CHAPTER 25: GRAPES AND SECRETS

Eva’s POV

​The afternoon sun filtered softly through the iron trellises of the estate’s lower vineyard, casting long, golden shadows across the stone path.

​I moved quietly behind Lady Eleanor, holding a wicker basket as she carefully clipped ripe, dark purple grapes from the creeping vines. The air smelled of sweet earth and warm summer wine, a tranquil setting that stood in stark, terrifying contrast to the chaotic knot tightening in my stomach after my confrontation with Lucian.

​"Eva," Lady Eleanor called out softly, setting another cluster of grapes into my basket. Her tone was light, yet carried a sudden, quiet depth. "Have you ever been with a man?"

​I blinked, taking a half-step back as my fingers tightened around the woven handle of the basket. "No, My Lady."

​"Do you ever wish to be?" she asked, her back turned to me as her shears clipped through another vine.

​I paused, looking down at the dusty stone path before answering honestly. "I suppose... I would want to, someday. I would like to have my own children, my own family, and my own home. I would raise them with so much love."

​Lady Eleanor stopped her cutting. She turned around slowly, her warm, wise eyes resting on me with a soft, melancholic tenderness. "That is very beautiful, Eva." She looked out over the sprawling green hills of the province, letting out a quiet, heavy sigh. "I raised my children with all the love in my heart... but I do not love my husband."

​My heart did a strange, uncomfortable leap in my chest. "My Lady... I do not think you should—"

​"You don't think I should share such things with a maid?" Eleanor interrupted gently, a faint, sad smile touching her lips. "I trust you, Eva. You wouldn't stab me in the back, would you?"

​"Never, My Lady," I answered immediately, my voice firm despite the underlying guilt pricking my conscience.

​Eleanor stepped closer, her silk skirts whispering against the grass. "One of the reasons I chose you as my personal maid, child, is because I saw a quiet understanding in your eyes. I have carried a deep unhappiness for twenty years. It is not merely the loneliness of the Duke's endless trade journeys... it is the empty void that has consumed me ever since I was forced to marry him at sixteen. Sixteen, Eva."

​A lump formed in my throat as I looked at the gentle woman before me. "What do you mean, Lady Eleanor?"

​"Don't worry, child," she murmured, gently patting my shoulder. "You will understand soon enough." She stepped back, looking toward the dense treeline at the edge of the lower garden. "I need you to head back to the manor now."

​I looked around the empty, isolated vineyard in concern. "My Lady, I cannot leave you in the garden alone. There are no guards posted in this section today."

​Eleanor let out a soft, melodic laugh, looking at me with immense affection. "That is so sweet of you, Eva. But I am not alone." She leaned in slightly, dropping her voice to an intimate whisper. "I am here to meet someone. I am having an affair."

​The air left my lungs in a sharp, silent gasp. I froze, my eyes widening as I stared at her in complete, utter shock.

​"It is alright," Eleanor said softly, watching my expression without a trace of fear or shame. "You may judge me if you wish."

​I swallowed hard, quickly regaining my composure as I bowed my head respectfully. "I would never judge you, My Lady. You are a good, intelligent woman, and you must have your reasons."

​A genuine, radiant smile broke across Eleanor’s face. "Thank you, Eva."

​"I will take the fruit back to the kitchen, My Lady," I said, offering a polite curtsy before turning on my heel.

​I walked back up the winding stone trail toward the grand estate, my mind spinning faster with every step.

​I was not entirely shocked to hear she was miserable in her marriage—Duke De Witt was a cold, ruthless man who traded human lives like ledger entries. But the revelation that Lady Eleanor was risking everything for a secret lover in the shadows of her own estate left me completely breathless.

​A heavy, complex emotion settled in my chest. She trusted me enough to bring me to her secret meeting place, blind to the fact that I was a ghost from her husband's past. She was a gentle soul caught in the Duke's web, just as I was—and yet, as I clutched the wicker basket against my apron, a cold, unwavering truth echoed in my mind.

Eva’s POV

​I carried the basket of grapes back down into the cool basement kitchens, setting it onto the heavy oak prep table.

​Nell, Laura, and two other maids were already seated around large ceramic bowls, stripping stems to juice the fruit for dinner. I grabbed a small stool, pulling a bowl toward myself, eager to lose my thoughts in the rhythmic, mindless work.

