Page 47 of A Scandalous Love for the Enticing Duke
Agnes sniffed and managed a small smile. “I have lost count of the number of times I have cried since the news of his betrayal reached me. Albeit, it did feel better to cry in your arms.”
Eleanor mirrored her smile, happy that she had been of help. She wanted to see her happy, and she could not dare hope that Agnes would cancel the wedding. No, for in fact, now was the time to go ahead with it. Nicholas was a good man, and if they gave one another the chance, they would be sure to make each other happy. As if Agnes had read her thoughts, she spoke.
“You must know that after giving things a lot of thought, I have decided to cancel the wedding to Nicholas. At first, I was grateful that I had him to fall back upon, but I now know that would not be entirely fair to him. I would need time to heal, to nurse my injuries, to recover from this pain. Until then, I could never give another man my all. If Nicholas is to be my husband, he deserves that.”
Warning bells sounded in Eleanor’s heart. No, her sister could not do that. If she did, then Nicholas would consider himself free to come for her hand. It would be too outrageous! No one would understand, and her truth would be forced out into the open. Frantic, she grabbed her sister’s hands.
“No Agnes! You mustn’t do that. I understand you, in truth. Nevertheless, you cannot cancel the wedding. Of course, if you feel as though you would need the time to heal, then you may request for a postponement, but you cannot let a man like Nicholas go. He may turn out to be just what you need to fully convalesce.”
Why was she really doing this, she wondered? She should be happy, jumping for joy, and giving Agnes a pat on the back for making such a wonderful decision. Who cared what society would say? Her happiness mattered. Yet … another voice whispered in her head. What would that happiness be worth when her sister remained lonely, hurting, and despondent? It would be evil to carry on with her life like Agnes mattered little. She wasn’t evil, so she continued.
“Nicholas, he is a great man. You only need to get to know him. He has this amazing sense of humour that would get you laughing till your ribs hurt. Not to mention, he is so knowledgeable, scholar that he is. He has seen the world through his eye lens and that of his books, and he retells these tales of what he has seen with such vivid imagery that makes you feel as though you were seeing those things through his eyes. He is a gentleman through and through, who adores his parents. He would care for you like he cares for them. I know how drawn you are to wit. Nicholas has no lack for that. Oh, and when he smiles …” she sighed, forgetting herself as she was lost in her daydreams. In her mind’s eyes, she saw him as clearly as she always did. Thunderclouds twinkling as he drew closer to her, teasing her with his words, distracting her with his lips. Which woman in her right senses would not love that man?
“He is simply wonderful, Agnes. Why would you want to let him go when he can make you so happy?”
Her sister was staring at her in awe as she opened her eyes, and she immediately realised that she had given too much. This was confirmed when Agnes spoke.
“Mayhap, the fact that he already makes you happy, would serve as a good enough reason? Goodness! How come I never saw it? You love him!”
Eleanor’s heart broke into a stampede as panic filled her. “Not at all, Agnes. How could I love a man that is promised to you? I was simply attempting to convince you to never let such a good man go.”
“Yet, your eyes twinkled before they closed. Beyond that, I recall quite well that you two have never shared such moments, not to my knowledge. Yet, you speak of him as one who knows him so well. Who has enjoyed his endearing presence on several occasions. Tell me, Eleanor. It is true, isn’t it? You are in love with the future Duke of Yorkshire. It is for this reason that you have been so sad lately.”
This was it, Eleanor knew. She could try to deny it, but the truth would always prevail. Her heart dropped, and her stomach sunk. How would she tell the tale of such betrayal? Now, she was the one who trembled.
“Oh come off it, little pumpkin. You should know that you can tell me this. I of all people would understand, believe me. I would hold nothing against you. Nothing at all. I know how stubborn the heart can be, and I am aware that it has a mind of its own. I cannot blame you for something you had no control over, can I? And even if you did, that would be rather hypocritical of me, seeing as I am guilty too.”
She must have done something good, Eleanor reckoned, to have deserved a wonderful sister such as this. Assured by Agnes’s words, her own climbed up her throat and only waited to be spilled. She did just that.
“I am so sorry, Agnes. But it could not be helped. I loved him before I even realised who he was.” Then she proceeded to tell Agnes everything – at least, the tales she could bear to tell.
As she finished, Agnes who had been so surprisingly understanding through it all, pulled her into her arms and soothed. “Well, there is no way around it now, is there? One miserable soul is more than enough in this household. We mustn’t have one more. You just leave it to me. I will see that you and Nicholas get the happiness you deserve. One of us has got to.”
Eleanor could not believe her ears. The hope she had crushed suddenly lit up and began to burn brightly again. She hugged Agnes tightly for this gift – selfless, pure, and true.
“I declare that you are the best sister anyone in this world could ever hope to have. I shall never hope to repay you for this gift.”
“Good, because you do not owe me, Eleanor.”
Suddenly, her chamber door came open, and Isabelle skipped in, clapping her hands in glee.
Eleanor and Agnes broke apart to regard her, but she said nothing. She simply closed the doors firmly behind her and skipped the rest of the way into the room. As she reached them, she plumped down on the bed and hugged them both.
“What is this, Isabelle? Why are you so happy?” Agnes enquired, voicing Eleanor’s thoughts.
“Oh but why wouldn’t I be? I apologise, but I could not help eavesdropping. Finally! We are headed somewhere. Dear Eleanor, I must congratulate you on your impending marriage to our dear Nicholas. And you Agnes, I must congratulate you too for all is ready at last, and if you would still have Alan, then in two days, you shall be his bride!”
A wave of shock passed through Eleanor and Agnes. Their jaws dropped and again, it was Agnes who spoke.
“What do you speak of? Why would I want to marry a man who never loved me, who only ever had interest in using me as a means to an end?”
Eleanor looked from Agnes to Isabelle who was beside herself with happiness.
“Oh, dear sister! There is so much you must learn. I have been dying to come to you, but for your illness. I came as soon as I returned and received the news that the worse has passed. Not to worry, I shall tell you everything. Only ready your minds to be shocked.”
And so she did; she told them of how she had learned of their dilemmas and sought Benjamin’s help. How they had reached out to Alan and got him to agree to their plans. She told them of Victoria’s subterfuge and how they had managed to recover from that. Benjamin had succeeded in acquiring a special license and in two days, they would leave for a small parish on the outskirts of London, where the lovers would be married, with Regina and Benjamin as their witnesses.
All had been carefully planned out, and when the time was right, Benjamin would come for them with a request to take them for an outing. Then, they would ride over to the parish where Alan, Regina, and the priest would be waiting.
