to the raging storm outside. The rolling thunder matched his mood as the flashing lightning matched his temperament. He hadn’t always been this way. There’d been a time when he’d been carefree and jubilant.
Had he met Elspeth before the war… It did not signify. Fate had dealt him a cruel hand, first in his disfigurement, then in taking his elder brother. Damian was no longer the handsome second son with the world at his feet.
No. He was now the monstrous earl. A man no woman could abide to look at, let alone love.
Except Elspeth had looked at him. The duchess never flinched or averted her gaze, let alone screamed or swooned. She’d treated him like he was a typical man rather than the monster others saw. Could she fall in love with him?
Bloody hell. He slammed his first into the hard surface of the table as thunder shook the windows. He could not afford to allow himself such whimsical thoughts. Hadn’t the past two years taught him as much?
Damian retrieved the brandy decanter as his thoughts swilled through his mind. He needed something more potent than wine to fortify him.
Just look at the way he lived? His house decaying around him. Not a servant in sight and no friends to be counted. Save for the village woman who brought him food and other supplies, he had no one. And even she could not tolerate the sight of him. On the rare occasions when Damian had been present upon her delivery, she’d cast her gaze away from him and made haste to depart.
He preferred his life this way. Simple, uncomplicated. No one save for himself to remind him of his state. That was the very reason he’d dismissed his staff and removed all the mirrors from Willow Ridge Run. He did not wish for reminders. All Damian wanted was to live out his life in peace.
Until now, a small voice whispered deep in his head. Now you want more. He drowned the voice in liquor, then departed for his bedchamber.
Chapter 3
Elspeth fumed over Lord Thornton’s dismissal of her as she twisted and stretched in an attempt to remove her gown for bed. Most of their meal had gone splendidly with pleasant conversation and with what she’d thought was a spark of friendship. Then it was as if he’d turned into a different man altogether.
She blew out a frustrated breath as she attempted to grasp one of the tiny buttons at her back. Her fingers fumbled with the closer. What had she been thinking of having her maid dress her in such a garment when she knew she’d be undressing by herself?
The button popped free, and she stretched and twisted, seeking another, as her mind roamed back to the earl.
She burned with curiosity over his injuries and his changing moods. And despite it all, she felt an undeniable pull toward him. A kinship that refused to be ignored. How strange to feel so connected to a man she scarcely knew, but there it was.
His questions and the warmth she had seen in his blue eyes led her to believe he felt the same toward her. But then, he had dismissed her out of hand.
Her fingers slipped from the button she’d been attempting free, and she lost her balance, stumbling backward before crashing to the floor. Elspeth huffed a breath, blowing the loose curls from her forehead. She dropped her head into her hands and closed her eyes.
This was a useless endeavor to be sure. The only way she was coming out of this dratted habit was to rip it free. An unconscionable choice, considering it would leave her in only her undergarments with no way to redress herself in a different gown.
Tap, tap, tap.
She jerked her head up at the intrusion; her gaze flying to the bedchamber door.
Tap, tap, tap. The knocking came again, followed by, “Elspeth, are you hurt?”
Her pulse ticked up at the sound of Lord Thornton’s voice. She pushed to her feet and smoothed her skirt.
“I’m coming in,” he said through the door.
Elspeth took two quick steps toward the door, her heart hammering. “I’m quite alright. I just—”
The door swung open, and he strode into the chamber.
Her shoulders sagged for a heartbeat before she drew herself up, straightening her spine.
“You just what?” He asked, his dark brows drawn together as he examined her.
Bloody hell, this was a fine mess. She attempted a calm smile. “Nothing truly. As I said, all is well.”
“I heard a loud thump.” He looked around