Page 94 of The Duchess' Replacement

It took effort for Sarah to raise her eyes to his. Every part of her body felt weighted down with grief.

“Earlier today you had insinuated if I don’t like your way of handling things then I should find somewhere else to be-”

“I spoke in anger!” Charles’s eyes widened. “I didn’t mean it!”

A wistful smile crept onto Sarah’s face as she shook her head slowly. “Yet you are steadfast with your threats of always saying what you mean.”

Charles reached for her hand and she pulled away.

“You must have a busy day ahead. I have some correspondence of my own to see to.”

She turned quickly and made her way to the door.

“Sarah,” his voice cracked with her name.

Her hand steadied on the door handle as she turned her head to the side.

“Just give me some time to handle the situation in town, I was not expecting his call this early and it caused me undue stress. I just need to work some things out and then we can talk.”

Sarah nodded as she closed the door behind her.

Charles didn’t seek her out that day to talk.

That evening Sarah put what she could into a bag. She wrote a letter to Charles and gave it to Samuels to deliver.

“The carriage is ready for you, Your Grace.” Samuels’s eyes were heavy and full of concern.

Sarah’s lips trembled. “Thank you, Samuels.”

He hesitated as he opened the door. “Are you sure you’d like to travel to your sister’s so late at night? Perhaps in the morning we can have His Grace accompany you.”

Sarah tried to swallow over the lump that had formed in her throat. “That won’t be necessary, Samuels. His Grace needs some time so I figured some space would help our situation as well.”

Her quivering lips strained her voice. She took a deep breath and willed her tears not to fall.

Samuels pursed his lips as lines formed on his brow. “Very well, Your Grace. William!” He called to the footman. “Please see Her Grace to her sister’s home.”

William nodded solemnly. “Of course. Right this way, Your Grace.” William held his arm out to escort Sarah to the carriage.

“Your Grace!” Samuels called out.

Sarah took a breath as she turned back to a man she was fond of.

“Travel safe and I hope for your safe return.”

Sarah released her breath on a hiccup. She could only shake her head in acknowledgment before she turned and entered the carriage.

She watched until the house was completely out of sight, then she let the tears fall.

CHAPTER 25

Charles walked into the breakfast room and found Nora sitting alone.

“Good morning, Nora.” He said as he touched his sister’s shoulder. “How was your night.”

Nora ignored him as she speared a strawberry onto her fork.

Shrugging off his sister’s insolence as normal young girl behavior Charles sat at his seat and unfolded the napkin. As he sat, he looked to Samuels who was standing by the door, he looked a bit stiffer than usual.

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