Page 5 of The Duke's Tempting Widow
Furthermore, she wished to keep herself and her little family in their own home and not one of father’s other estates. He had not yet voiced such desires to send her there, but no doubt it was coming. Already, she was dreading the conversation that they were going to have over dinner.
“My husband had no brothers, and I have to hope that finding an heir will be difficult. We could have weeks before the solicitor finds anyone. Even then, if they are anything like Jacob then they should be honorable enough to allow us all to continue to live there.” Lydia continued, patting her sister’s hand in hopes that the gesture would bring her some semblance of comfort.
As if on cue, her father’s housekeeper entered the room to make an announcement. The solicitor had arrived, led into the drawing room moments after the announcement and accompanied by their father.
Something constricted in Lydia’s throat as nerves bubbled in her stomach. The older man stood behind the solicitor with narrowed eyes. No doubt he had demanded to read the letter clutched in the solicitor’s hands and had been denied. Under other circumstances, Lydia might have gloated about such a thing.
Instead, she somberly extended her hand for the letter.
When she read the contents, she wished that she had not.
Fury gripped her entire body so tightly that she nearly felt smothered by the anger. She crumpled the letter in her fist, and slammed it straight down on the table, causing everybody in the room to jump.
“Thatbastard!”
Chapter 2
“Lydia!” her father shouted in astonished outrage.
Behind her, Kitty gasped in shock as she covered her mouth with her hands. Even the solicitor gaped at her as he had likely never heard such language from a woman before. It was a word that Lydia liked to think to herself, but never out loud. Certainly not around mixed company. And yet no other sentiment could possibly be fitting.
Lydia could not stop re-reading the document. Just how old was the paper in her hands? It must have been written well before they got married for both her and her daughter to have been so wholly excluded. As there had been no other updates, it appeared that everything was going to be left to the default letter of the law. Which left Lydia with little to no control over the future that lay before her.
Her father surged forward and snatched the letter out of her hand, quickly smoothing it out and skimming through the contents. “Ah, so the man had some sense after all. Good.” he said smugly before bowing his head to the solicitor. “If this is the entirety of the will, then you are free to go.”
“Yes, ah, well… should you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me at the office.” The solicitor said warily as he extended his calling card out to father who happily accepted it.
“I think that the document is very straight forward! I am happy to see it!” her father hummed to himself.
“What does it say, Father?” Kitty whispered.
Her father whipped around to face her, and Kitty flinched away from the direct attention and attempted to half step behind her sister so that she could not be fully seen.
“It states that Lydia’s husband was not such a weak chinned man after all. I feared that he would do something reckless like leave the property to your sister or fail to name a proper guardian for his daughters. I can see that I was wrong about him. I could not have been more pleased.
Children should not be left to only women to raise. While it is womanly work, they need a strong influence in their lives. You see, you two could not possibly ensure the girl’s safety or future matches. Women just are not suited for such tasks. Far better that this Duke of Somerfield gentleman is going to handle things.”
Their father rocked back and forth from the balls of his feet to his heels. He whistled a soft, jaunty tune as he left the room.
Lydia could hardly see clearly for the rage that was filling her head with smoke.
“Sister?” Kitty’s soft voice seemed to echo around the room as she reached forward and pulled softly on the skirt of Lydia’s dress. They were only three years apart in age, but Kitty always seemed to feel so much younger than herself. She did not wish to explode in her fit of anger around her sister. She did not wish to frighten her.
Lydia bit down on her bottom lip and willed herself to settle down. The girls were napping in their rooms under the care of their governess.
“I think that I need a bit of fresh air.” Lydia said through her clenched teeth. Things at the house should be fine while she stepped outside for a moment or two. That was most important.
“I shall come with you.” Kitty offered.
“You do not need to trouble yourself.” Lydia dismissed her sister’s words and headed for the grand staircase. It was not as if she did not value her sister’s company; she only meant toshield her. Though, she was also wholly unsurprised when Kitty stepped up beside her and linked their arms together.
Emotion welled in her chest as they strode quickly to the back door and over the terrace. If she so much as exhaled too strongly then she was going to fall to pieces and she could not do it where father might see. Her pride simply would not allow it.
There was a large oak tree to the side of their property that the pair of them used to hide behind in their youth. It was the perfect spot for reading or a light picnic to enjoy the afternoon sun. Today it would be a place that allowed her to vent her frustrations into the air.
The moment that they were safely concealed, Lydia picked up a wadded bunch of her skirts into her hands and screamed into the fabric as loudly and as long as she could. She screamed until her lungs hurt and her chest ached. Her breath came in quick, frantic gulps as she lowered herself down into the leaves collected by the base of the tree. Only then did Kitty come to kneel in front of her.
“What did the letter say?” She asked timidly.
