Gina Lamm - Geek Girls Don't Date Dukes

Plucking the teacup from Leah’s hands, Lady Chesterfield gathered her into her arms again. “There is no need for it. In the end, my dear, all I have ever wanted was to be a part of your success. The tale of your friend Miss Marten sparked my imagination as nothing has since I dreamed of fairy tales in my youth.”

“You’ve been amazing, Lady Chesterfield.”

As Leah hugged her patroness, she closed her eyes. Nothing had gone the way she’d thought it would, but she had been really lucky to find such a generous and kind friend. She just hadn’t wanted to move in with her. She’d sort of thought she would bring her true love home with her.

The fresh memory of Avery’s rejection wrenched a sob from her.

“My lady?” Muriel appeared in the doorway. “You and Miss Ram have visitors.”

“We are not receiving,” Lady Chesterfield said calmly as she patted Leah’s back.

“But it’s His Grace, the Duke of Granville, and a servant. A male servant, miss. And he said something about the mirror.”

Leah’s heart leaped. “Does he have light brown hair tied in a ponytail? And hazel eyes and scars on his knuckles?”

Muriel’s head had only dipped in half a nod before Leah was running into the entryway. Completely ignoring the duke, she ground to a halt the moment she saw Avery holding a large object wrapped in brown cloth.

“Avery,” she whispered, the words seeming to emanate from her bruised heart. “You came.”

He set the object on the entryway table, slowly and carefully. The duke and Lady Chesterfield withdrew to the sitting room.

Leah fisted her hands at her sides to keep herself steady. She wanted nothing more than to throw herself at him and bury her face in his broad chest, but considering the way they’d parted last, she wasn’t sure she’d be welcomed. And another rejection from him might just break her beyond repair.

But then he turned, though his face was bruised and battered, and opened his arms to her.

With a glad cry, she ran to him. She clung to him as though they were adrift at sea and he was the only thing that kept her from sinking. It wasn’t really that far from the truth.

“Leah, my angel, Leah,” he said in a rough voice between kisses that he dropped on her hair. “I am here, I am sorry, I love you.”

“I love you too, Avery.” She turned her face up to him and accepted his kiss eagerly. For a moment, her hellish reality slipped away in the wonderful feeling of his body pressed firmly against hers, his lips and mouth possessing her, his arms holding her tightly. She tangled her fingers in his hair and kissed him with all the desperate passion she felt.

All too soon, he raised his head.

“I must speak with you,” he said seriously, though he never stopped touching her. “It is important.”

“If you’re here to tell me about the mirror, I know. It’s broken. Ella came to tell me that Pawpaw is really sick, and when we tried to get back, it was gone.” Darkness returned to blanket her, though it wasn’t nearly as dark as it had been before with Avery beside her. But even the presence of her true love didn’t change the fact that her grandfather lay on his deathbed and she couldn’t go to him. She pressed her cheek against Avery’s chest, taking comfort in the firm beat of his heart.

“Yes, it was broken when Prachett…” He trailed off. Leah looked at him darkly but let it pass. “But Mrs. Comstock and I have done our best, and we’ve managed to piece some of it back together.”

The words rumbled through her, and she raised incredulous eyes to his face. “What?”

He pointed to the flat object on the table. “I gathered up as much as I could and took it to her. It is not a large portion, but it should be sufficient for you to pass through.”

“Ella too?” Leah pulled back enough to gesture toward her friend, who stood beside a silent, staring Muriel.

Avery nodded in greeting. “That should be manageable.”

Relief sapped her, and she nearly fell backward, grabbing Avery’s muscled arm in just enough time to prevent it. “Oh, thank goodness. You’re coming too, right?”

Hope and bitter disappointment crossed his expression right after one another. He looked downward, avoiding her gaze. “I cannot.”

Her fingers curled into his shirt. She wanted to yell, to throw a fucking fit. It was either that or cry, and she was so tired of being soggy. “Why not?”

“Muriel, come in here with me, okay?” Ella’s voice barely registered in Leah’s mind, as did the soft click of a closing door behind them.

Avery tossed a glance toward a pointedly staring Graves. “Is there not somewhere we can be more private?”

Leah took his hand and led him up the stairs, ignoring the huff of disapproval from Graves. Damn it, if this was the last time she saw her Avery, she was going to make the most of it.

She led him into her bedroom and closed the door. In the soft, comfortable room, he appeared even rougher, wilder, more masculine. His clothes were rumpled, his cheeks had stubble, and his eyes were dark and wild. He was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, she patted the space next to her. “Sit with me. Tell me the whole story—what happened when you left me, how the mirror broke, and why you can’t go with me.”

His smile was dark, but he sat beside her. He took her hand and spoke softly.

“I owe you an apology, Leah. I saw the duke embrace you, and I let myself believe that you would choose his rank and wealth over anything you felt for me.”

“It’s okay,” she said, laying her head against his bicep. “I’ve done stupid shit too, and I can’t blame you for getting the wrong idea. What made you change your mind?”

His fingers burned a trail along her throat. “I could not allow anyone to harm you without retribution.” Avery sighed and lifted her chin. “I must tell you that I am responsible for your abduction.”

She gasped. “What?”

“A man named Thomas Prachett. Many years ago, I accepted a loan from him. I needed the money to secure a place to live for Aunt Millie. In return, he demanded that I cheat in the mills.” Avery looked away, as if the words were distasteful to him. “When he decided he had need of me again, he used you to ensure my cooperation.”

Everything clicked into place in Leah’s head. “I thought I heard Mackenzie, the stable master, while I was being held in the cabin. Was he one of Prachett’s goons?”

Avery nodded.

She paused, enjoying the small circles Avery drew along her collarbone. “If I ever meet Mr. Prachett, I’m going to kick his nuts into his throat.”

Avery’s fingers paused. “You will not meet him. He is dead.”

Leah drew back in horror. “You didn’t kill him? Oh God, tell me you didn’t. He might have been a bastard, but I don’t want his blood on your hands.”

Avery’s quick head shake reassured her. “No, I did not. I did thrash the blighter, but he drew a dueling pistol. I ducked and the shot hit the bureau’s mirror. His Grace came to my aid, and his shot killed the man.”

Somewhat relieved, Leah settled her head against him again. “Good. It was self-defense then, not murder.” She laid a hand across his broad, muscled thigh. “But if you and Mrs. Comstock fixed part of the mirror, why can’t you come with me? I’m sure they’ll be looking for someone to blame for Prachett’s death, so it’d be best if you got out of here, right?”

He gathered her close to his chest, whispering into her hair. “It is not my choice to remain here, love. But the mirror is not large enough for me to pass through.”

Leah’s heart dropped through the floor. “You’re kidding.”

He held her tighter as she fought the tears. “I am sorry, Leah, more sorry than you know. But it is for the best. My aunt is worsening, and I cannot allow her to languish without care. You belong there, and I…” His voice dropped out. He cleared his throat as her tears soaked the cotton of his shirt. “I must remain here.”