Page 64 of A Deal with the Broken Duke
“Well, what’s difficult?” He sat down opposite her, reached over and took the handkerchief she was embroidering away so that she was forced to look at him instead. “Is it something about Harry?”
“How did you know that?”
“It wasn’t hard to guess. Your courtship is the biggest thing happening in your life right now, after all.”
“I don’t think it will be happening for much longer,” Juliet murmured.
“Why not? Are you thinking of ending things?”
“No. But I think he is.”
“He hasn’t said anything like that to me,” Daniel said. “And I do think he would tell me.”
“Perhaps. But maybe he wouldn’t, Daniel. We can’t be sure of that. I wish I could say that I knew what was going to happen. That’s all. I just want to know.”
“Would you like me to speak to him?”
“I’d be too embarrassed.”
“What makes you think he’s going to end the courtship?”
She bit her lip. “What can you tell me about his fiancée?”
“Lady Susan? There’s not very much to tell, really. She was a good and kind lady, and everyone was sad to see her life cut short.”
“Did you know her at all?”
“Yes, I knew her,” Daniel replied. “I liked her.” He sighed. “It was tragic what happened to her.”
“She had a lung disease, didn’t she?”
“Yes, just like Harry’s mother. It destroyed him when she died.”
“Was he in love with her?”
Daniel hesitated. “He was very fond of her,” he said eventually. “He told her he loved her, but I don’t think he did. Not really. I think he wanted to because he knew that was what his father wanted for him. And I think he liked her enough that he wanted to do what he could to make her happy in their betrothal. But no, I don’t think he was in love with her.”
“Why was he so destroyed by her death?” Juliet asked. “I understand that it was very sad, but the way you talk about it, the way everyone talks about it—”
“Who else talks about it?” Daniel asked.
“Just some of the other young ladies I’ve met,” Juliet hedged. “And they all act as if he was so torn apart by what happened that he never recovered. Some of them say he went mad.”
“He didn’t go mad,” Daniel scoffed. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Then why does anyone say that?”
Daniel closed his eyes for a moment. “I shouldn’t tell you.”
“You shouldn’t tell me what?”
Juliet hadn’t expected there to be something to tell. She’d thought Daniel would be as confused by all this as she was.
“Well… all right.” Daniel sighed. “Perhaps you have a right to know. But you must listen to the whole story before you come to any conclusions about what any of it means. Can you promise me that?”
“Of course.” Juliet was itching for answers. “I’ll listen to all of it, Daniel. Please tell me what you know.”
“Do you remember when Harry’s mother died? We were out in the country, and he came to our house to tell me what had happened.”
