“His Grace?” Noelle pinned a confused gaze on the man she’d been giggling over only moments before.
“Why, yes, your betrothed, the Duke of Dashlington,” the innkeeper’s voice rang out proudly.
“Dashlington?” Noelle questioned. “Dash?”
Eve put a hand on Noelle’s shoulder and squeezed. Of course, Lord Blitzencreek had been too good to be true. He’d not only lied to her sister, but he’d lied to all of them.
And so, she realized, had Nicholas.
Chapter 9
What the hell was going on out there? Nick rose from the table and followed Dash out of their private dining room.
Standing near the front entrance, his friend, a bloody duke no less, was alternately rubbing the back of his neck and waving his hands in the air as he seemed to be pleading with Eve’s raven-haired sister.
“But that is what I am trying to explain. I’ve never felt love before. Didn’t even recognize the blasted emotion. I only understood that you were different from the current duchess—my mother--and that—”
“That’s enough.” The girl was having none of it.
The realization that Dash’s lie had caught up with him caused Nick’s blood to run cold.
“Goodbye, Duke of Dashlington. I hope you find the perfect bride.” The dark-haired girl turned in a flourish and left, revealing Eve, who had been standing behind her.
Eve didn’t look angry. Nick stared at her hard, willing her to meet his eyes.
She did not.
Instead, she took a step toward Dash and murmured something that caused his normally good-natured friend to jerk his shoulders back and then lash out.
“I don’t need your comfort.”
“Watch yourself,” Nick ground out from behind him.
Eve briefly flicked her gaze to Nick but he couldn’t read her thoughts. With a sad smile, she turned and followed her sisters.
Do something, damnit. But Dash was a mess. The bastard didn’t seem to understand what could happen if he didn’t rectify this situation quickly.
“Go after her.” You fool! “Her pride is hurt now but she’ll forgive you. Just give her time.” Now’s not the time to be an arrogant prick. Damnit, Dash, don’t mess this up.
Nick wasn’t fool enough that he didn’t comprehend what was holding Eve back. He could vow to love her forever and he was fairly certain she loved him too… The trouble was, she didn’t trust in love. And if she didn’t trust in love, they didn’t stand a chance.
His sweet Eve needed to believe in love again.
Desperately.
The look in Dash’s eyes was similar to a wounded animal. “Time? I’ve been alive for eight and twenty years and my own mother has never grown to love me. Why should Noelle?”
“That is your mother’s flaw. Not yours and not Noelle’s.” Nick grasped Dash’s shoulder only to have his friend jerk away. Love—honest to goodness love, by god—was worth fighting for.
“I need to leave this place.”
“Leave? How the bloody hell are you going to do that?” Jack piped up from behind him.
“I’m a duke, aren’t I?” Dash was blathering nonsense now. “Innkeeper! How much to purchase your sleigh?”
“But where will you go?” Dash was about to make a stupid mistake—the sort of mistake Nick was all too familiar with. Eve’s sister obviously loved the blathering idiot. Given time to cool down, she’d realize that it didn’t matter that he’d lied—she’d realize that he’d had good reason to lie. “And don’t you think you should wait another day at least? Allow things to settle?”
Dash shook his head. “Why, so I can pile hurt on top of hurt?” The innkeeper appeared from the kitchen and Dash turned to both Nick and Jack. “I’m going home, to London. Are either of you coming with me?”
Nick just shook his head as Dash tore up the stairwell. Nick wanted to go after Eve but doubted he’d be welcome in the Bailey sister household in that moment. But he wasn’t going anywhere.
Hearing slamming sounds echoing from above stairs, he figured he’d make one more attempt to keep Dash from hurting both himself and Eve’s sister.
How was he ever going to convince Eve to trust him when every time love reared its head, betrayal quickly followed?
Nick climbed the stairs and formulated some sort of argument that Dash might be willing to hear. From the crashing sounds behind the closed door of room number one, he knew it would have to be a good one. “Dash, are you all right?”
“I’m fine. If you’ve come to convince me to stay, you can save your breath.”
“But I have so much of it, you see, why would I want to save it?” He didn’t wait for an invitation but entered anyway. “You should know that by now.”
Dash only scowled at him. “Did no one bother teaching you when to leave well enough alone?”
Ironic, that. The truth of it was that he’d learned just the opposite.
“Oh, certainly.” Nick tossed himself onto the bed, lacing his hands behind his head that he propped against the wall. “And as your friend, I’ve come to the conclusion that now is not the time for me to leave anything alone. This is most decidedly the time for me to talk.”
“If you don’t get out--” Dash’s nostril’s flared, suddenly reminding Nick of his horse just before she’d bolted. He didn’t suppose this would be a good time to point that out to the tormented duke.
“Easy.” Nick held out his hands. Perhaps he was going about this wrong. “I wouldn’t want to have to beat you senseless after the day you’ve had.” Although that might be an improvement on the duke’s state of mind.
An alert pause suggested that his friend was considering just that. Dash actually seemed to be listening to Nick now.
“Perhaps we should take this outside.” Dash already had his fists clenched.
“Another time.” Nick inhaled. This wasn’t something he’d intended to share with anyone, but he figured it was his only shot. “Right now, we’re going to discuss a particularly pesky four-letter word.”
“Which one?” Dash might as well be foaming at the mouth. “What a pile of absolute shit you are? Or how I’m
