She Kissed Him In Front Of Everyone To Save Him — Not Knowing That She Had Just Saved The Richest Duke
Chapter 17
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He wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her entirely off the ground. Lydia clung to him, the world outside the glass walls entirely forgotten.They were no longer playing a part. The transaction was dead.The hunting party left the next morning. Ashford was gone before breakfast, citing a sudden, mysterious illness. By midday, Ashborne was silent once more.The heavy gray clouds broke, allowing a pale, late-autumn sun to wash over the damp moors.Lydia sat at the vanity in her bedchamber. Mrs. Gable was brushing her hair, pulling the heavy pins out, and letting the long brown waves cascade over the white silk of her nightgown."Will you require anything else, Your Grace?" the maid asked quietly."No, Gable, thank you. You may retire."The maid bowed and left, the heavy oak door clicking shut behind her.Lydia stared at herself in the mirror. Her lips were slightly swollen. Her eyes were dark, wide, and thrumming with a nervous, electric energy. Between her bedchamber and Alistair’s was a heavy adjoining door. For two months, it had remained locked, a silent physical barrier enforcing the terms of their bargain.Lydia stood up. Her bare feet made no sound on the thick rugs. She walked to the adjoining door. She placed her hand flat against the cool wood. She could hear the faint crackle of the fire in the next room. She could hear the slow, rhythmic pacing of heavy boots.He was awake. He was waiting.Lydia didn’t knock. She reached down, turned the heavy brass handle, and pushed the door open.Alistair stopped pacing. His room was cast in deep shadow, lit only by the roaring fire in the hearth. He had discarded his coat and cravat; his white linen shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, exposing the strong column of his throat. He looked up as the door swung open, his eyes locking onto her.For a long moment, neither of them moved. The air in the room grew heavy, thick with the weight of everything they hadn’t said."Lydia," Alistair breathed, the word sounding like a prayer.She took a step into his room. Then another."There are no more ledgers," Lydia said, her voice trembling slightly, but her gaze never leaving his. "There are no more bargains, Alistair. I don’t want a business arrangement anymore."Alistair let out a ragged breath. He crossed the room in three long strides. He didn’t stop until he was towering over her. The heat of his body was a physical force."What do you want?" he asked, his voice a low, rough whisper.Lydia looked up at him. She saw the powerful, ruthless Duke of Westmorland. But she also saw the exhausted man in the library, the lonely man who had never had anyone fight for him, the man who had stood in the shadows and watched her find her teeth.