Page 99 of His Forbidden Duchess
“What are you doing, Felix?” she asked with a laugh.
“What I should have done in the first place. You deserve a proper proposal as much as anyone does. More so, even.”
“But we are already married!” she cried.
Felix threw her a mischievous grin. He reached into his pocket for the treasure he had been guarding since London. He pulled out the diamond ring, its sparkle so luminous that it almost blinded her.
Eloise let out a gasp.
“Felix. It is beautiful.”
“But not as beautiful as you,” he replied. “Eloise Manning—Greystone—Duchess of Kingswell—” He smirked. She giggled. “Would you do me the great honor of becoming my wife ineveryway and not merely in name alone?”
Eloise chewed her bottom lip to stop herself from grinning foolishly. She looked into his wonderful hazel-green eyes and saw the sincerity that radiated from them.
“I thought you would never ask.”
A few days after the incident—and the unexpected proposal—Eloise sat in the morning room arranging a small bouquet of fresh flowers. The diamond on her ring caught the light, sending it scattering throughout the room.
Felix was out attending to estate matters, but for the first time since his departure to London, Eloise felt calm and settled. She was surrounded by the gentle hum of life in Kingswell, each detail a reminder of the love and peace that had finally permeated her heart and her life.
They were married, at last, and truly so. Not merely for the sake of appearances, debt, or convenience. They were finally married for love.
The door to the morning room opened quietly. Eloise looked up to find her mother standing hesitantly in the doorway, Jeremy just behind her.
Both of them wore sheepish expressions. Eloise felt a warmth rise in her heart. She had been so angry at both of them, but she still loved them.
“Eloise,” Lady Danridge began, her voice soft and uncharacteristically uncertain. She stepped into the room, glancing back at Jeremy. He gave her a nod though he lingered near the door. “We came to speak with you if you will allow it.”
Eloise gestured for them to sit, her heart racing with curiosity and hope. Lady Danridge took a seat beside her, folding her hands tightly in her lap. Jeremy sat across from them, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, looking as if he had spent the night carefully considering his words.
There was a long pause as Lady Danridge took a deep breath, her voice trembling. “Eloise, I came here today to apologize. I have been a proud woman, too proud, and it has cost you dearly. You have always been so strong, and I let that strength bear the weight of responsibilities that were never yours to shoulder.”
Eloise let out a whispered gasp and a sigh as she was freed from the load that had always tried to overpower her. Her mother’s heartfelt words had stirred up something deep within her.
Lady Danridge’s voice grew steadier as she continued, glancing briefly at Jeremy for support. “I leaned on you more than I should have. I realize that now. You are so capable at everything, Eloise, and I let myself rely on you instead of guiding you. I relied on you to fill a void that was not yours to fill. And you were right. Since the death of your father, you have been more of a mother than I ever was. For that, I am terribly sorry. I should never have put you in that situation.”
Eloise’s heart clenched, her voice a mere whisper. “Mother…”
Lady Danridge reached over and clutched Eloise’s hand. “I never truly let myself see how much it was costing you, how much you had sacrificed. But when I heard what happened with that awful viscount…” Her voice caught, and she swallowed, steadying herself. “I realized I almost lost you without ever truly knowing you as I should have.”
Jeremy cleared his throat, his gaze focused on the floor. “Eloise, I too have an apology to make if you will entertain it.”
Eloise looked at him, her eyes widening. She had rarely seen her brother look so vulnerable, and she had never expected an apology from one of them, let alone both of them.
Jeremy rubbed the back of his neck, finally meeting her gaze. “When I found out about your marriage to Felix, I became angry. But the truth of the matter was that I was angry and ashamed atmyselffor not being here to help when you needed me most. I left England to take care of everything—you, Mother, the estate, the family—and I returned, only to criticize and accuse you without listening to reason. I failed you.”
Eloise’s heart softened at the admission. She had carried that resentment for so long, but seeing her brother acknowledge his mistakes opened a door she hadn’t realized she’d been waiting to walk through.
She had known, deep down, that Jeremy was ashamed, but it had infuriated her that he couldn’t see what she had accomplished.
“You did what you thought you had to do,” she said softly. “But I appreciate your honesty—and your apology. Both of you.”
Jeremy gave her a tentative smile. “I owe it to youandto Felix. You have been braver than I could ever have been. Than I was!”
“That’s not true,” Eloise said with a shake of her head. “You went away to earn the money and pay off Father’s debt. We all know how hard you tried, Jeremy, and there is no reason for you to be ashamed. Just as there is no shame in asking for help. It was too much for you to do on your own, that is all.”
Lady Danridge, emboldened by the shared honesty in the room, hugged Eloise fiercely and spoke up again, her voice thick with emotion. “You are twice the woman I could ever hope to be, Eloise. And I say that without shame.”
