Page 12 of Seduced by an Irresistible Lady
She walked straight to her father’s chambers and opened the door. The waiting room was just as empty as it had been the day before. She approached the door of her father’s bedroom and was just about to knock when she heard voices from inside. She couldn’t make out what was being said, but it was her mother and father speaking. Helena knocked.
“Who is there?”
Helena didn’t answer; instead she pushed open the door and went in. Her father was sitting on his bed, wearing only breeches. His eyes didn’t appear tired. In fact, he looked well rested. Her mother was wearing only a sleeping robe. Her slippers lay beside the bed.
She slept here.
“Good morning, Pa, Mother,” Helena greeted.
“Good morning, Helena. Your mother tells me you were here yesterday evening. But I was fast asleep,” the Duke said.
His red hair was brown in the morning light. It was from him she got her hair although his was wiry and sparse now. She felt that occurred as he aged. Helena looked closely at his face. There were permanent frown marks on his cheeks, the creases never left.
Were they any deeper?
She couldn’t ascertain.
“Yes, I was. I wanted to check on you because it has been a long while since I have seen you outside here.
“Well, you can see me now,” he replied.
The Baroness sat down. Her weight made the bed creak as she covered the entire left side of the bed. Helena was reminded that her mother was big.
“I am big, not fat,” the Baroness would always argue. Helena had stopped bringing up the issue.
“I heard you are not feeling well,” Helena said.
Her father’s eyebrows curved, and his lips turned down at the sides. It was obvious he didn’t like the fact that she knew.
“I’ll get better soon,” he replied.
“Your illness is not a problem, Father. You are made from hardy stock. The illness can only keep you in bed. I am worried because you decided to keep it a secret. I’m especially disturbed you decided to keep it away from me. Why would one hide an illness?”
Her father burst out laughing. The hair on his chest danced as his body quaked. His mouth was wide open, showing his even teeth. Helena was not fooled by her father’s laughter. The man was a master showman. She looked at his eyes, and there was no laughter there. The creases remained at the side of his eyes.
“Why would you think that?”
“Father, I know you. I think it would be futile for you to hide things from me, just as you are doing now.”
Helena saw her mother’s gaze drop. Helena walked to her father and sat beside his standing figure. She looked up to his eyes and asked again.
“What is wrong, Father?”
“I don’t want you to worry about me, Helena. You have much of your life to look forward to,” the Duke said.
Helena shook her head and gripped her father’s arm. It was colder than she expected.
“Tell me, Father. You know your daughter has a stronger heart than even the best of men.”
The Duke smiled when she said that.
“I didn’t tell you this because of the current political atmosphere. I know you have a close group of friends. I don’t want this getting out of this bedroom.”
Helena nodded to confirm her secrecy before he continued.
“You are aware that the King and I do not see eye to eye. If this gets out, he might leverage on it and attempt to have me removed.”
Helena nodded her head again. The animosity between her father and the King was not new to her. Her father had been a favourite of the King, but his first son made too many decisions that were selfish and not for the good of the populace. The Baron was an ally of the former king and would support him anytime he chastised his son, before he died. When William ascended the throne, he never forgot his father’s stand against his decisions.
