Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

I f there had been any doubt in Selina’s mind before, she was absolutely certain now.

She utterly and completely abhorred the Duke of Crauford.

His strange behavior had kept her up for hours into the night, robbing her of much-needed rest in favor of plaguing her mind with images of what had transpired between them earlier.

“Nothing happened,” she had attempted to scold herself at some point, squeezing her eyes shut in hopes of lulling herself to sleep somehow. “He was merely trying to get into my head with his silly tricks. He can barely stand being in the same room as I am. Surely, he will not be able to pretend to be interested in me. Not even for the sake of our little bet.”

However, the more she considered it, the less she believed in her own accounts of what might happen.

Especially with how everything about him in that moment seemed to haunt her.

His buttery smooth voice sank deep into the crevices of her mind, his hot breath against her skin, his weighty dark gaze pinning her in place. It had all overwhelmed her, and his departure had left her feeling cold and strangely bereft.

She did not understand the motivation behind his actions, but she would not back down. After all, a problem that could not be solved or understood could be ignored.

And so, when morning came, Selina greeted the new day with a newfound resolve.

Aaron would only achieve the satisfaction of bothering her if she allowed him to do so. If she pretended he did not even exist, he would not be able to get under her skin.

“I will win this challenge,” she told herself before she stepped out of her room, heading down to the dining hall for breakfast.

As soon as she walked in, she found herself searching for the Duke.

“If I know where he is, I can avoid him easily,” was the reason she mumbled under her breath.

Thankfully, Aaron was nowhere in sight, and Selina heaved a sigh of relief, settling into an empty chair.

It seemed there were no assigned seats this time, and people settled down wherever they wished with some choosing to stick to the acquaintances they had made the night before.

Selina spotted Ophelia seated at the table, chatting excitedly with the people around her, but did not wish to intrude. Even if it meant she couldn’t speak to the only friend she seemed to have made at the party so far.

Selina tried to find any friendly faces she might consider approaching, but even the men looked as if they were already absorbed in other conversations or attractions.

Feeling a little dejected, she decided she could focus on her meal this time and try again later. Just as she had taken a bite of her crumpet, a voice queried politely. “Is it all right if I sit here?”

She looked up at him, noting the man’s uncertain smile before anything else. He had a hand over the top of the empty chair by her side, and she barely chewed her mouthful before swallowing quickly with a nod. “Yes, you can.”

He smiled at her again, this time looking relieved as he settled down next to her.

“Good morning,” he greeted politely. “I’m Isaac Jennings, Viscount Honeyfield.”

“Oh. I’m Selina Fletcher. How do you do, Lord Honeyfield?” she responded in the same tone.

He was handsome, his features gentle and kind, and his demeanor had Selina hoping that his presence would indicate that things were finally looking up in her favor.

“Honestly, I am much better now that I have found someone to converse with. I arrived rather late last night, and I missed dinner, so I did not get to interact with anyone then. And it seems that many people have already selected their preferred company which leaves late comers like me sticking out like a sore thumb,” he sighed with an expression of distress.

“I understand how you feel,” Selina agreed. “But the day is young, and the party has only begun. There is hope for your redemption yet. For I, too, was once in your shoes.”

He grinned. “I appreciate your optimism, Lady Selina.”

“In a world filled with so much pain, a positive outlook on life is greatly needed. And I have been told my affinity to hope and belief that things will work out in my favor is a great strength. Then again, I have also raised quite a few concerns by believing a little too much in the possibility of an outcome yet to be achieved. So… trust me at your own peril,” Selina warned playfully, taking a sip of her coffee.

He laughed good-naturedly, seemingly enjoying her company.

“As someone who has always firmly believed in working to achieve my goals, I feel as though I’ve been living my life all wrong. Perhaps you wouldn’t mind guiding me on how to live more like you?” he suggested with a grin.

“Are you sure? My methods are quite unorthodox, My Lord. And I do not believe in giving up halfway through, either. Even if you fail, you will wear the results like one would a badge of honor,.” Selina teased.

He nodded. “Small price to pay for your company, My Lady.”

Isaac seemed… interested in her, and Selina felt confident in her odds against Aaron. And this man appeared to be genuine, so she might be winning in more ways than one.

