I felt his eyes upon me the moment he saw me from the street. But that wasn't what let me know who it was that had found me. It was their reaction to him. Everyone in the bar turned, wide eyed and in awe. There was only one man I had ever seen inspire that much interest simply by setting foot in a room.

"How did you find me?" I asked miserably as he took a seat on the stool next to me and signalled the bartender.

"I'm not sure myself," he answered. I didn't question it. I didn't want to. I just took a sip of my brandy and sat in silence. He spoke again after a moment. "Brandy?"

I turned to see him smiling, raising a brow in that way of his. I rolled my eyes and turned away with a sigh.

"I hate wine," I told him. That seemed to catch him off guard.

"What?"

"Wine," I repeated. "Wine and champagne. It's all they ever give the women at those wretched events. Because we can't possibly handle anything stronger."

The corners of his mouth twitched up at that. It annoyed me. Why was he never offended? Why did he find everything I had to say so very amusing?

"I'm sure you're quite capable of handling much more than they give you credit for," he told me and it was my turn to be caught off guard. I glanced his way as the bartender set down a glass of brandy for him as well and he took a sip, not looking my way.

"I didn't mean for them to rope you into this," I told him. "I'm sure it was Elijah. He worries too much. As you can see, I'm perfectly whole and unharmed."

"Yes," he answered after far too long of a pause for inspection. "It seems so. However, this late at night in places like this, you have to be careful. Men-"

"That one in the corner smoking a pipe said some vulgar things to me the moment I walked in. The other two, friends of his I imagine, have been ogling me since I sat down," I told him and his head snapped in their direction while something that seemed remarkably like anger flashed in his dark eyes. "I'm not unused to men, Your Grace. I know you think I'm some doe-eyed teenager but I'm aware of the way the world works."

I downed the rest of my glass and slammed it down onto the counter, standing and turning for the exit. He reached out and grabbed my arm and something like lightning shot through my veins. His lips parted in surprise as though he'd felt it as well.

"You found her!"

We both turned to see Benthem entering the bar, tie undone, shirt unbuttoned, and hair a mess as he relieved the tension in his shoulders and approached, clapping the Duke on the back with a hand.

"Listen, Ella, Madison feels absolutely dreadful about what happened between you. Whatever she said to make you run off like that, I'm sure-"

"Madison?" I asked, surprised.

"Yes," Benthem answered, brow creasing in confusion. "She said the two of you had an argument and that's why you ran off."

"Oh," I replied, thanking my lucky stars to have had a friend like Madison in that moment. I couldn't bear the mortification if the Duke or anyone else for that matter, had discovered the true reason I had fled the ball this evening. I couldn't help but glance at him now, watching me as curiously as he always did, as if I was a puzzle he needed to solve. "Of course. Well, I'm very sorry for running off like that. As upset as I was with... Madison, I shouldn't have worried you so."

"It's Elijah you'll be needing to apologize to," Benthem told me with a frown. "Come. Let's go and find him before the boy rips all of his hair out. Victor, you should return to the party. Tell the Earl and the Countess that Ella took ill and Elijah and I drove her home."

The Duke hesitated, his eyes firmly on mine, jaw clenched as if there was something he wanted to say. But then he gave one quick nod, gathered his coat, and left the tavern.

Benthem fussed over me the whole way to the residential quarter where we found Elijah in the middle of the street, dashing about like a madman. He gave me an embrace so tight when he saw me, I thought my bones might break. I offered a sincere apology and he claimed that none of it mattered so long as I was well. Then, when Benthem informed him of the excuse he'd made up for us, we all walked arm in arm all the way home, the two of them in much greater spirits, talking and laughing the whole way back.

They offered entertainment when we arrived back at the estate but I told them I was tired, thanked them again for finding me in my hysterics, and headed upstairs for my bedroom where I spent the rest of the evening mourning the loss of something I had never had, could never have, and feeling sorry for myself. By morning, I'd made the decision that whatever I felt brewing between the Duke and I was over and he would get nothing but a required level of cold hospitality from me from now on.