​The kitchen door swung open, and the light atmosphere instantly vanished.

​Leo stepped into the room.

​All four maids immediately stopped working, setting down their wooden pestles and offering low, synchronized curtsies. "Good afternoon, Lord Leo."

​Leo gave them a brief, polite nod, but his bright hazel eyes swept past everyone else, landing directly on me. "Permit me a moment of privacy with Eva, if you would."

​Laura gave me a sharp, narrow-eyed glance before gathering her aprons and shuffling out behind Nell. As soon as the heavy wooden door clicked shut, Leo stepped over, peeking through the small glass window pane to ensure they were completely out of earshot.

​He turned back to face me, his brow furrowed in a rare, intense line. "Why didn't you tell me you shared a dance with my brother?"

​My heart slammed against my ribs so hard I dropped the wooden bowl. A cold, paralyzed terror seized my lungs.

​Oh God. Lucian told him. He told him everything.

​My mind scrambled wildly, pulling at frayed threads to salvage my cover. "I... My Lord, I—"

​"I need answers, Eva," Leo pressed, stepping closer to the prep table, his usual teasing tone replaced by an urgent, searching friction. "You're not speaking. Those aren't words."

​I took a shaky breath, forcing my hands to stop trembling. "I... I did not mean to hide it, Leo. I didn't say anything because it never came up. I didn't think anyone would ever figure out I was the woman in the yellow dress."

​Leo studied my face intently, his gaze lingering on my wide, anxious eyes. "Why were you even at the capital ball?"

​A subtle wave of relief rushed through my veins.

​He doesn't know. Lucian hadn't exposed my presence at the ball or my lies to his parents—he had only mentioned the waltz to Leo.

​"I was just there because... I always wanted to see what a grand ball was like," I lied smoothly, keeping my voice soft and small. "I had never been to a dance like that before. I just wanted one night to experience it."

​Leo’s expression softened, a warm, gentle light returning to his eyes. "That is... actually quite beautiful."

​"Yes," I murmured, keeping my gaze lowered.

​"Tell me," Leo said, stepping around the wooden table and closing the distance between us, his tone dropping into a low, intimate register. "Did you share a romantic dance with just my brother... or with other men too?"

​I looked up, genuine curiosity spiking through my fear. Why was he so deeply concerned with who I had danced with?

​"Just your brother," I answered softly.

​"Hmm," Leo hummed, stepping even closer until he was standing right in front of my stool. "And did you enjoy it?"

​I looked up into his handsome face, my breath catching in my throat. "I... I don't know, Leo. I haven't had other dances to compare it to."

​A slow, devastatingly charming smirk spread across Leo's lips. His hazel eyes sparkled under the warm lantern light as he leaned down slightly, his voice a smooth, captivating whisper.

​"Then let me share a dance with you," he murmured. "So you can compare."

​My chest tightened as I looked into his eyes. Leo’s charm was effortless, wild, and intoxicatingly dangerous. He looked breathtakingly good in the dim kitchen light, and a sudden, quiet heat flushed through my cheeks. I had never felt so utterly affected by a man’s presence before. It was terrifying.

​Before I could force a word past my lips, the heavy kitchen door swung open.

​"Eva, did you bring down the—" Mrs. Gable froze mid-sentence, her jaw dropping as her sharp eyes took in how remarkably close Lord Leo was standing to her maid.

​I gasped, stepping back so fast my heel caught against the leg of the stool. My cheeks burned with pure heat as I pulled my apron straight.

​"What on earth is going on in here?" Mrs. Gable demanded, her brow knitting into deep, suspicious folds.

​"Oh, Mrs. Gable!" Leo smoothly interjected, without an ounce of hesitation or fluster. He turned toward her with an easy, radiant smile. "Worry not. I merely asked Eva to inspect a small smudge on my collar for me."

​Mrs. Gable blinked, looking between the two of us doubtfully. "Oh... I see. Well, I can leave you two to it—"

​"No, no, no, we are quite finished," Leo said quickly, stepping toward the exit and adjusting his cuffs. He paused near the threshold, throwing a quick, lingering glance over his shoulder at me, his eyes dancing with hidden fire. "See you later, Eva."

​He offered Mrs. Gable a polite nod and strode out into the hallway, leaving the heavy silence of the kitchen ringing in his wake.