PAST — ELIAS

The scent of old books prickled my nose as I strode across the library, straight to the decanter. I looked around, my gaze bouncing from shelves to shelves as I poured the scotch in three glasses. I caught sight of dust shimmering in the sunlight and made a mental note to tell the maid about it.

My personal library was indeed my pride. I had a fancy for collecting all sorts of literature and I have been an avid reader since childhood. My mother would sit me down and read me stories for hours on end. Now that she was gone, I remembered those memories fondly. 

Her favorite books were on those shelves, untouched. 

I heard a sigh of impatience and then, “Are you listening?” 

“Somewhat,” I responded, turning around to face my two uninvited guests. With a grin, I offered each of them a glass of scotch. I would need alcohol for this pointless conversation. 

I took a seat on the couch, crossing my left ankle over my right knee and nodded at my guests. “Go on now. Let me hear what you have to say.”

I listened to my maternal uncle, and his best friend, Oscar Harrison speak, telling me a story that would cause a scandal if anyone else ever found out. 

The truth was that Mr. Harrison had an affair — multiple ones actually, but one of his mistresses ended up with a child. 

A daughter, who was apparently of age now. 

Oscar Harrison was a Viscount, a wealthy businessman — but his brother-in-law was the Duke of Manchester. A man of great power and more wealth than anyone could ever imagine. 

Oh, and of course, he loved his sister dearly.

It made sense that Oscar was practically trembling with fear at the thought of his hidden and illegitimate daughter being the new choice of gossip. Now that the mother was out of the picture, the daughter has been left without any family and defenseless against the rumors that had already started to spread. Oscar had to step up and claim his illegitimate daughter.

“You have to marry her,” Philip, the Earl of Dunbury, announced. My uncle held my gaze steadily, almost like he was trying to exercise his authority — to make me compliant to his arduous demand.

He was nearly as big as me, tall and with broad shoulders. And a scar that ran along the left side of his face. While he had once been a charming and jovial man, after he came back from the Crimean war, Philip Dunbury had become stone-faced. Uptight and rigid, he had earned his fair share of nicknames. People were scared of crossing paths with him.

But to me?

He was just the man who raised me — who was more a father to me than my own. I had great respect for the Earl of Dunbury and if he had asked me for anything other than to marry a woman I didn’t know, I would have said yes.

But not this.

Not when I had already made promises to Rosa. 

Rosa with blonde curls and eyes of the rainforest. I told her we’d marry next summer. I’d give her the grande wedding of her dreams and all the babies she wanted. Rosa and I fell in love young; too young some people would say. 

Taking a slow sip of my scotch, my gaze rove over Oscar, taking in his stressful demure and the pleading in his own sunken eyes. “I can’t marry your daughter,” I firmly stated. 

“The scandal—

“Is none of my business,” I cut him off. “You can’t ask me to take responsibility for your mistake.”

“You’re a man with power,” my uncle started. He took a step forward, crossing his arms over his wide chest. His stance was calm, but I knew he wasn’t going to back down. “You can save the girl’s reputation. Think of what will happen to her once the truth comes out. She won’t be able to live in our society.”

“No man will marry her,” Oscar lamented pitifully. “Thomas will make sure of it. You know very well how heartless and cruel the Duke of Manchester can be.”

“Are you more worried about her reputation or your own, Mr. Harrison? You’re scared of the Duke. Not because of what he can do to your daughter, but what he can possibly do to your business, am I right?”

Oscar looked positively affronted by my words, but I wasn’t done yet. “You’re scared for your marriage and the scandal that will come along once the truth of your affair is out. Your sons and daughters — the legimates ones, will probably be bitter for a long time. You will be ostracized from your own family. The unfortunate outcome for your mistake.”

I poured the rest of the scotch down my throat before placing the glass down on the table. “I do appreciate your trust in me, but I’ve already made promises to the woman I love and I am a faithful man, compared to you, Mr. Harrison.”

