Chapter 12
Twelve
Kingston stood in the quiet solitude of the Easton Abbey library; the flickering light of the hearth casting shadows across the rows of books.
His thoughts churned restlessly, the echoes of Jaclyn’s retreat still hanging in the air.
He had kissed her. He had let the warmth of her closeness cloud his judgment, and now he could not erase the look in her eyes when he had pushed her away, telling her she needed to rest. She had misunderstood him entirely.
He had done it for her own good, hadn’t he?
He had told himself it was to protect her, to allow her time to regain her strength.
But in truth, he had acted out of fear. Fear of where this might go, of how deeply he felt for her—feelings that had taken him by surprise.
He was the Duke of Amberwood. A man who had been groomed from birth to control his emotions, to hold others at arm’s length.
And yet here she was, unwittingly tearing down the walls he had so carefully built around himself.
His hands tightened on the back of the chair as he debated with himself.
Should he go after her? Tell her he had been a fool and that the kiss meant everything to him?
His heart ached at the thought of her leaving Easton Abbey, her confusion turning into resentment.
But then he had to remind himself: she was too ill for anything strenuous.
She was still recovering, and her health needed to come first. Jaclyn would not be leaving the abbey anytime soon.
He had time to rectify his blunder with her.
That did not mean he couldn’t go to her now and try to make her see reason.
She had to know that he held her in the highest regard.
Kingston would never hurt her if he could help it.
He exhaled sharply, cursing himself for his indecision.
His mind was still tangled with thoughts of her, when suddenly the door to the library creaked open.
Kingston stiffened as Jaclyn’s brother, the Earl of Oakley, stepped into the room.
Oakley’s gaze swept the room, his posture as haughty as ever, and for a moment, their eyes met with an unspoken tension.
Kingston’s stomach tightened in a way he was not accustomed to.
The last thing he needed right now was Oakley.
His heart was still in a state of turmoil, and Oakley’s presence only made everything more complicated.
The reminder of the continued animosity between them simmered in the room.
They would never be allies of any sort. They would forever loathe each other, and honestly, Kingston did not wish to change that.
“You need to stay away from my sister,” Oakley’s voice rang out, sharp with a hint of accusation. He glared at Kingston. “Jaclyn just left this very room.”
Kingston’s brow furrowed. “What of it?” He barely restrained the coldness in his tone.
Oakley’s eyes narrowed as he stepped farther into the room, the door swinging shut behind him with an ominous finality.
“I saw her leave here earlier, carrying a book. But I had no idea you were here with her. You should not have been alone with her,” Oakley began, his voice edged with suspicion.
“You are too close with my sister, Amberwood. I don’t care for it. And I certainly don’t trust it.”
Kingston’s fists clenched at his sides, frustration mounting within him.
He had no patience for the earl’s baseless accusations.
“You are a fool, Oakley,” he spat, his voice low and deliberate.
“Do you even care about your sister at all or is this just another reason for you to come after me? What did I ever do to you that makes you think challenging me at every opportunity a grand idea?”
“Do not be ridiculous.” Oakley’s eyes flashed with anger, his face turning a shade redder.
“I am not as foolish as you would like to believe. I saw how you looked at her—how you have always looked at her. Starting with that night when you first tried to seduce her,” he hissed.
“I won’t stand for it. If I must, I’ll go and retrieve her right now and take her away from this place.
I do not need your permission to take my sister home. ”
Kingston’s heart skipped a beat. The thought of Jaclyn leaving him was unbearable, but he refused to let Oakley think for a second that he could dictate his actions.
“You’ll regret it if you try,” Kingston warned, stepping forward with an air of authority, his voice rising to match Oakley’s ire.
“You can’t control Jaclyn, Oakley. She’s her own person, and if you truly cared about her, you’d trust that she has the right to make her own decisions. ”
Oakley’s jaw tightened. “I’ll not have you manipulating her, Kingston. Not now, not ever.”