“Are you always this forward, Lord Honeyfield?” Selina questioned with a coy smile.

“I told you,” he leaned in to whisper conspiratory, “I work hard for whatever it is I want. And as of now, I am interested in getting to know you, Lady Selina. If you would let me, that is?”

And how was she supposed to say no to that?

Aaron was not happy with himself for a number of reasons.

The first being that he was late for breakfast.

He had slept relatively late, and for the first time in a long while, he had found it difficult to wake up in the morning. Aaron had always been an early riser, aware that so much more could be achieved if one set out as early in the day as possible.

Yet, he had somehow woken up just as breakfast was rounding up.

All because he had been unable to rid himself of thoughts of Selina.

It frustrated him to no end, the turn that things between them had undergone. Accepting responsibility for her for a day or two had been one thing. It was another thing entirely to agree to play her games.

He did not have the time for such distractions, yet he found it nearly impossible to not look in her direction whenever they were in the same room.

He felt… stuck, watching out for her as though it was his duty to ensure she wasn’t causing any trouble — no more than necessary, anyway.

But something in him was saying that was not why he felt the need to keep an eye on her.

Aaron was made aware each time his fingers itched to touch her whenever she was in sight, every time she snapped at him, and he envisioned those lips slack with pleasure. He longed to ruin her, to ravish her, to consume her until she was drunk on the essence of him.

The second reason for his disappointment in himself stemmed from the fact that he had let himself play right into her hands. He had raised the stakes of their challenge instead of doing the right thing and calling it off altogether.

It was like he couldn’t think straight when he was around her. He kept making unwise, childish decisions when she was near, and now that his integrity had been challenged, he had no choice but to follow through to the end.

He was given the option of having some food brought to his room because he missed breakfast. Still, he only opted for a single cup of coffee before he set out in search of Selina.

Aaron was sure that she took his absence as an encouragement to gain the upper hand after she sabotaged his efforts, and he almost couldn’t wait to show her that he meant every word he had said to her afterward.

“I think we should reconsider our decision to share each other’s company, Lord Honeyfield. I don’t think I can think kindly of someone with radical views such as yours.”

Aaron immediately turned in the direction from which her voice had come, frowning when he noticed a man standing next to Selina, his displeasure growing as her new friend chuckled.

“Isn’t radical a tad extreme? I merely said that I did not like apples.”

Selina gasped, “How do you not realize how sacrilegious such an opinion is? And you dare repeat it out loud?”

Ah, Aaron mused as he approached them, she was busy in my absence.

“I thought you said you did not like to judge.”

“I also remember telling you to trust me at your own risk. As it turns out, I might have overestimated my tolerance —”

“It wouldn’t be the first time, right Lady Selina?” Aaron cut in with a grin.

She turned to him slowly, annoyance flashing through her bright green.

“Your Grace,” she said through gritted teeth, “how kind of you to join us. I had hoped you would have spent the rest of the morning away — resting — as it looked as though you needed a lot of rest last night. In fact, I think it would be better suited for us all if you were to remain out of your sight the whole day. Mostly for your own benefit, of course.”

“Is that so? Your concern for me is quite touching, Lady Selina.” He smirked down at her, feeling victorious when she scoffed. “I feel as right as rain. Additionally, I am meant to look after you until your sister and brother-in-law arrive. And so, my place is right here by your side.”

Selina paled instantly, stuttering through a refusal. “That is not necessary —”

“Forgive me,” Aaron said, shifting his attention to the man she had been talking to. “It seems Lady Selina has forgotten to introduce us. She often does not particularly care for proper social conduct, but do not hold it against her. I have hope she can still be taught how to behave. I’m Aaron Bolton, the Duke of Crauford. You are?”

The man appeared to be caught off guard by Aaron’s attention, and it was all he could do not to sigh in disapproval, wondering why Selina couldn’t have at least picked someone braver to waste her time on.

“I-Isaac Jennings. Viscount Honeyfield. How do you do, Your Grace?” the man quickly spoke.

“So-so. I didn’t see you at dinner last night, Lord Honeyfield. Did you just arrive?”

