In Magician's Embrace [BOOK 1 of Price Family Saga]

38. Chapter (You Belong To Me)

*La Petite Mort - ‚the little death', French euphemism for orgasm

Upon Daniel Gray's arrival at Thornton Hall, he briskly made his way to his chamber to attire himself for the evening. However, his attention was drawn to the coffer that had recently arrived from Hertford, enthroned in the middle of the room. In the midst of his prolonged bout of indignation, he had entirely forgotten about its existence. It had evidently taken the Prices a considerable amount of time to send it back, perhaps in the hope that he would return for some reason.

His mind immediately fixated on a specific fabric within the coffer, a tangible witness to his interference with one lady's innocence. A sense of dread filled his core at the thought that someone might have taken a peek into the coffer and discovered it...

Daniel knelt down, deftly opened the coffer, and perused its contents. The delicate fabric lay concealed beneath a couple of shirts, yet its presence evoked a powerful sense of yearning within him. He grappled with conflicting emotions, a mixture of guilt and illicit pleasure stemming from memories of her beautiful form and passion-laden countenance. Resting his elbow on his knee, he cradled his face in his hand as the weight of contemplation bore down on him.

This ain't myself, he mused, I'm no deceiver, I'm no ravisher of maidens. And I shan't evade that strong sentiment of possessiveness that keeps perpetually haunting me.

He knew he was becoming unwell, afflicted with a strange concoction of guilt and desire that only intensified. All it took was but a word to her father, and their destinies would be sealed together. Or to her brother, to have his person beaten, and then joined in union with hers. But would his yearning justify an action that condemned two people to unhappiness? And how could he meet the gaze of his dearest companion after substantiating that, indeed, he had betrayed him?

"You don't seem to be feeling better," a voice suddenly resonated through the air, emerging from behind his back.

Daniel swiftly allowed the cloth to fall, drew the shirts over it to conceal its existence once more, and promptly closed the coffer. However, his demeanour did not escape the inquisitive gaze of his younger brother, who leaned upon the door frame, observing him with a subtle smirk.

"On the contrary, my prolonged stroll aided me in thinking clearly," Daniel remarked as he rose. "You're akin to a spectre; I didn't hear you open the door nor your steps."

"And perhaps it's your fervent musing that made you deaf to your surroundings," Felix replied, stepping aside to allow his brother to pass into the corridor. "Or mayhaps it's your heavy conscience pressing upon your senses."

Daniel scowled at him as he closed the door to his chamber, prompting Felix to step into the corridor. "You delve too deeply into my mood, brother. Pray, why are you taking such keen interest of late?"

Felix arched his eyebrow. "Because I observe that you have returned a changed man from Hertford. No longer do your impassioned remarks condemn the Prices as villains, and the biting comments directed at the formidable Lady Eliza Price have vanished. But what do I know, I am not the heir to the duchy, and your concerns may indeed arise from an entirely different source," he remarked playfully.