Page 46 of A Virgin for the Duke of Depravity
Slowly, he guided her back to the bench. She took a seat and put her head in her hands.
“No, no, no,” she moaned. “Everything I did was for nothing. The years in the convent, the discipline, the rules. He found me. He found me.”
She repeated the words again and again until Leo cupped her face in his hands and forced her to look at him. When she met his eyes, she felt a sense of calm, but could not shake the fear that engulfed her.
How would Leo protect her from her grandfather?
It was impossible. That much she knew for certain.
“I am sorry, Father,” Margaret murmured.
Leo sat on the bench beside her and put a hand on her arm. He gripped her tightly, trying to remind her that he was here, that she was safe with him, no matter where they were.
He no longer cared about propriety or what the others might think of him putting his hand on her arm. He knew that she was terrified of the old man who had just confronted them, but he did not quite understand why.
Leo needed answers if he were to uphold his end of their deal.
“I have failed,” Margaret said, tears leaking from her eyes.
With the back of his hand, he wiped her tears. He moved from sitting beside her on the bench to crouching down in front of her so that his face was the only thing she could see.
“Tell me everything. Now.” His voice was a bark rather than the gentle murmur he had used to try to soothe her earlier.
The shift in his tone seemed to snap Margaret out of the trance she was in.
“My mother fell in love with my father when she was young. They met at a bookstore in London,” she started.
A deep breath shook her body as she shared the story that she had not told anyone for years.
“She was the only daughter of the Earl of Riley, and he would not have approved of the match, so they eloped. Her father never forgave her for bringing shame upon him. For not strengthening his connections through her marriage.”
“Your mother married for love,” Leo said, nodding.
That made sense to him. Her mother was as mischievous and rebellious as she had turned out to be.
“But that does not explain why you are scared of him.”
“The story does not end there.” She paused and took another deep breath. “He came to visit us in Scotland, wanting to meet his grandchildren. But he showed up with a man he wanted me to marry. My father had an inkling of what he planned, so my parents took me to the convent to hide me away. Of course, my mother was angry when her father showed up with the man. She told him that he never loved her and would never come near me.”
“She loved you more than she loved her father,” Leo guessed.
Margaret nodded and bit her lip, trying to hold back the tears pricking her eyes. “He called on her to apologize, and she agreed to have tea with him. He was herfather.”
“I take it the reunion did not go well?”
“She died after their exchange. Before she even left the room.”
“What happened to her?”
“My father found their teacups, but they were both empty. He is convinced that…”
“That your grandfather killed her?” Leo finished, surprised by the sudden turn of events.
He was starting to get a much better idea of why she was so terrified of the Earl, despite how harmless he seemed. He was quite overbearing, certainly. But frightening?
Only if he killed her mother.
“I know it sounds crazy, but…” Margaret trailed off, shaking her head while she thought about what she wanted to say. “Men do many things for money and because of disrespect.”
