Page 89 of Trapped with her Cruel Duke

“Why are you here?” Lady Northbridge asked. “It is not even seven o’clock.”

Louise hesitated, not wishing to heap more pain on her mother, but she could not hide the truth forever.

“There was a fire at our home, Mama,” she admitted.

Lady Northbridge’s eyes widened with alarm as her fingers clutched at Louise desperately. “What?Are you all safe?”

“We are. Christian managed to get everyone out. We are safe, but one of the stable boys said he thought he saw Papa running away from the house before it happened. I came here to ensure that it was untrue. He is here, is he not?”

A shadow passed over Lady Northbridge’s face. “No. He left yesterday evening after…” she trailed off, her eye twitching. “I do not know where he is. I had hoped that he would not return,” she whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek.

I have left her here, alone with him.The only company she has now is a man who beats her.

“Let me find a maid, Mama, and bring some water to you.”

“No!” Lady Northbridge said desperately. “I do not want the servants to know.”

“I will find Jenny, my old maid. She will not say a word. You are hurt. I cannot leave you like this.”

Lady Northbridge’s gaze was still fearful, but eventually, she nodded.

Louise rose, moved quietly to the door, and opened it slowly. She knew that Jenny would be somewhere in the house—it was just a matter of finding her.

After unsuccessfully searching the rooms on the ground floor, she went upstairs and found her in one of the bedrooms, folding away a number of gowns in a drawer.

“Jenny,” she whispered from the doorway.

The maid whirled around, staring at her in astonishment. “Lady Louise!” she exclaimed, smiling happily as she rose and smoothed down her skirts. “I mean,Your Grace,” she corrected quickly. “I did not know you had returned.”

“I am here to see my mother,” Louise said softly as they moved out into the corridor. “Can you please bring warm water and a cloth to the parlor? Do not speak to anyone if you can avoid it. This must be done with the utmost discretion.”

Jenny frowned, but then she wiped her hands on her apron and nodded. “At once, Your Grace,” she said, before bobbing a curtsy and hurrying away.

Louise took in the long hallway before her. She had once run down it as a young girl, but she no longer felt any affection for her old home. All she experienced now was a sense of loss that she was not in herrealhome with Christian.

She went back downstairs as quickly as she could, hiding from some passing servants in a side room before returning to her mother. As she reached the ground floor, however, she heard a man’s voice in the parlor. Her heart leaped to her throat.

She burst inside, terrified that her father had returned to hurt her mother again, and froze almost immediately, staring at the scene before her in shock.

Marcus was standing in the room, his arms wrapped around her mother, who was holding him tightly. As Louise entered, they sprang apart, and Marcus paled when he saw her.

She hurriedly shut the door and leaned against it, trying to make sense of what she had just witnessed.

“Louise…” her mother said weakly. “I can explain.”

“What is the meaning of this?” Louise asked, looking to Marcus for an explanation.

She did not know what she had expected from him, but the defiance in his gaze was something new. Without hesitation, he took her mother’s hand and drew her to him even as she gasped and tried to pull away.

“I am not leaving her here with that man any longer,” he declared sternly. “I am sorry, Louise. I know I should have told you sooner, but I did not know where to begin.”

Louise was speechless, her wide eyes darting between the two of them.

“Mama?” she prompted, her voice low and confused.

“I am sorry, dearest,” Lady Northbridge breathed. “I have never intended for this to happen. But Marcus and I… it was not something I could escape. I always thought my life had ended, and I was happy because at least I had you, but then… This is not something I can give up. I do not want to. I really hope you’ll find it in your heart to forgive me, Louise.”

Marcus pulled her closer to him, their fingers entwined.

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