Destined For A Duke (Completed)

Chapter 5

After dinner Gabrielle left in search of Lord Maximillian. She wanted him to know the extend of his stupidity. The infuriating man was hurting his best friends by being such a hard headed fool. Searching every corner of the mansion and it's surrounding gardens, she almost gave up.

Remembering how Lord Maximillian appeared out of thin air in the library that morning, she decided to search there. When she didn't find him by midnight, she gave up. Gabrielle was tired and battered from her day. She would have asked for tea and a bath but the waiting staff was fast asleep.

In an attempt to calm her frayed nerves, Gabrielle turned to spirits. It was usual for her to drink a glass of whiskey or wine to create a soothing effect. She didn't want to invade the Earl's personal space by entering his study. She remembered the decanter of wine in library and made her way towards it.

Gabrielle felt like she was in heaven, the wine was cold. An old blend that soothed her nerves and her taste buds. She was almost asleep when she heard the voice that irritated her again.

"Do you drink often?" Lord Max was inebriated but perfectly dressed. The cold wine suddenly made more sense.

"Are you implying that I am addicted to it? That I am a drunkard?" Gabrielle's voice came out much higher then she intended. Instead of his usual flippant reply, Lord Max gave a scowl that would have scared any blushing debutant away.

"I am not implying anything. I asked you a question, answer it. I am a man, men are simpler like that." Gabrielle was fascinated by the change in his eyes. Those dark orbs looked cold grey.

"Normal man, yes. But a peer always has some hidden agenda." Instead of defending himself and his class, the Duke smiled. Gabrielle was positive that the man was unhinged. He took offense for no reason and now that he should have been offended, he's smiling.

"You become quite bearable after a drink. I think you should drink more often." Gabrielle's heart stopped at the sight before her. The Duke had a wolfish grin on his face and talked in a teasing manner. It was so unusual that Gabrielle forgot what she came for. It was a grin to give your innocence for.

"I did not just think that! Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Gabrielle kept on chanting under her breath while Max poured her another glass of wine.

"Don't worry, that's how woman usually react. You are not the first one and you will not be the last one. It's my charm you see." Max said with a smug smile and just like that, the spell broke. Gabrielle downed the whole glass because she was thirsty. It had nothing to do with liquid courage.

"You are still as infuriating as you were two glasses ago. Nothing can improve you." Max's booming laughter reached every corner of the library. Gabrielle felt it's vibrations in her bones.

"Gaby, you are a gift of God." Max laughingly said.

"I will believe that when you will say the same thing sober." Gabrielle said primly. "Just so you know, everyone calls me Ella. I hate Gaby." Gabrielle couldn't stop the pout that formed on her lips.

"Ella. Hmmm..... suits you. Well then, I am Max. Brady and Will call me Mad Axe. Apparently, I have a bad habit of picking fights and winning them." He said with a swoon worthy smile. Gabrielle thought that her pet name sounded exotic in his voice. Slight tremors ran through her body and her knees felt weak.

"I agree with the mad part." Ella knew her voice sounded breathy. It was as if she lost her ability to talk when Max called her by her pet name. She turned to looked at her companion to see his reaction. His eyes were dark and on fire. Ella didn't understand how a man can have such expressive eyes. Max looked at her with lust, it was written all over his face.

Seeing a man who wanted to be intimate with her was too much for Ella. She panicked and did the only thing she was great at,

"You are completely mad, you destroyed all chances of Will and George being together. Will is in love with George. You stubborn, empty headed fool made his task of wooing George so much harder. If that's how you repay your friends, how badly do you treat your enemies?" Ella gulped at the end, she was positive that she had offended the Duke. In her nervousness, she could not stop some herself from saying some embarrassing things.

Max looked surprised. It was not a reaction that Ella expected and it confirmed her believe that Max was unlike other men.

"Anyother woman would have been ecastic. If the Earl didn't get the girl of his choice, they might stand a chance. Why are you so offended?" Max leaned forward in his chair and balanced his head over his open palms. He looked at Ella with such intensity and concentration that he no longer appeared slightly drunk. Ella could not form words to answer him, she looked at the fire to think about how she would put her thoughts into words. Max waited patiently, letting her collect herself.

"I have always had suitors, even before we started moving in society. They never cared about me, they wanted my father's money. Everyone of them was an impoverished peer. I want someone who loves me for being me. Someone who sees me more than just a heiress. I deserve love, Lord William deserves love. They deserve to be together. I never had friends. Lord William gave me friends that I have always wanted. I can never take away the only thing he ever wanted, to be with George." Ella looked at Max with pleading eyes. She willed him to understand how she felt. She knew that her explanation was not enough but she didn't want to indulge in the story of her unhappy childhood and courtships.

Max looked away thoughtfully when no more explanation was forthcoming. Ella waited with baited breath to know how he would react. She was still confused why she even confided in the insufferable man.

"I would say that Will is a lucky man to have a friend like you." Max said quietly. Ella couldn't stop the smile that formed on her lips.

"So are you. Aren't we friends?" She asked in a whisper.

"You are right about us being friends, but you are wrong about Will being in love." The roguish smile that touched his lips was breath taking but Ella had had enough. The man was unwilling to accept his mistake.

Giving an annoyed huff, Ella turned to leave. But before leaving she said the only thing she had been dying to say.

" You are delusional." She could hear Max's laugh all the way to her bedroom.

How was it? Some Max and Ella time. Do you think that Max will ever change or has he realized what a gem Ella is?