My gaze shifted to my uncle, knowing what I would already see. The disappointment etched on his cold face. He had always preached for me to choose my own path and destiny — and I was doing exactly that. I refused to be cornered into taking such an important life decision.

“Think about the girl, Elias,” he spoke grimly. “She’s innocent and it would break all of our hearts to watch her go through such slandering. She’s a beautiful and bright woman, who will make you a lovely wife.”

I stood up, meeting my uncle’s gaze firmly. “I don’t know the girl and I don’t plan on knowing her or marrying her. This conversation is over.”

I barely spared Oscar a glance, but I could almost sense the deep resignation from him as I strode away. 

I didn’t feel sorry for him.

But somewhere deep inside me, my heart did break for the woman I had never met. 

***

I was still half-sleep when I heard the distressing screams of a woman and the loud curses of a man. With a pounding headache, I squinted with my eyes half-opened. Sunlight bathed the room, but the commotion was unexpected. 

When another throbbing ache pierced through my skull, I snapped my eyes shut and winced. What… happened?

I remembered Lady Castelle’s ball last night; I had a bit of a drink and when I got home—

Nothing. I remembered nothing after that.

The warm body tucked against mine slowly twitched and then I heard a surprised gasp. The scent of peaches filled my nose and my arm tightened around the soft and womanly curves, while I was still somewhat confused. 

“Oh dear Lord, how improper!”

Now that was a voice I recognized. Lady Weston? She was a stern woman, in her early sixties, with a knack for terrible gossip. What was she doing in my home?

When I finally opened my eyes again, the first thing I saw was masses of dark curls, spread across my pillow and over my arm. 

My gaze shifted around my bedchamber. My uncle and Oscar stood at the entrance, with Lady Weston and her granddaughter just behind them. I could see two of the maids peeking from the doorway. 

My attention was drawn back to the woman in my arms when she started shivering. And that was when I realized the reason for the commotion.

We were both nude, and found in bed together…

Shocked hazel eyes met mine and when she sat up in a fright, the bedsheets fell to her hips, baring her upper body for all to see. More scandalized gasps came from the doorway and with a small cry, she reached for the sheets in panic.

But I was already moving.

Pushing her back, I draped the sheets over her body, hiding her nudity and sparing her whatever was left of her dignity. 

After making sure I was covered myself, I stood up and faced the people at the doorway. I didn’t remember how this woman got in my bed, but I had my suspicions. 

“I don’t recognize the lady in his bed,” Lady Weston whispered to her granddaughter. She fanned herself, but there was no mistaking the delight in her gaze. She was enjoying this moment. After all, Lady Weston had a reputation to uphold as the gossipmonger of this town. And I knew exactly why she was here.

My uncle took a threatening step forward. “Elias, explain yourself.”

I had been suspicious before, but now it was confirmed. My fists clenched as I took in the look of triumph on my uncle’s and Oscar’s face. 

I had been trapped into an elaborate plan made by my uncle and Oscar Harrison. I was an honorable man, after all. 

And they knew… I would never willingly ruin an innocent woman’s reputation. 

Anger and resentment coursed through me. Blood rushed between my ears and the pounding headache became worse. 

I turned to face the woman in my bed. Her hair was disheveled and silent tears streamed down her pale, panic-stricken face. She looked positively scandalized and frightened. She looked at me as if I was a monster.

Her shoulders hunched down and I could see how she was trying to make herself small. Our audience was not helping the situation as I heard more whispers and questions thrown at us. Who is she? they asked. 

She looked just as confused and lost as me. 

And I instantly knew…

While my uncle and her father might have made this cheap plan to trap us into a marriage, I knew she was innocent in all of this. 

An image of a smiling Rosa flitted in front of my vision. 

I never knew that a broken heart could be so dreadful. But the pain was almost indescribable as I pushed away my heartbreak and accepted my new reality.

I stared at the woman in my bed — my chest aching.

Our gazes met and I tried to smile, in hopes to soothe her. I didn’t even know her name. And when I finally found my voice, I did the only honorable thing I could think of.

“She is my wife.”