Page 43 of The Duke's Gamble

“Florentina?”

The voice came into her thoughts and broke through them as Florentina turned her head almost lazily, lost in contentment, only to see her brother standing in front of her, his hands clasped tightly and a paleness about his features. “Henry?”

“Can I sit with you, Florentina?”

She nodded and sat up a little straighter, patting the empty space on the sofa beside her. “Please.”

“I thank you.” Her brother let out a slow breath as he came to sit down, clearly trying to look into her eyes but struggling to do so. His gaze continued to dart away, from one place to the next as he licked his lips and then shook his head. “Florentina, I—”

“Before you begin, let me assure you that I am quite contented in my marriage to the Duke of Dartmoor.” Florentina reached across and took her brother’s hand, squeezing it lightly. “I know, no doubt, that mother has informed you about what took place, about the foolish agreement between myself and the Duke, but none of that matters now. All that I am concerned with is my future and I can assure you, it will be a happy one.”

Her brother searched her face, perhaps wondering if Florentina was either pretending in order to spare his feelings or making them a little more fervent in order to protect him from the truth.

“I am speaking genuinely,” Florentina told him, gently. “I did not expect to fall in love with the Duke, for I thought himarrogant, selfish and utterly disagreeable but, in the end, things have changed between us—and within his character—and thus, we are now very happy together.”

Henry swallowed and then looked away. “All the same, Florentina, it was a position you should never have found yourself in. I knew I had done wrong, I knew that I had let down my family in a way that was entirely unreconcilable. And instead of coming to support you, instead of acknowledging what I had done, I hid.”

Florentina smiled ruefully. “Is that what you were doing? Hiding from us?”

Her brother lowered his gaze, rubbing one hand over his chin. “Yes, I was.”

“But why?”

“Because of my shame.” Looking back at her again, Henry’s brows furrowed. “You cannot understand the depth of my shame, Florentina. Our father had not long passed, and I, having inherited the title and the responsibility, was meant to care for my mother and sisters.” He shook his head. “Instead, overwhelmed by the weight of it all, I did nothing but act foolishly—drinking more than I should have and gambling without any thought of the consequences.” Closing his eyes, he let out a slow, shuddering breath. “I am truly sorry, Florentina. Once I realised what I had done, once I understood the full extent of my actions, it was far too late. Yes, I can claim it was the drink that clouded my judgment, but the truth is, I was utterly irresponsible. You cannot imagine the shame I felt as I wrote that letter to you. It tore through me, imagining what our mother would think, knowing the disappointment I had brought upon us all.”

“Did you not think of our future? What we would do once we learned of it?”

Henry scrubbed one hand down his face. “I did. The truth is, Florentina, I had a vague hope that once the Duke discovered that my mother and sisters still resided in the house, he would pull back from what he was doing and would return the house to me.”

“But you did not realise just how callous a gentleman he was,” Florentina finished for him, as her brother nodded. “There was nothing he would do to aid you, for he was similar to you in many ways.”

Her brother’s lips pulled into a rueful smile. “Selfish, arrogant and inconsiderate of others?”

“Yes, precisely,” Florentina laughed, not holding back the truth from her brother. “That is precisely what I thought when I first met the Duke. But I am glad to say that he has distinctly altered now, to the point that I am quite in love with him.”

“I can see it in your eyes when you speak of him.” Henry’s gaze roved around the room until, clearly catching sight of the Duke, he paused and then nodded. “And by the way he keeps looking at you with that smile on his face, I would say that he is quite in love with you too.” With another small sigh, he turned his gaze back towards Florentina. “Your Duke has reformed himself, has he not? Then I must also hope that I, too, can be reformed.”

Florentina settled her other hand upon his. “Iknowthat you can,” she said, gently, seeing her brother’s throat bob as he swallowed hard. “You came back to us, Henry. That is enough to begin with. The rest will come.”

***

“I saw you talking to your brother.”

Florentina smiled at her husband as the carriage rocked them gently, making its way back to the Duke’s townhouse. “Yes, I did.”

“And were you contented with what he said?”

“I am.” She smiled contentedly, feeling now as though every part of her life had settled back into place. “He apologised profusely, explained to me why he had done as he did and promised that he will do all he can to reform his character. And I believe that he will do just as he has said.”

The Duke’s gaze became tender. “My dear Florentina, your capacity to love and care for those who have hurt you is almost unbelievable. I do not think I have ever met anyone who is willing to trust, tobelievein someone’s ability to change despite their previous actions.”

“Ah, but I have been proven right in my trust, have I not?” Florentina’s eyes twinkled as a slow smile spread across the Duke’s face. “You have reformed completely and have changed into the sort of gentleman that I might be inclined to fall deeply in love with.”

“Is that so?” A teasing look came into the Duke’s eyes as he shifted across the carriage to sit beside her, one arm going right around her shoulders. “Falldeeplyin love with him, did you say?”

“I did.” Florentina laughed up into his eyes, loving the sensations that ran through her as his fingers brushed across the nape of her neck. “What do you think such a gentleman would say to that sort of hope?”

The Duke lowered his head, a whisper of excitement rushing around Florentina. “I think,” he answered, his voice low, sending a shiver through her, “that such a gentleman would consider himself incredibly honoured to have such a gift offered to him. And that he would tell the lady in question that his heart, in as poor a state as it is, is entirely her own. Though what she might do with it, I cannot imagine.”

“She would treasure it,” Florentina murmured, her eyes fluttering closed as the Duke drew near for a kiss, “and promise to keep it safe, always.”