My Merry Marquess (Wallflower's Christmas Wish #3) - Annabelle Anders Page 0,31

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 me without picking up some wisdom along the way.”

Eve sat up straight. She’d not ever really considered what her aunt would have been like when she was younger. “But you married Lord Tannenbaum.”

“And he was a wonderful person. I loved him dearly.”

“But he was not your true love?”

Aunt Winifred exhaled loudly. “He was a very good man.”

“Did your true love betray you?”

Her aunt stared at her and then, after coming to a decision, shrugged in a manner that reminded Eve very much of Noelle.

“I think it would be much more truthful to say that I betrayed myself. Or that we betrayed one another. Anyway, I can hardly even remember what great offense it was that he committed. I sent him away and expected him to come back for me. He assumed I meant it when I said I never wanted to see him again. Forever is a very long time to live with regret. So, no. I most definitely do not think your sister is making a mistake.”

“So, you have seen him again? You have spoken to