Page 44 of An Arranged Betrothal with an Icy Duke
“In what way?” Henry demanded, his own heart thudding with both anger and fright, realizing just how malevolent his mother truly was. “What was it you thought to do?”
His mother looked at him. “Do such details matter?”
Coming around from his desk, Henry strode across the room, coming to stand only a step away from his mother. “Ofcourseit matters,” he hissed, barely able to contain himself. “I almost lost my betrothed and atyourhand. What was it you thought to do?”
Taking a step back, his mother looked up at him, her eyes wide. For some minutes, she did not answer, only to then close her eyes and drop her head. “The man who set the fire was to blame Miss Tidemore,” she said, in the end. “Though now, of course, I have no doubt that he has run from the house – if not from the village – given what took place. The fool clearly set the fire too strongly and – ”
“This isyourdoing and no-one else’s,” Henry cried, his voice ripping through his mother’s words. “Youare the one who did this to the orphanage, the one whose arrogance and determination almost took the lives from not only the children in the orphanage but also from my own betrothed. Do you have any understanding of just how reckless you have been? And how little I now think of you?”
A sudden sheen came into his mother’s eyes. “But I did this for you, Fairglen!” she exclaimed, reaching for him though Henry quickly stepped back. “I wanted you to see, I wanted you to understand that you deserved someone better.”
Henry shook his head, recoiling from her. “There is no-one better for me than Edith,” he said, simply. “I told her that Iwould have you removed to the Dower house on the day of our wedding but I do not think that will be soon enough.”
The Duchess let out a faint cry but Henry did not feel even a single ounce of sympathy. Instead, all he felt was pain.
“You will remove to the Dower house today,” he said, cutting the air with his hand as she tried to speak. “I do not care whether it is ready for you, whether or not it is prepared, you will go and you will go today. I will have the staff here send your things there at the earliest opportunity.”
The Duchess shook her head, tears now falling to her cheeks. “But there are no servants there, save for the one who looks after the house and the other who cares for the grounds! There is no butler, no cook – ”
“You will have your lady’s maid with you, and I will send two footmen and another maid with you for a month.” Turning his back on her, Henry walked to his desk again, his chest heaving with emotion. “That is all.”
“You are not welcome at my house,” Lord Frankton said, his voice clear but low. “I will not have you set foot across my threshold ever again.”
“And I will not have you here either,” Henry agreed, quickly. “And you shall not attend the wedding. I do not care what excuses you make in order to satisfy theton’s curiosity, save to say that if you ever mention a single word against myself, my betrothed or Lord and Lady Frankton, then I will have no other choice but to reveal everything that you have done thus far – and I shall tell all of society, Mother. Do not think for a moment that I will step back from that.”
With a wave of his hand, he dismissed her and then sat back down in his chair. Folding his arms, he waited for her to take her leave, watching her steadily. He felt no hatred for her, only regret: regret that he had not seen her as she truly was and that he had not listened to his brother in these last few years. Howmuch pain and how much difficulty would have been spared if he had?
But Edith is safe now,he reminded himself as, still stuttering in an attempt to find something to say, the Duchess turned and slowly began to make her way from the room.And that is all that matters.
“Do you think she will leave?”
Henry shrugged as his brother went to pour them both a brandy. “I shall have her things packed whether she likes it or not. I do not intend to have another night in this house with her presence.”
Lord Frankton handed Henry the brandy but shook his head, a thoughtful look on his face. “I am astonished that she admitted to all of it,” he said, as Henry nodded grimly. “That was the truth, was it not? That wasallof the truth.”
“It was.”
“And you will not see her again?”
Henry lifted his glass, holding it out to his brother. “Unless I see real remorse, unless I see a genuine realization that what she has done is nothing but cruel, selfish and wicked, then I will not have her back in this house,” he said, unequivocally. “And I do not think that any of that will be forthcoming.”
His brother tapped his glass with Henry’s, though no smile came to either of their faces. “I quite agree,” he said, with a small sigh. “Though now that it is over, now that the matter is ended, mayhap we can begin to think of better things?”
A small smile touched the edges of Henry’s lips. “Yes, of course,” he agreed, thinking now of Edith. “I shall have to go and tell her that all is well.” He made to get to his feet only for there to come a knock at the door. “If that is mother… ” With a look to his brother, he called for the person behind to enter, only for it to reveal a very frightened looking Lady Frankton.
“My dear!” Lord Frankton rushed to her, taking both of her hands in his. “What is wrong?”
“The Duchess is in a terrible rage,” the lady answered, throwing a glance to Henry, a slight shudder in her frame. “She is going all round the house, screaming at the servants and in such a fury, I do not know what to do!”
“Leave her to be so,” Henry answered, coming closer to them both. He looked into the face of his once betrothed, seeing the fright in her eyes and finding his heart tearing with guilt over what she had endured at his hand.
There was still one more thing for him to do.
“Lady Frankton… Rachel,” he began, putting one hand to his heart and bowing to her. “I have nothing to say to you other than an apology. An apology for what I did in turning my back on you, for refusing to believe you, for stepping away from you when what I should have done was remain by your side, giving you the opportunity to tell me all that had taken place.” He lifted his head and looked back at her. “I did not do that and for that, I am sorry.”
Lady Frankton blinked and then, after a moment, smiled. “Oh, Fairglen,” she said, quietly, “there is nothing that you need to apologise for. I will not pretend that at the time, I was not broken and shamed but as time has gone on, I understand now why you did not even think to question what your mother said she had seen. It was from her lips after all, so why would you doubt it?” Reaching out, she took his hand for a moment but then released it. “I bear you no ill will. I have already forgiven you for what happened because, as I have said, I understand it all.” She smiled at him. “I cannot tell you how glad I am to know that you will soon be wed, that you will soon find the very same happiness as I have with your brother.”
Henry bowed again, unable to find the words to speak for a moment. It was too overwhelming, too astonishing to fully takein. This lady who had dealt with so much, was already willing to set it all aside in order to restore their relationship. It was something he did not deserve but Henry accepted it with a grateful heart.
