Page 76 of A Duchess to Reclaim

Theo tsked and scowled.

“You mean the man who ripped your heart out and stomped on it?” She retorted.

“The man that gave me my sisters!” Amelia hissed.

“He. Still. Hurt. You. Amelia,” Theo replied, enunciating every word.

No longer able to hold them back, tears began to slip down Amelia’s cheeks. Her friend’s words were as painful as they were true. No matter how numbly she’d told Dominic she understood his needs. It still hurt that she hadn’t been enough to change them.

Theo suddenly grabbed Amelia’s shoulders and pulled her into a tight hug.

“Please do this for me,” she whispered in a pleading tone. “Please, Amelia. Just one last time. I won’t ask you to do this ever again, I swear. But I need this. I need the freedom.”

Amelia pressed her eyes shut as her chin wobbled. Her heart, already in pieces, felt like it was being torn into even smaller bits. Theo needed her. Just as she had needed Theo when Dominic had left right after their wedding. Risky or not, she knew she needed to help her friend.

“Very well,” she whispered into Theo’s ear.

She gently untangled herself from her friend’s grasp, and was grateful that Theo allowed her to do. As she pulled away, Theo let out a huff of a relief and her shoulders sagged.

“You mean it?” She asked, her eyes shining with hope.

Feeling defeated and cornered, Amelia nodded.

“One last time,” she replied, holding up a finger. “And I mean it, Theo. No more. I am so,sosorry for what you are going through, but I cannot let this become a constant. We go. We forget our worries and woes for a few hours. And then we go back to reality because that is what we must do. We must face our lives. Even if we don’t want to.”

“Thank you,” Theo breathed, starting to bounce on her feet. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Amelia only nodded, already feeling as if she made a mistake.

“When are we going?” She asked.

“Can you be in London on Friday?” Theo asked.

Amelia nodded again, her tattered heart sinking further.

Theo gripped her shoulders and pulled her forward, kissing both Amelia’s cheeks.

“You are a true friend, Amelia,” she replied excitedly. “I will owe you forever this.”

“You certainly will,” Amelia retorted, gently pushing her friend away. “Now you best get in the carriage. Rose is no doubt wondering where you’ve gone.”

“I will see you Friday,” Theo replied, taking steps to round the carriage. “Eleven o’clock at our usual place.”

Amelia wiped away her tears as the carriage pulled away, drawing in deep breaths to fight the ache in her chest. Straightening her shoulders, she pulled herself together and began walking toward the steps.

“Pardon, Your Grace,” Jonathan said, walking up to her.

“Yes, what is it?” She asked.

Jonathan nodded toward the gate.

“We searched the premises, but there was no one out there. Are you sure you saw someone?”

Amelia let out a sigh. She’d been so caught off guard by Theo’s words that she’d completely forgotten that she had seen someone…but had she really? She’d been so distracted lately. Perhaps she’d hoped it was Dominic coming back.

She shook her head, wanting now more than ever to go inside and go directly to bed. She was sure Ophelia wouldn’t mind giving her painting lesson to the girls alone.

“Perhaps my eyes were just playing tricks on me, Jonathan. Apologies for sending you on a wild goose chase.”

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