I greeted the next morning with the same air, my head held high and lips set in a grim line as I made my way into the drawing room where my mother, sister, and a very knowing Madison sat awaiting my arrival.

"It's about time," the Countess huffed as I took my seat beside my friend. "I was beginning to wonder if you were to sleep into the afternoon."

I said nothing. It was only nine but there was no reason to correct my mother.

"Emily has already had four gentleman callers this morning," my mother bragged with a smile.

"But not the Duke!" Emily exploded, jumping from her seat on the couch and upsetting her tea tray. Earl Grey seeped into the cushions while my mother made a fuss over the mess she wouldn't have to clean up. Emily hardly noticed the maid rushing forward to save the settee as she paced about her small area of the room, throwing her hands up in anger. "I mean, where is he? How could he possibly avoid me so thoroughly, staying in the same house as we are? I thought he was interested, mama!"

"He is dear! He must be."

"Then where is he?"

Madison looked up at me over her embroidery. I just shook my head and kept my focus on my own, though my stitches were a bit shakier than they'd been before. I made a conscious effort to still my hand as Emily stormed from the room, fuming, and my mother followed after her. Still, Madison watched me. With a sigh, I set my embroidery down and stood.

"I'm going for a walk," I said.

"I'll come with-"

"No," I stopped her with a hand held up. "I'm fine. I just... I need a few moments alone."

She nodded in understanding though she returned to her seat like a scolded child. But I had no time to nurse her wounded pride. I spun on my heel and headed for the door that my mother and sister had just left from. On the other side, I could still hear them arguing. They'd made it farther down the hall, to the dining room if my estimation was correct. So I went in the opposite direction, towards the garden and fresh air.

I began my stroll alone but did not remain that way for very long. Elijah had been out feeding Mercy and, when he saw me walking alone through the gardens, took that as an invitation to join me.

"Are we just not going to talk about it?" he asked. I looked up at him.

"About what?" I inquired innocently.

"Ella," he warned, gaze narrowing as he watched me.

"I don't know, Elijah. Are we going to talk about whatever you and the Duke did in town which set you both to brooding for two days straight?"

He blinked back at me, hesitating.

"I thought so," I answered.

"So, we're to have secrets from one another now," he said, hurt. I stopped walking and turned to him with a sigh.

"I can promise you that mine is not harmful or negative in any way to you or the rest of the family. Can you promise me the same?"

He thought for a moment before he answered, "I can."

"Then, I suppose, we have to come to terms with the fact that you and I are both at an age where we must have our secrets. Sometimes," I said and he nodded though I saw his shoulders fall. I reached out and placed my hands upon them. "But, Elijah, you are still my biggest confidant and I am still your biggest supporter. That will never change."

He smiled.

"There you are!" a familiar voice called and we both looked up to see the Duke walking our way. I dropped my hands and my smile and stepped away from Elijah, taking on the demure stance of an ineligible Lady. I kept my hands folded in front of me, my head held high, and my face a mask of indifference and the Duke nodded in greeting. "Lady Ella."

"Your Grace," I replied with a low curtsey. He furrowed his brows and cocked his head to the side in confusion but I simply kept my gaze on the grass in front of him and did not meet his eyeline.

"What are you doing out here, Victor?" Elijah was asking jovially.

"I was, um, I was hoping you felt up to a hunt," the Duke answered, peeling his gaze away from my strange behavior to focus on my brother. I took my cue and reached out to Elijah, grasping his forearm.

"I should return to Madison," I told him and then pulled away before another word could be spoken in my direction.

I heard them discussing plans for a hunt as I left to return to the confines of the drawing room but, despite Elijah's droning on and on about the proper season and the location likely containing the best prey, I felt the Duke's eyes upon me for the duration of my walk back to the house.