Page 82 of A Christmas Temptation for the Duke
He sighed and turned slightly in his chair, gazing through the window, across the dark field, and in the direction of Lady Alison’s home.
It was thoughts of her that consumed him. She was who he had wronged most of all. And while Daniel knew that he could not take back what he did, what he hoped was that by leaving and never coming back, Lady Alison might be able to forget him, move on, and find the happiness that she so much deserved.
No one deserved it more, and his only real regret was that he was too much of a coward to face her and tell her how sorry he truly was.
Indeed, for all the bad that Daniel had done in his life, hurting Lady Alison was the worst of it. For that, he would never forgive himself.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“How is everything, dear?” Alison’s mother asked her gently. “The food, is my meaning. Is it… acceptable?”
Alison said nothing as she prodded her fork lamely at her plate. The food was better than fine, a feast unlike any other, and one that on most occasions would have pleased her beyond words. But tonight… she simply did not have an appetite or the care to pretend otherwise.
“If not, I am certain that staff can make something else,” Lord Pemberton added quickly. “Truly, I should have checked with you earlier. Forgive me.”
“I told you that you should have,” Nerissa said. “Did I not say just that before?”
“A rare time that Nerissa has managed to think of someone other than herself,” Felix said. “And in this instance, I cannot help butagree with her. Alison, would you like more wine? I notice your glass is teetering toward empty.”
“Can I have some wine?” Winnie asked.
“Do not be absurd,” Lord Pemberton said.
“I was just asking…”
“Not now, Winnie,” Alison’s mother chastised her. “What did we speak about earlier? Concerning your sister…” She raised an eyebrow at Winnie.
Winnie bowed her head. “I am sorry, I was not thinking. Sorry, Alison,” she added.
“Well?” Felix asked again. As he did, he looked right at Alison with an expression that might have been mistaken for concern. “More wine?”
To that, Alison said nothing. She offered a vague smile but could not bring herself to respond. She did not want more wine. She did not want more food. What she wanted, as ironic as it was to admit, was to be left alone.
“Would you like to skip to dessert?” Lord Pemberton hurried to say. “The kitchen has worked all day to prepare a gorgeous –”
“Do not spoil it, Father!” Nerissa cried. “It is meant to be a surprise.”
“Oh, yes.” Lord Pemberton grimaced. “My mistake, I got carried away.”
“Pretend he said nothing, Alison,” Nerissa said to her. “Just Father, speaking nonsense as usual.”
“Well, this is lovely,” Alison’s mother beamed. “Is it not? All of us together again. My heart is full from it.”
“As is mine,” Lord Pemberton agreed as he took his wife’s hand and smiled at her. “A most perfect evening, I think we can all agree.”
“I am just happy that we are back,” Nerissa added. Then, she reached beside her and took Alison’s hand. “And that you are here, of course.”
“Same here,” Felix agreed from across the table, raising his glass. “These past two weeks were not the same without you.”
“Where is Pickle?” Winnie frowned, looking around the room.
“Never mind the dog,” Alison’s mother said. “It is Alison for whom we should be concerned. Now, Winnie, tell your sister how happy you are to be back with her.”
It had been this way since her family’s return.
Aware that they had done wrong by her, overly eager to make amends, Alison’s family had doted upon her with such enthusiasm and exaggeration that was it not all so false and forced, she might have relished the fact that for once they took the time to notice her and treat her like one of the family.
But it is not real. They do not care as they pretend to. They do not act this way because they love me. They do it to appease their own guilt, as if a few days of treating me as one of their own will make up for a lifetime of being ignored.
