Page 6 of The Dark Duke's Virgin

“No!” she cried. “No more warnings. I have greatly enjoyed teaching your daughter, Your Grace. It has been a dream. But you…” She was shaking still, anger boiling inside of her. “You have turned that dream into a waking nightmare from which there is but one escape.”

“Miss Wanton!” Isabella cried. “Please don’t!”

“I am sorry.” She stood suddenly and quickly. “But I am afraid that I must tender my resignation, starting immediately.”

“No!”

“Isabella…” She looked at Isabella, expression pained. “I am so sorry, dear. Truly, I am. This is not you.” A glare next for Frederick. “It is him!’

Frederick could scarcely believe his ears! Miss Wanton was quitting on her own accord? She was doing herself what he had come here to do in the first place? He might have laughed at the absurdity, were it not for the look of pain on his daughter’s face.

“Good day.” And with that, Miss Wanton stormed from the drawing room.

“Miss Wanton!” Isabella cried after her. “Please do not go! Please! Father!” She grabbed a hold of Frederick’s arm. “Stop her! Say something!”

“You heard her…” Frederick’s lip curled as he looked in the direction that Miss Wanton had vanished. “She quit on her own accord. There is little that I can do.”

“You can!” Isabella begged. “This is your fault! If you had not been so—” She caught her tongue, eyes going wide.

“So, what, Isabella?” he said warningly.

“So mean!” she stamped her foot. “You scared her! You scared all of them! That is why they always leave!”

“Careful, Isabella,” he warned her. “I am sad to see Miss Wanton leave, but she did so at her own behest.”

“She did so because of you!” she screamed now. “And you are not sad! You wanted her gone! You did! I know you did!”

“That simply isn’t true,” he said, doing his best to hide the lie. “I gave her a second chance, and she threw it in my face.”

“I hate you!” Isabella screamed. “I wish… I wish… I wish mother was here! I wish it was she who was here and not you!” Tears streamed down her swollen cheeks, and she cast her father with a final, heartbreaking glare before sprinting from the room.

Even when he tried to do the right thing, it still blew up in his face.

Frederick might have gone after her if he had thought it would make a difference, but he knew his daughter well enough to know that all she needed was some time to cool down. She would get over it. She always did. But that was not the point. Every time this happened, he felt her pulling away such that one day, she might not forgive him at all. Worse, when that happened, he would not be able to blame her.

The life of a duke. One of privilege yet also one of expectation. One day, he hoped that his daughter would come to understand that all he did was for her. One day, he hoped that they might look back at moments like this and laugh… assuming that she had not cast him from her life by then.

“Your Grace?” a stern voice spoke from the door.

Frederick looked up and saw who it was. “What is it, Mr. White? I am afraid I am not in the mood.”

“It is somewhat urgent, Your Grace.” Mr. White was the head butler of the Dukedom of Thornton; well over eighty years old, he had served Frederick’s father before his death also. “A letter came for you just now.” He showed Frederick the letter.

“A letter?” Frederick sighed. “Leave it in my study, I shall read it later.” He felt rotten, and all he wanted to do was go for a ride, so he might be alone to think. “Oh, and send out for a new governess, will you? We shall be needing one.”

“The letter, Your Grace.” He waved the letter again. “I took the liberty of reading it once I noticed who it was from.” Only Mr. White could get away with such an act.

“And?” Frederick asked, noticing the look on Mr. White’s face, one he could not quite discern.

“It is from your grandmother, the Dowager Thornton. It seems that her estate in Linfield has burned down.”

His eyes went wide. “What? When? Is she all right? Did she say?—”

“She is quite all right, Your Grace,” Mr. White hurried to assure him. “As are the staff. However, seeing as her home is currently a pile of burnt rubble, she has requested that she might come here and stay for a few weeks until a new residence can be found.”

“Requested?” Frederick raised an eyebrow at Mr. White.

Mr. White grinned. “More a warning that she is on her way.”

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