Page 100 of The Duke's Unclaimed Bride
“Do you want Miss Tilly to have a cruel, cold, distant father?”
“That…” Laurence stammered. “That’s not…”
“That is exactly what you are doing,” James said. “I do not know what has gotten into you, but you are hurting those two women very deeply in many ways. If you ever want them to have a stable, loving home, then you need to repair the damage you have caused.”
“But what if by doing that, I hurt them in worse ways?” Laurence asked defiantly.
“What if you don’t?”
Laurence blinked. Every time he thought of the future, he could only see the ways in which he hurt the people he loved.
“I…”
“You have two options, Your Grace,” James said. “You can either keep hurting them, as you are doing now, or you can repair the damage and make amends so you don’t hurt them again.”
Silence stretched between them. Laurence looked away, unable to come to terms with what James had said.
“Do not meddle in my life, Mallowby.”
“I will meddle as much as I need to.”
“Mallowby,” Laurence hissed. “You are making it rather difficult for us to stay friends.”
“Who else do you have, Your Grace?”
“See here, Mallowby?—”
“You’ve been running from ghosts for years, Your Grace. Your outburst at your wife’s event showed that you’re still running. One day, you may find that you have no one to run back to,” James warned as he stood up.
“Out!” Laurence shouted.
James looked at him defiantly and then sighed. “Fine,” he said, marching out of the room.
As he approached the front door, he glanced back at Laurence before walking out.
Laurence groaned and sank down into a chair. He hated to admit it, but James was right. He often was in ways that Laurence didn’t like to contemplate.
He threw his arm over his eyes, too fatigued to even tolerate daylight.
Would the day come when he also pushed James away?
CHAPTER 19
Ava and Christian had done a wonderful job of welcoming Edith and Tilly into the estate.
Tilly was distracted most days, playing with Luke and Anthony. She really did like helping children, and Luke had taken a shine to her.
Pudding was also an adorable distraction, but he spent more time with Edith. Whenever she needed a quiet moment to herself, Pudding would find her. She didn’t need to worry about crying around a cat, and he was content to sit and purr on her lap.
Every morning, Edith would come downstairs to breakfast and find Tilly, Anthony, and Luke already there with Ava and Christian. They would eat, and then the children would go to play. Ava and Edith would often be the last to leave, talking in hushed tones. Ava would check on Edith, and Edith would ask about how Ava’s pregnancy was progressing.
On the fourth day after she and Tilly had arrived, Edith noticed that Tilly was late getting up. Usually, she was practically racing Anthony downstairs. Today, she was down after breakfast had already been served. Edith and Ava both noticed, sharing a look. Tilly ate with little enthusiasm, listlessly pushing around the food on her plate.
“Tilly, how are you feeling?” Edith asked.
Tilly paused and looked up at her. “I’m all right, Your Grace.”
Edith frowned, unconvinced. The little girl looked tired, with dark circles under her eyes, and her skin was pale. Edith couldn’t be sure, but she thought she also saw some perspiration on Tilly’s forehead.
