Page 26 of Her Duke Next Door
Forgive me, Eloise, she thought.I will explain everything to you one day when you are older and can understand.
Except she did not want to put that burden on her child, to carry the curse of her father, which left Mary running back to the old ghosts of her past with no choice. The main entrance loomed ahead as she readied herself. Inhaling deeply, she composed herself.
You are Mary Yore,she reminded herself.You are courageous and already have done so much for yourself and your daughter.You can withstand Hugh. You can withstand anybody.
She was not entirely sure of that but it was what she had to tell herself to even be able to step one foot out of her beautiful countryside home. Her stomach dropped as the carriage door opened and Hugh waited for her, a self-satisfied, smug smirk on his face.
“It is a beautiful day, dear Mary, is it not?” he called out. “A beautiful day to return to London. There areplentyof people who wish to greet you when we return.”
She understood a threat when she heard one. He had already threatened her about how dangerous he could be if she did not concede to his wishes. As she got into the carriage next to him, her heart hammered in her chest as he slid his fingers around her upper arm, squeezing painfully.
Mary bit down her gasp of pain. Hugh’s mouth smothered the side of her face, getting close to whisper in her ear. “You shall be a good wife to me, Mary, or I shall see to it that your life becomes terribly unpleasant.”
She tried to ignore her own trembling as she pushed past him and sat next to the window, opposite Hugh, so Eloise could be nearest to the door lest anything happen.
Mary’s senses were on high alert when her daughter stomped her way into the carriage. She did not look at Hugh nor address him.
Hugh glared at Eloise, who kept her face turned away, her eyes trained on the manor house outside. “We should leave the spoiled girl here if she does not wish to go.”
“Hugh!” Mary cried. “Do not speak of her like that!”
He only laughed cruelly to himself as he called for the carriage to take them back to London. As the manor disappeared behind them, Mary fought back tears she could not allow to fall. Dread welled in her like a pit that would not close no matter how long the journey was home.
“Think of everything we shall do together, Mary,” Hugh said, placing a hand on Mary’s knee possessively. She flinched, trying to discreetly angle herself away from him. His hand fell away and his face tightened, displeased. During the journey, his hand kept creeping for her, and she swiftly ran out of room to edge away from him. Her stomach rolled, nauseated.
Soon, the cobbled roads of London approached, and, with it, all the reminders of the life she had been running away from. She told herself that the Duke would become a far-away memory, locked away to experience in her dreams the very desire that he sparked in her.
The hard part is over, she told herself.You have left and that felt impossible.
But as the walls of Yore came into view, she realized she had not done the hardest part at all.
“Does it not bring back happy memories, my dear?” Hugh asked, as though it was perfectly normal. Maybe it ought to be and Mary needed to rethink her own outlook. But nothing could prepare her for the view of this house and the life she had needed to leave behind.
“After all, my nephew did truly love this house before his unfortunate demise,” Hugh said, not sounding one inch caring about Patrick’s death. Mary winced, her skin feeling as though somebody had pushed her into an ice-cold bath.
Hugh’s hand heavily rested on her shoulder as they got out of the carriage. “We shall make new memories together here. Happier. And do not worry, I have already made plans to announce our engagement.”
The world spun before her as she grew dizzy. “Engagement…?”
No, no, no.She pleaded silently with her own destiny, to not be trapped in a marriage with this man forever. She had already endured one awful husband; how long could she endure another? But she would do it. To keep Eloise safe she would carry any burden on her own life.
Give me your blessing to protect you and I shall make sure both you and Eloise are safe from that wretched man. Dominique’s words rang in her head with each step she took toward Yore House. But letting him protect her without any sort of stability of a future or a roof over their heads did not eliminate Hugh Yore and his threats. This was the safest option for Eloise, and that was what Mary focused on.
But as Hugh guided her into the house, showing her to her bed chamber, entirely ignoring Eloise, Mary silently drowned in the ghosts of her past.
* * *
Bernie saw Eloise to her own room. Eloise had indeed refused to speak to Mary for a while but she hovered in front of her bedroom door. It was unlikely Eloise remembered her old nursery from Mary’s life with Patrick so at least there would be no unhappy memories.
All she ever did was cry for him, Mary thought.And he never once held her when she cried.
But now Eloise lifted teary eyes to Mary and smiled sadly. Mary squeezed her daughter’s hand once before Bernie ushered her inside to get settled. Standing in the hallway alone, Mary knew she had to face her own bedroom but she could not. Instead, she turned on her heel, retreating to the library instead. She read often but a library more brought her comfort. It reminded her of her brother and the broad mind he possessed and how he would teach her about the world that he had traveled to. She needed those comforts.
Being back in Yore House reminded her of when she had first wed and invited Anne into her house and the two had dined on afternoon tea in the parlor. She tried to focus on those good times, every time she had experienced without Patrick being there.
Except he always had been.
Always waiting in the shadows.
