Page 79 of My Blind Duke
William heard her tearing into the envelope, followed by a silence that told him perhaps she was reading the letters. And then she gasped.
Apparently, the letters were in Anthony’s writing – Lady Jaxon had confirmed that – were filled with declarations of passionate love for Henrietta, and promises of a future together that never materialized. There was also a desperate letter from Henrietta to Anthony, seemingly from a year ago, written in a frantic scrawl, filled with accusations of betrayal and thinly veiled threats. The pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place with chilling clarity.
Armed with this damning evidence, William and Aaron wasted no time in presenting it to the authorities. The letters provideda clear motive for Henrietta to wish Anthony harm, and the timeline aligned with his sudden death. The flimsy case against Prudence began to crumble under the weight of this new revelation. Within hours, word arrived at Pemberly: Prudence was to be released.
The reunion was an emotional one. Prudence was pale and visibly shaken, but a flicker of relief shone in her green eyes as she embraced Marina and offered a polite, if somewhat distant, nod to William. The duke was not having that, however, immediately pulling her into his arms.
“I am sorry. I should have done more to protect you. I should have shielded you from them and I did not. I am so sorry, Prudence.”
Melanie joined the embrace, clinging to Prudence’s skirts firmly.
“Do not ever leave me again,” the child pleaded tearfully.
Prudence said nothing, but she held them back as tightly as they held her.
As soon as she was settled, William told her what they had discovered. Prudence had listed, shocked by everything she had heard.
“So… what do we do now?” she asked afterward.
“We end this. Once and for all. I will never let those people hurt anyone I care about, ever again,” William stated, resolute.
The next day, Clementina and Henrietta had been summoned back to Pemberly estate. William had sent out a letter saying that he had seen the errors of his ways and now understood that Prudence was trouble. And he felt bad about casting them out without a penny and wished to change that.
Clementina and Henrietta arrived at noon, their expressions open and expectant, and inevitably crushed by the shock of seeing Prudence in the estate, as free as a bird.
“What? What is the meaning of this? How are you here?” Clementina demanded.
“Be silent, you old crone. I have had enough of your squawking. There is only one thing I wish to hear and that is an apology to Prudence and to my daughter, for your vile accusations and treatment toward them,” William stated coldly.
“Y-Your Grace, I do not understand. I really–”
William wasted no time. He presented the letters, his voice steady as he laid bare Henrietta’s secret affair with Anthony and the evidence of her vengeful anger. Faced with the undeniable proof, Henrietta’s carefully constructed composure finally shattered.
“It was supposed to be me!” she wailed. “He had promised. Every night as we lay together, he worried about me and fussed over me. He told me that he wanted to marry me! That he did not need for anyone else but me! Then he came home one afternoon and said he had been engaged. I begged him not to leave me. I reminded him of all the promises he had made, but he told me that there was nothing he could do. I gave him one last chance at the wedding but he ordered me to stay away from him and his new wife. That was when I told him that I could not have him, no one would. He did not believe me and I showed him just how serious I was!” Henrietta wailed.
Tears streamed down her face as she confessed to poisoning the late duke, her voice choked with sobs and a bitter resentment that had festered for a while.
There was a sharp sound and Henrietta clutched her cheek in shock as Clementina slapped her.
“How dare you? You greedy wench–”
“Oh, come off it, you cruel hag! You knew I was responsible! You took what was left of the poison in the vial from my belongings and planted it amongst the duchess’ things!” Henrietta cried, pointing a trembling finger at Clementina, and glancing at the others in the room. “She knew all along! She was bitter because Anthony did not care for her as much when he was with me or when he prepared to marry the duchess! And she… she fabricated the evidence against the duchess! The journal, the vial… it was all her doing!”
Clementine’s face contorted with a fury that mirrored Henrietta’s. “You lying creature!” she shrieked, raising her hand to slap Henrietta again, shocked when the younger woman caught her arm before it could land. “How dare you accuse me!”
Despite Clementina’s vehement denials, the authorities, who had been discreetly present during the confrontation, stepped forward. Both Henrietta and Clementina were arrested – Henrietta for the murder of Duke Anthony, and Clementina for conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and the fabrication of evidence. They were led away, their reign of malice at Pemberly finally at an end.
In the aftermath, a fragile peace settled over the estate. Prudence, however, remained withdrawn, the ordeal having taken a clear toll. Now, more than ever it seemed, she was in dire need of space and time away from Pemberly.
“Thank you, William. For all you have done. I will never forget your kindness. And I will do all I can to repay you. But… for now, I think I will stay with my sister. Only for the time being, seeing as my country house is still undergoing repairs. I need to find my footing and regain some sense of self.”
Melanie, however, was having none of it. Seeing Prudence preparing to take her leave, her small face crumpled with distress. She tugged insistently on William’s hand, her eyes pleading. “Papa,” she said, her voice filled with a child’s unwavering hope, “You have to tell Prudence how you feel. Ask her to stay. We can be a family. A better family, with her.”
Melanie looked up at her father, her gaze earnest and encouraging, silently urging him to finally be honest with his feelings.
Spurred by Melanie’s innocent plea and the stark terror he had felt at the thought of losing Prudence forever, William finally confronted the walls he had built around his heart. He turned to Prudence, his voice filled with a vulnerability he had rarely allowed himself to show.
“Prudence,” he began, his voice a little unsteady. “I… I have been a fool. I have allowed my past hurts to dictate my actions. I was afraid to admit… how much you have come to mean to me.” He took a deep breath, her scent filling his senses, a scent he realized he could not bear to live without. “I have been selfish and guarded, and for that, I am truly sorry.”
