight within her. And then, without another word, Aaron turned around and left the room.

Abandoning Selina to her own confused thoughts.