“Not that one, you ass.” Nick sat up then, swinging his legs back over the bed and resting his elbows on his knees. “I meant love.”
“No.” Dash began pacing. “I owed her a boon, and we made an arrangement. That is all.”
“I heard you say it, man.” Nick swallowed hard, remembering when he’d told Eve. “I heard you utter the word love. So, don’t bother denying it now. The sooner we start discussing the truth, the more productive this conversation will be.”
“What do you know about anything?” Nick would have laughed at the absurdity of this situation if there wasn’t so much at stake.
“I know when a man is about to make the worst mistake of his life.”
“You don’t know that.”
Nick just stared at him. For having been friends for such a damned long time, they knew nothing of one another’s personal affairs—affairs of the heart, that was. “I know plenty. You know my trip to France?”
“What about it?”
“I was running from love too.” The instant the words left his mouth, he realized how true they were. He could have gone after Eve but instead, he’d given up. “Worst mistake of my life. I hurt her. I hurt me.” Nick scrubbed his hands through his hair. “Don’t do this. Don’t leave. You’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”
“You don’t understand anything. Not really.” Dash slammed the lid of his trunk closed. “I am not a man meant for happiness. I don’t get a happily ever after.”
“You’re wrong.” Of course, his blasted friend deserved a happily ever after—as did Noelle. Hell, even Jack deserved one.
But most of all, Eve deserved one, and Nick was going to make damn sure that happened. He only hoped it included him. “She loves you too. That’s why your betrayal hurt her so damned much.” As he spoke the words, he knew deep in his soul that Eve wouldn’t have been so hurt if she hadn’t loved him. She may not have said the words back, but she loved him.
Nick glared at Dash, willing him to listen.
“Stay and prove you’re not that man, Dash. Don’t run.”
His idiotic friend shuddered, looking at the floor. “I’m not the man you think I am.”
“You are.” Nick had to clench his hands at his sides to keep from strangling the dolt of a duke.
But a knock interrupted the conversation as Jack entered the room. “The sleigh is ready.”
Nick was convincing himself far better than he’d managed to change Dash’s mind. “We’re not done talking.”
“We’re done.” Dash set his jaw and flicked a disgruntled look in Jack’s direction. “You’re not going to try and convince me to stay too, are you?”
Jack straightened up, crossing his arms. “Hell, no.” He drew in a deep breath. “I’ve my own reasons for needing to leave this village, and it’s none of my business if you want to ruin your life.”
“Enough.” Dash cut his hand through his hair. “When did you two become like a couple of old hens clucking about feelings and life plans?” He picked up his trunk and moved toward the door. “We travel about doing debaucherous deeds while we get drunk. That is who we are.”
No longer. Nick wouldn’t give up on Eve again. “I have a suspicion those days are done.”
Jack cracked his neck in the silence.
“Well.” Dash seemed to dismiss Nick as he looked at Jack. “Are you done carousing forever?”
One of Jack’s shoulders rose and fell. “I… I… don’t know.”
This was not the answer Dash seemed to be searching for. “Let’s get out of here. Perhaps we’ll start thinking straight when we remove ourselves from this tiny village.”
Nick didn’t move but simply watched out the window until long after the sleigh had ridden out of town.
Eve watched from her window as Noelle and Holly climbed into their aunt’s ancient carriage with Mr. Clark on the driver’s box. After pacing and cursing the baron for much of the afternoon—no, not a baron but a duke!—her little sister had come to the conclusion that she needed to go after the lying blighter. He was the Duke of Dashlington.
Eve hugged her elbows in front of her, fearful that her sister would only find more heartache. Perhaps he’d had good reason to lie, in fact, she had the feeling that he did. What angered Eve the most was that he wasn’t remaining in Maybridge Falls to explain himself fully.
Were all men so faithless as to abandon those they loved when matters became complicated or difficult? Didn’t she and her sisters deserve more than that?
Was love really that fickle?
“Oh, here you are.” Aunt Winifred stuck her head in the door of Eve’s chamber. “I wondered where you’d gone off to.”
Eve twisted her mouth into a half-smile. “Do you think she’s making a mistake going after him?”
“Not at all.” She stepped inside. Her aunt’s gown was at least two decades old but as she lowered herself into a chair, she smoothed it around her as though it was the height of fashion. “It’s far better that she follows her heart now than spend the rest of her life wondering ‘what if?’”
Eve swallowed hard. “But what if he hurts her? What if he is already betrothed or married? What if he takes advantage of her and then sends her away after all? What if he was only playing with her heart?”
“Well, then. Noelle will be hurt. She will no doubt fall into the depths of despair as all young ladies do when gentlemen fail them, but she will know the truth. She will know that she gave her all for what she thought was love. And then after a time, she will move on to someone else.”
Eve studied her aunt closely. Although she was several years older than her mother had been, it was still apparent that she’d once been quite pretty—perhaps even beautiful.
“How do you know this, Aunt?”
The older woman stared across the room with a faraway look in her eyes. “A person doesn’t grow as old as
