Page 83 of Lady for a Season
And oh, Edward, your true self is magnificent! I have seen you grow into yourself in every way. Your strength, your confidence, your kindness when you saw what power it could have in this world, these qualities are not something to be stamped out of a man.
Be bold, Edward. Be brave. You are everything a duke should be: kind, caring, loyal. You look after everyone who comes into your world, and it is wicked that those who should have cared for you the most caused you to doubt yourself, shut you away and lied to you until you could not tell what was true.
Doctor Morrison is gone for good. I have seen to it. It does not matter how, but know he will never darken your door again.
By the time you read this I will have gone. You do not need a companion any longer, indeed you never did at all, only someone who cared. You do not need to lie anymore. I was the lie, for a sane man does not need a nursemaid; you are the truth: you are the Duke of Buckingham and not just in name. Claim what is yours, Edward, believe that it is yours and it will be.
Do not fear for me, I have been provided for and I will be safe. But I am glad your mother has decreed that I should not stay to watch you marry Miss Belmont. My heart would break. I will strive to be happy for you if I know you are truly happy with her. She is a good person; I am sure she will make you a kindly wife if you do not let her come under your mother’s influence. Keep her close and loyal to you and I believe she will come to love you as I do.
I must go now. Goodbye, Edward. Not a day shall pass when I do not remember you in my thoughts and dreams. In them, you will be everything you deserve to be, and everything I know you are: happy, strong and your own man.
I will always love you. I will always be yours.
Maggie
This she placed in an envelope and sealed, then rang for Celine, who stared at Maggie’s packed trunk, her outdoor clothes.
“What are you doing?”
“I am leaving, on the Duchess’ instructions. The carriage will arrive for me in a few moments, and I need your help.”
“Does His Grace know you are leaving?”
“No, and he must not know. It will only unsettle him, and I cannot do that to him now he has made his choice, I cannot ruin his chance of happiness.”
Celine’s face showed what she thought of this, but she only nodded. “What do you need?”
“Help me with these buttons. Then I have a letter for Joseph and another which must be sent by the first post. Without anyone knowing.”
Celine took the letter and looked at Doctor Morrison’s name, gave a slow nod. “It shall be done.”
“This is for the Duchess,” she told Celine, handing her the folded note to Edward. She held out the envelope. “Will you give this to Edward directly, Celine? Without anyone else knowing?”
“You need to tell him what is in your heart,” said Celine. “To his face.”
“I cannot. He has chosen Miss Belmont –”
“Under duress!”
“Nonetheless, he chose her. And I… I have told him what I feel,but in a letter which he can discard, if he wishes, so that he does not have to look me in the eye and say he has changed his mind, that he does not care for me. Or that he does, but has chosen Miss Belmont because that is what a duke must do.”
“And if he chooses you? Where is he to find you?”
Maggie shook her head. “It is better if he does not search for me. He has made his choice.” She hesitated. “I will write to you when I am settled. If – if he is locked away again, send word to me.”
Celine stood silent for a moment, then she buttoned Maggie’s dress and pulled the bell to summon a footman. Within moments, Bartholomew appeared.
“Yes, Miss?”
“Miss Seton’s trunk needs carrying down. You will accompany her on the first stage of her journey to The Golden Grouse.”
“Yes, Duval. Shall I take it now, Miss?”
Maggie looked round the room for one last time. She would never again sleep in such a room, instead she would clean it, make the bed, lay out another woman’s dresses and toiletries if she was lucky. “Yes,” she managed at last. “Thank you, Bartholomew.”
Bartholomew shouldered the trunk and left the room, Celine turned to follow him, but Maggie caught her arm.
“Celine?”
