Page 50 of The Replacement Duchess

Diana did not know what her father expected as he recounted his tale.

Surely, it could not have been sympathy. If it were the case, he certainly was not going to receive any. Disdain and scorn, perhaps, but not sympathy and tenderness.

“You are a coward,” she said at last, coldly.

“You should be thanking me.”

“And why, pray tell, would I do that?” she snapped. “You abandoned us, only to come back when your hand was forced, and you were a terrible father. Now that you have a son, you think that you need to act. Is that it?”

“Diana, you do not understand. I could afford to ruin the family name before. You were both going to marry, and then the family name would end. Now that it is to continue, however, everythingmust change. I must leave a good reputation to my heir. He must inherit a lineage that is respected.”

“His mother can handle that. Samantha and I needed you.”

“His mother is dying.”

“And our mother is dead. You never truly cared, did you? Why am I even asking? Of course, you did not—you killed her!”

“I did not mean to.”

“You did it all the same.”

“And you turned out perfectly well. You should thank me, but instead, all that you do is complain. I gave you far more than you deserved, you know.”

“And what is it that we deserved as innocent children? Why is it that this wonderful son of yours needs to be treated differently? What did he do to warrant all of this?”

“He is an heir, a chance for my family to do something brilliant. You are a daughter. You are a liability. Your only notable success was your sister, who has proven to be just as much of a disappointment as you. Is that what you wished to hear? Are you now content that I am being honest with you?”

“Yes. It is only the way you have made us feel all our lives, when you could force yourself to be near us that is, but at least now you are not a coward and can say it to me outright.”

“Then I may well continue, for you are still yet to thank me for all that I sacrificed for you.”

Diana thought that, if her father ever did tell her all of that, she would cry. She was unsure of why she would cry, but she thought that it would be the right thing to do. Instead, she laughed in his face.

“It is funny, Father,” she scoffed. “Throughout the planning of my wedding, Samantha and I have been terrified for you. Poor Father, I thought, how it must pain him to spend the rest of his life drunken and alone. I thought that I could find a way to make you happy, given how hard you have tried to fix things between us. I am glad to see now that it was all a lie.”

“You need not worry for me. I am a man. I will make my own way.”

“And I invite you to do so without the support of your daughters and the Duke.”

“The Duke will not allow you to cut me off.”

“It was the Duke’s idea for me to do so. You may call my bluff if you wish, but he will not be as courteous to you as I am beingright now, so I warn you to be wise with what you choose to do now.”

“How many times must I say it before you understand? I do not need you. I have a son. He will do all of the things that you could not.”

“Ah, yes, the young man who will be forced into the role that you never wanted either. Truly, what an excellent father you can be when you try.”

“You are going to leave this house.”

“That day cannot come soon enough. I cannot wait to be the wife of the Duke, the Duchess, and have you sitting here alone, waiting for a son who will never arrive, because he hates you as much as I do. You mean nothing to me.”

No amount of cruelty seemed to upset him. It was the absolute proof that she needed that he did not care for her at all. He never had, and he never would, and that was precisely what she needed to know.

So she rose from her seat and began to walk away.

“You will leave tonight.”

“I will do no such thing. You can go to White’s, have those drinks that you so enjoy, and then you can decide whether or not youwish to return. Perhaps it would be better for all of us if you never did at all. The choice is yours.”

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