Page 49 of The Brooding Duke's Fateful Letter
I have to go see her. Surely, there is an explanation. What if there isn’t? What if she did deceive me? Do I even have the right to be offended? After all, I let her think that I could not walk. If she was not Bethany, then all that was needed was to know her name. It is her whom I can trust. She is the woman I love and want to marry, Henry thought as he went searching for her.
Only it was not that simple. He would dishonor his family by not marrying the woman he promised he would. The fact that he loved another served no purpose in an arranged marriage. At best, he could hope to eventually someday feel for this stranger as he did about the woman he loved. To have finally let his walls down and open his heart had been no easy task. He found now, as the walls started to rebuild, that it hurt to do so. He wanted to be who he was when she was with him. Now, he would go back to how he was before.
He walked through the gardens, hoping to quiet his mind. It was his body that became tired, his legs taking longer than he had thought they would, to get used to movement. He knew it was wise to go to bed now. He wondered what good it would do and rather decided to head toward Bethany’s room. The Bethany he knew at least. He knocked on the door the moment he got there, not allowing himself the chance to back away.
He waited for a response, and instead, she opened her door. “Your Grace.”
“I wondered if we could have a word, My Lady?” He said as he tried to sound more formal.
I must do what is expected of me as a duke and the titles I represent as well. I must put duty before what I want. If only she did not look so beautiful right now! He thought as he tried to regain his composure.
“Yes, Your Grace. Of course, please come in,” Charlotte said, stepping aside to let him in. He walked in and stood behind her while she closed the door. He waited for her to turn to him before he spoke.
“My Lady, there seem to be a few issues that have now come to my attention. Least of which, that you are not who you say you are and that you are already promised to another man,” Henry said and tried to remain calm.
“Your Grace, I am most certainly not promised to that man. Though my sister indeed is the one whom you were to marry and not me. It was not my idea. I overheard her and my Father speaking about the letter you had written. She did not want my sister to marry you and insisted I go in her stead. I did not want to, but I am glad that I did. I am glad that I came here and met you,” Charlotte said, rushing.
“I am glad that it was you as well, My Lady. It is just a pity that I can no longer marry you.”
They were the most painful words he had ever had to speak.
“I can not tell you how sorry I am. Can you not find it in your heart to forgive me? It is simply a name,” Charlotte pleaded.
“If you look inside my heart, My Lady. You will find that you are there. This is not just as simple as a name. It is an official agreement that I can not back out of. If I do, then I will disgrace both my family and yours.” He said, the pain in his voice evident.
“Is there no other way?” Charlotte asked.
“Not unless your sister would be willing to marry someone else, my lady,” he replied, hoping there was a chance.
“Not very likely, Your Grace. She enjoys things that hurt me.” Charlotte said in a defeated tone.
“I would rather not be part of hurting you, My Lady. I have my duty, a legacy to uphold. This would have you ostracized from society. I would rather not be the cause of that. I want to take care of you, not make your life unbearable.” Henry said, reaching for her and then dropping his arms to his sides.
It is indecent of me to have called on her in her room, given the current circumstances. I had to see her or doubt would torment me all night. I cannot allow myself to be with her as we were. Not when I have been promised to another. He thought as he looked at her. He took in every detail of her that he could. Furthermore, he would soon not see her and wanted to remember her as clearly as he could.
“What is unbearable is having to be without you, Henry,” she said softly, her teary eyes meeting his.
It was more than he could take.
His body seemed to move on its own. He felt her in his arms before he could think what was happening. Once he felt her mouth against his, all thoughts went away altogether. He allowed himself a brief moment to forget himself. Then, with increasing reluctance, he moved away from her. She held on to his hand. He moved closer and held her hands in his.
She moved closer still. He found that he could not deny her unspoken request. He moved closer, for what he promised himself was their last kiss. He then closed his eyes and tried to commit that one precious moment to memory.
Chapter 19
Charlotte had been a ball of nerves since the arrival of her stepmother and that terrible Lord LeBlanc. She could not believe she had come here with Bethany. Especially since it had been her stepmother’s idea that she had come here in her place!
She had felt such a coward when her stepmother had told her secret. She had said it so easily, while Charlotte had agonized over it for weeks. Furthermore, she had thought she had lost him the moment he had heard of what she had done. Seeing him at her door had been more than she could have wished for.
She knew about duty and how much it influenced how one went through life. She had hoped that, on just one occasion, her happiness would not fall apart at some point. Furthermore, she could forget that this was coming to an end in his arms. Moreover, she could pretend that they were still going to get married and that there were no unwanted guests downstairs. Additionally, she would never forget Henry and would unlikely find someone she loved the way she did him.
I will not be wed to Lord LeBlanc, either! I am not something to be given as payment for a kindness done! Charlotte thought as she returned his kiss.
After a moment, he moved away from her. “What is your name?” He asked.
“What does it matter?” Charlotte replied.
“I need to know the name of my true love. Perhaps your stepmother is lying and your name is something completely different.” It was the words she had been waiting for, given under the most bitter of circumstances. She felt fresh tears dying in her eyes as she felt him gently tilt her chin toward him.
