Chapter 56: The Duty Of The Heir (Book 3): Chapter 56

Wesbury

The moment I step off the plane at Wesbury airport, excitement bubbles up inside me. There’s a car waiting, ready to zip me over to Leonard’s place, and my stomach does this funny little flip.

Nerves, I guess.

Pulling up to his house, I spot Leonard out front, and he’s got this warm, welcoming grin. ‘Welcome again to Wesbury, Ms. Lewis,’ he greets.

I manage a ‘Thanks, Mr. Harding,’ trying to sound way cooler than I feel.

He’s all thanks and welcomes, but I wave it off. No biggie, I’m here for a reason, right? As we head to his house, I can’t help but blurt out the question burning in my mind. ‘Is he coming soon?’ My heart’s doing a marathon.

Leonard assures me, that Duke will be here, but he’s got to hit the airspace by nine. My heart sinks a little. Not much time, then.

‘Traveling out?’ I ask, kinda nosy about his plans.

‘Yeah,’ he says, all mysterious. ‘Somewhere.’

I try to lighten things up. ‘A place of no name, huh?’

He laughs. ‘We can call it that way.’

As we walk toward the house, I can’t help but marvel at it. Elegant, expansive, a modern marvel nestled amongst nature. ‘You’ve done well for yourself, Leonard.’

He nods a hint of pride in his stride. ‘Thank you, Simone.’

We pause before entering, ‘You live here alone?’ I ask, more out of a need to fill the silence than genuine curiosity.

He hesitates, just for a moment. ‘Not exactly. I have a fiancé. She’s not in town right now.’

The news catches me off guard, a surprise I wasn’t prepared for. But before I can react or probe further, Leonard ushers me inside, the promise of the evening still hanging between us.

I get curious about who he shares it with and find out about his fiancé and their wedding. She’s out of town, though.

The guest lounge has a hushed energy, every footstep on the plush carpet, every murmur, adding to the build-up of my own internal tumult. I absently smooth the fabric of my dress, taking a deep breath, feeling the stir of the air as someone approaches.

There he is.

Duke strides toward me, a mix of determination and hesitation. It’s been weeks, but in this moment, it feels like mere days since we last saw each other. The lounge suddenly feels too small, too confined for the magnitude of this moment.

‘Duke?’ My voice quivers slightly, a sign of emotions I’m trying to contain.

‘Simone.’ His voice deep, a reflection of our shared past. Our history.

I lift my head, our eyes lock, and I can’t help the joy that lights up my face. ‘Duke…’ It’s barely a whisper, my voice shaking with so many feelings.

I stand, moving towards him, arms open wide. As we step closer, the world blurs into nothingness, and it’s just us. When we embrace, it’s like everything I’ve been waiting for.

‘I never thought I’d see you again,’ I murmur into his shoulder, my heart about to burst with happiness.

‘I’m here,’ he says, his voice a warm caress. ‘How have you been?’

‘Okay,’ I manage, trying to keep it together. But as we stand there, I can tell he’s thrown off by how much this means to me.

‘Can I hug you again?’ My voice is so faint, almost lost.

He stammers a yes, taken aback.

I wrap my arms around him again, tighter this time, pressing close. Everything else just fades away. It’s just his embrace, familiar and so, so missed.

Leonard’s nearby, watching us with wide eyes. He probably didn’t see this coming. But right then, nothing matters except the sheer joy of having Duke back in my arms.