“Oh, no. I arrived after dinner last night. Some of my duties resulted in a few unforeseen delays. Still, I wanted to attend the party since I had been graciously invited,” Isaac explained, glancing at Selina uncertainly.

“How kind of you to be so thoughtful towards the hosts. I can tell you are a man of good values and strong principles. And as such, you should be more careful about the sort of company you keep. Some people are far too reckless in the way they live, ruled by their whims which often leads to childish decisions with dire consequences. Your time is better spent elsewhere,” Aaron told him earnestly, ensuring that he had a smile on his face the entire time.

Isaac glanced between Selina and him then chuckled nervously.

“I do have some affairs to attend to shortly, so I must take my leave. It was an honor to meet you, Your Grace,” he said to Aaron then smiled at Selina. “Thank you for graciously offering your company, Lady Selina. I look forward to continuing our reverting conversation sometime later. Perhaps we could promenade around the gardens?”

Selina beamed, looking far too excited over a single invitation to go on a walk to Aaron.

“It would be my pleasure, My Lord,” she said with a curtsy.

Isaac smiled, bowed to Aaron once, and then took his leave.

To Selina’s credit, she waited until the Viscount was out of sight before she whirled around with fire in her eyes, an expression Aaron was getting used to seeing on her.

“You are quite unbearable to be around. For someone who seems to easily identify the shortcomings of others, you are ironically blind to your own faults.” she snapped at him.

“Good morning to you too, Lady Selina. I was worried that you might not miss me in my absence this morning, but I see that you feel as strongly for me as you did yesterday,” he taunted with a small smile.

“I do not feel anything for you,” she stated stiffly.

Aaron stepped closer towards her, leaning forward until their faces were inches apart before he told her softly,

“You will. You’re already halfway there, given how often you think of me. How eager you are to cross paths with me. Enough that you’d work to look your very best on my behalf.”

“I did no such thing —”

“No? You’re telling me that you didn’t have me in mind when you put on that stunning dress with the aim of seducing some unfortunate man to rub your progress in my face?”

“I —” she faltered, a deep blush filling her cheeks.

Aaron took pity on her because she looked strangely beautiful like this, flustered and confused.

“I meant it when I said you looked stunning. I’m frankly surprised you only managed to attract that weasel Viscount. The other men must have been blind to overlook you, somehow,” he muttered, stepping even closer.

Selina took a step back, exhaling shakily before asking.

“Why are you doing this? You’ve gotten your revenge. You sabotaged my efforts with the Viscount. Now we’re even. Why do you insist on taunting me still —”

“Surely you did not forget what I said last night, Lady Selina. I am only trying to obtain your attention as any other suitor would. In case you had forgotten, I said I would make you fall for me. I’m sure you know me enough by now to realize I never jest.”

Selina scoffed and folded her arms. “Try as you might, Your Grace, this behavior will not help you win our bet. You will not seduce me. And it seems that you did not realize that should you somehow manage to succeed this ridiculous plan of yours, it would mean that I have also won the bet.”

With every moment they spent together, Aaron was learning more and more about Selina. For instance, the words she had just spoken were proof that she had lived a very sheltered life growing up.

“You are bring na?ve,” he started with a smile, approaching her again. “Just because I will seduce you doesn’t mean that I will make you my wife.”

She did not back away this time and allowed him to take hold of her hand. The color in her cheeks intensified as he raised it to his lips to press a gentle kiss on the back of it.

Then, without taking his eyes off her, he turned it around to press an open kiss on her wrist, smirking as he heard her gasp audibly.

She made it far too easy, far too necessary for him to crave her body beneath him, for him to dream of tasting every inch of her. He glanced up at her, noticing the redness in her cheeks spreading to her neck and ears, and he wondered how far the blush could go.

Almost as if she could hear his thoughts, she tried to slip from his grasp, seemingly breathless as he tightened his grip slightly to hold her in place, and he whispered into her palm, loud enough for her to hear,

“I can show you what pleasure feels like without marrying you. Do not fool yourself into believing that there is only one end goal from this.”

He lowered her hand, smiled, and told her, “Enjoy the rest of your day,” before walking away.