Kingston took another step closer, his eyes locking with Oakley’s.
“I am not trying to manipulate her. I am trying to do what’s right by her, but I won’t tolerate your interference.
” He had to do something, anything to prevent Oakley from taking Jaclyn away from Easton Abbey.
He would lose her forever if Oakley managed to take her back home.
He had been wasting too much time with his own indecision and now it might be too late for him to rectify it.
For a long moment, neither man moved, the tension between them thick and electric.
But it was Oakley who looked away first, the spark of anger in his eyes faltering.
“I don’t trust you with my sister,” he muttered.
“But I will not leave like a thief in the night with her. I will concede you’re right and her health must come first. I won’t make any rash decisions, but I will ascertain for myself how she is in the morning.
If I determine she is well enough we will depart immediately. ”
Kingston released a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding.
Surely, he would see that Jaclyn needed to remain at Easton Abbey until she was well.
It would also give him more time with Jaclyn—to win her heart.
“You may not trust me now, Oakley, but if you truly wish to protect her, you’ll let her make her own choices.
She has been unwell after she fell into the pond, but the doctor believes she will make a full recovery and soon. ”
The earl’s lip curled in frustration, but he didn’t challenge Kingston again. Instead, he gave a terse nod. “I’ll go. But remember, Kingston, she’s my family, and I’ll always look out for her.”
“Trust me,” Kingston replied, his voice steady. “I understand your motives perfectly.” Oakley only cared about Jaclyn when it suited him.
As Oakley turned to leave, Kingston stood in the middle of the room, his heart heavy with the weight of everything unspoken between him and Jaclyn.
He had no intention of letting her go—he had to make her see that.
But Oakley’s interference was just one more complication in what had already become a tangled mess of emotions, misunderstandings, and desires.
He couldn’t lose her. Not when he had only just begun to understand how much she meant to him, and he would do whatever it took to prove that to her. She had thought he didn’t truly want her. That his feelings for her were not true. That was why she had left him alone in the library.
Perhaps he should visit her in her bedchamber.
It was time to prove to her that he would not let her go.
That she belonged with him, and only him.
If he had to seduce her in order to keep her with him, well, then so be it.
He would have to be careful in his seduction and not just because she had been so sick recently.
Oakley was on the prowl. If he caught Kingston in Jaclyn’s bedchamber it would all be over before it truly had a chance to begin. He would have to wait a little bit longer and then he would go to her. It could no longer wait.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
If he had to, he would convince her to leave Easton Abbey with him.
If Oakley insisted on taking her home, it might be the only thing he could do to keep her with him.
But he had to be careful. He had to make his next move count.
The time for playing games was over. The only question now was whether Jaclyn would choose him when he offered her everything.
Slowly, Kingston left the library and headed upstairs.
He stopped outside her bedchamber and considered knocking, going inside, but decided against it.
Instead, he would return to his own room and make plans.
He hoped it would not come to it, but he had to be prepared for the possibility of making a mad dash with Jaclyn to Scotland.
It had worked for his friends, and he was not against eloping if he needed to.
He just hoped it would not become a necessity.
With a final glance at the door to Jaclyn’s chambers, he steeled himself.
He would bide his time—wait until Oakley was distracted, and then make his move.
If Oakley insisted on taking her away, Kingston would not hesitate to do whatever it took to keep her by his side.
The time for waiting was over. It was time for action.
If Jaclyn wanted him to prove that he needed her and would never let her go, then so be it.
Kingston was ready to prove how much she meant to him.
Jaclyn stood alone in the library, the quiet hush of the early morning settling around her like a blanket.
The book of sonnets was heavy in her hands as she slowly walked over to the shelf, fingers trailing across the spines of other volumes as she replaced it in its proper place.
The motion, so simple, should have been an easy task, yet it was made difficult by the storm of thoughts and emotions swirling inside her.