The Death of a Bachelor

Chapter sixty-five

It was the eve of the wedding, and waking up with a headache had not been on Elena’s to do list for the day.

Marissa, Aira and Alma were in her bed-chamber when she woke up, ready with a hangover remedy. They filled her in on what her brain was missing; of how she’d run around and fought with her groom until she dropped dead asleep.

Elena could only groan and reprimand herself, the one recurring thought in her mind being, ‘Not again.’

Kieran had left the manor with his brothers and wouldn’t return until late afternoon, so Elena had no choice but to wait for him till he arrived, so she could aplogise.

She was conversing with Marissa in her bed-chamber that afternoon when the maid Sophie walked in to deliver a message.

“Lady Elena, the General would like to see you in his private study.”

Elena’s nerves spiked. She excused herself and exited the chamber, making her way to Kieran’s study. As she walked, she tried to figure out what to say to him. Would a simple apology suffice to excuse her behavior?

Although she had no idea what she’d done, she was sure she’d troubled him a great deal, like in the past. Would he pardon her this time? Or had she gone too far?

Elena took a deep breath before opening the doors to the study and slinking in.

Kieran stood with his back facing her, his arms on the sofa infront of his desk as he hunched over it. She really did like his back.

She sauntered to him and stopped, not sure what to do. Tap him on the shoulder? Call his name to let him know it was she?

Instead, she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her face into his back. “I am sorry for last night,” she murmured.

He straightened himself and turned around as her arms remained encircling him. She looked at him with pleading eyes.

“I know I said it would never happen again but it did and you have every right to be angry and scold me but also you have no idea how sorry I am, really. It’s just that when Marissa and Alma offered, I could not keep saying no and I lost track of how many drinks I took and just like that I lost it.” She sighed, looking down.

“Don’t worry about it.” Kieran cupped her face with his hands, urging her to look at him again. “It wasn’t your mistake. Just some dolts who couldn’t keep their eyes open.”

Elena wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but her guilt-stricken self prevented her from thinking about it. “On a scale of one to ten, how frustrating was I?” she asked, gingerly.

Kieran pursed his lips, his expression solemn. “Sixty-five.”

Elena groaned and buried her flushed face in her hands. “Goodness, I am so embarrassed.”

Kieran chuckled. “Then it’s a good thing you don’t remember.” He sat down in the chair and pulled her to sit on his lap. He looked at her face, his countenance pensive. “Though I wonder what you would have done if you did.”

“I would have still apologized,” Elena replied. She hugged him, snuggling her face in his shoulder. “Please forgive me.”

Kieran rubbed her lower back gently. “I can do that, but then you’ll owe me two nights. The night of the thunderstorm and last night.”

Elena pulled away and looked at him in surprise, her hands resting on his shoulders.

“And no objections when I come for them, okay?” he added.

Elena bit her bottom lip and nodded. He smirked and pulled her in for a kiss.

“Pardon me for the untimely interruption, my bachelor friend!”