Page 58 of A Wallflower's Convenient Duke
Chapter 25
The weight of separation had become an unbearable burden for Blanche. Unable to endure the ache in her heart a moment longer, she found herself standing before Philip’s manor—unannounced, uncertain, and aching with desperation. The once familiar sight of the grand entrance stirred both hope and dread within her.
She did not know what she was doing here. She knew it might not be wise. But she was lost. And more than anything, she needed to try.
After countless discussions with Penelope—turning the matter over from every angle—Blanche had come to a quiet, resolute truth: life without Philip was unthinkable. However they had been brought together, something real had grown between them. She could not ignore it.
The butler received her with a faint glimmer of recognition and a polite nod. He did not question her presence, merely stepped aside to usher her into the familiar entrance hall. Every step she took echoed with memories—of smiles exchanged on staircases, of evenings spent in quiet conversation. Now the air felt different. Colder. More uncertain.
The manor was no longer her home. She was a guest in the shadow of her own happiness.
She followed the butler’s quiet lead until a figure appeared at the top of the staircase—tall, still as stone, eyes locked on hers.
Philip.
For a moment, time seemed to freeze. Neither of them moved. The silence between them was deafening—louder than any shouted words. It pulsed with everything left unsaid: grief, anger, longing, hope.
The butler, sensing the weight of the moment, bowed discreetly and withdrew, leaving them alone in the vast, echoing space.
Blanche’s breath caught in her throat. Her heart beat so furiously she thought it might echo off the polished walls. She had longed for this moment, dreaded it, rehearsed it endlessly in her mind. And yet, now that it had come, she was speechless. The sight of Philip, unexpectedly and so close, stirred a maelstrom of emotions within her.
Philip, his gaze locked with hers, seemed equally stunned. The silence that hung in the air spoke volumes — a cacophony of unspoken words, regrets, and the palpable ache of separation. It was a moment suspended in time, where the past and present collided in an unexpected encounter.
As they stood there, neither daring to take the first step. The weight of unspoken words pressed upon them, and Blanche felt the vulnerability of the moment intensify.
Summoning every ounce of courage within her, Blanche took a tentative step forward. Her heart, aflutter with apprehension, yearned to bridge the chasm that had grown between them. The weight of unspoken words hung heavy in the air, and with a voice halting with anguish, she began to speak.
“Philip,” she began, voice soft but clear, “thank you for not walking away. I know you must still be hurting, but I’m asking you, please—hear me out.”
He said nothing, merely stared. That was all the invitation she needed to go on.
“I swear to you—I had no part in my mother’s schemes. I didn’t know what she had done until the very moment you found out. I would never... Icouldnever deceive you. Not like that.”
He didn’t respond, but a subtle shift in his posture—his shoulders relaxing just slightly—urged her forward.
“I understand why you were angry,” she said gently. “How could you not be? But I ask you, please—look at me, and ask yourself: does that sound like me? Does that sound like something I would do?”
Her voice trembled with sincerity, her eyes pleading for the truth to be seen.
“I know what we shared was real,” she whispered. “It wasn’t built on scandal. Not truly. It became something else. Something honest. I... I believe in it. I believe inus.”
Philip descended the staircase, slow and deliberate. With each step, Blanche’s heart pounded louder. Was he going to cast her out? Finish what had been broken?
But when he reached the bottom, his hand reached for hers.
Warm. Steady.
Blanche gasped softly at the touch.
“Blanche,” he said at last, voice thick with emotion, “there is no need for further explanations. I was on my way to beg your forgiveness for everything I said that night. I was wrong."
Tears welled in her eyes.
“I’ve come to see it clearly now,” he continued. “I know you weren’t part of your mother’s scheming. And what’s more, Blanche… what I really need to tell you is that I have fallen in love with you."
The words hung in the air, shimmering like the first rays of dawn after a long, dark night.
She stared at him, breathless.
