Page 79 of Her Sinful Duke

Vanessa swallowed heavily, eyeing everyone in the room. “Lies!” she repeated. “How could one ever believe something so horrible?”

“Because it is the truth,” Ciara interfered. “I saw Penelope with my own eyes, locked in a cell in St. Catherine’s Nunnery.”

“She and James saved me,” Penelope clarified. “Without them, I would be lost there forever… all because of you.”

For the first time in her life, Penelope saw her sister completely speechless, without any argument to her supposed innocence.

“Don’t you know that silence speaks as much as words do sometimes, Father?” Adeline suddenly interfered, standing up. Her soft melodious voice was louder now, emboldened by the truth she also wished to share with everyone. “When I tried to tell you what happened, you didn’t believe me. Vanessa convinced you that I was lying, that the servant girl didn’t see it right. She has been lying to you our entire lives, and you always took her side… always. Never mine or Penelope’s.”

Penelope realized only then, her heart beating inside her throat, almost suffocating her. “Now I understand why he didn’t believe you, Adeline. Because… he knew.”

“Father?” Adeline exclaimed. “You knew?”

The earl frowned. “Of course I knew. Just like I knew that Penelope could never be a good wife. She has been a troubled child always. How could such a girl ever become a good wife?”

Penelope exchanged a meaningful glance with her younger sister, resisting the urge to smile. Her heart was full. She had finally stood up to them, and it was all because of James and Adeline. And Ciara. They proved to her that shewasworthy of being loved.

“I was supposed to marry the duke!” Vanessa shouted, finally past the point of restraint. Her face was flushed with pent-up emotion as she rose from her seat, her voice trembling with anger. “Not Penelope! She stole my happiness, and I want it back!”

But Vanessa wasn’t finished. She turned to her parents, her voice rising in desperation. “You all know it’s true! I was the one who was supposed to be with James. Penelope took everything from me. How is that fair?”

Everyone was stunned into silence. Everyone, but James.

“Finally, the truth is out,” he said calmly, still holding Penelope’s hand. “You are no longer welcome in our household. In fact, we do not wish to have any relations with you whatsoever. You are forbidden from stepping foot near Penelope ever again.”

“But you have to understand, Your Grace, we only had your best intentions in mind,” the earl spoke urging for compassion. Penelope could not believe that he had the nerve to say something like that, after everything. “Vanessa is?—”

“That is enough!” Penelope exclaimed loudly, allowing her anger to completely take over her. “I will hear no more talk of Vanessa or how I was a bad child! You, Father, were the bad parent! You and Mother! You never loved me the way parents ought to love their child, choosing one over the other, becoming blind to the fact that Vanessa had tried to elope with some man, but then changed her mind and decided to come back. That is who your precious Vanessa really is!”

“Vanessa… is this true?” the earl gasped, reddened in the face.

“Father, I…” Vanessa started but she had nothing to say to finish her sentence.

“You are no longer my family,” Penelope said. “I never want to see you again.”

Her father was the first one to stand up.

“I will not take any more of these insults,” he said and James let out a low growl which made her father’s scowl disappear.

The whole family stood up after him, then Penelope walked over to Adeline, taking her by the hand.

“Not you, dear, Adeline,” she said. “You will stay with us… of course, if you want to.” She turned to James, realizing that she had not spoken to him about this. The suggestion came naturally, but she knew that just like there was room under their roof for Ciara, they would always be room for Adeline. As if he were able to read her mind, James nodded with a smile.

Adeline looked at her parents then at Vanessa. Penelope knew that this was a difficult moment for her. She had never been treated as well as Vanessa, but at the same time, she had never been treated as badly as Penelope. She was somewhere in the middle, her mother’s child, but as a child, somehow… often forgotten while Vanessa and Penelope were the two extremes, the good and the bad.

Finally, Adeline nodded. “I would like to stay here, please.”

Penelope smiled. She stood by her sister’s side, silently watching the rest of her family follow each other towards the exit. When they left, Penelope turned to Adeline.

“What you’ve done for me, Adeline… it means the world to me,” Penelope gushed, still holding her sister’s hand.

“I didn’t want them to hurt you, Penelope,” Adeline revealed. “I had to do something. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you or if I never saw you again.”

“You will stay with us from now on,” Penelope assured her. “You will be loved and supported here, believe me.”

Adeline turned to James, who smiled and nodded in confirmation. Then, she locked eyes with Penelope once again.

“I don’t know what to say,” Adeline said, her voice trembling. “I appreciate your kindness more than I could say. I… I’ve seen the way Mother and Father have been treating you, and I just couldn’t stand by and watch it happen. I am so sorry that I didn’t react before.”

---