Page 71 of Her Cursed Duke
“I can’t wait to see Imogen.”
Prudence pulled away from the window and turned to Agnes, too slow to plaster on a smile to pretend that all was well.
Agnes didn’t mind, bless her heart, continuing to speak. “I wonder how much she has changed since we last saw her. Our little Sunshine Princess. I bet she’s managed to charm everyone around her like the wonderful person she is. She’ll be so excited to see us—I can practically hear her screaming already.”
Prudence shared the same sentiment but lacked the will to say so, far too emotionally drained to share her sister’s enthusiasm. In fact, seeing Agnes try so hard to distract her made her heart twinge, ashamed that she had not only caused so many problems for her grandmother and Aiden’s godmother but had obviously disappointed her sister as well.
“Prudence,” Agnes said suddenly, smiling a little when Prudence refocused her attention on her. “It’ll be all right. You’re not alone, not this time. I am here, and soon, we’ll have Imogen with us. We’ll help you heal, no matter what it takes. All right?”
Not for the first time that day, Prudence felt thankful for her sister. Agnes hadn’t asked her for an explanation, hadn’t made a scene, or tried to get an answer from Aiden. She had instead tried to put some distance between Prudence and the source of her hurt, opting to put her sister’s needs first, above all else.
There has never been a moment when Prudence had felt as loved as she did then. “All right,” she murmured, managing to muster a small smile of her own.
Agnes nodded in determination. She then turned to her husband, but as she opened her mouth, they heard thunder echoing through the sky.
“What on earth—” Silas peered out the window, shocked to find dark clouds quickly gathering in the sky.
“It was so bright and clear moments ago!” Agnes protested in dismay.
“That’s a summer storm for you, popping up without warning. We’ll have to slow down for a bit until it passes.”
Agnes groaned, accepting his little pats and chaste kisses of reassurance. At the same time, Prudence shifted her gaze back to the window just in time to watch the first drops of rain pelt the ground below them.
The rain came with a refreshing breeze that made it easier for Prudence to breathe. She always had a fondness for rainy days, and while the weather was a current blight on their plans, she couldn’t deny it wasn’t washing away some of the tension in her bones.
The carriage stopped suddenly, and she turned to her sister, noting that they likely had the same confused looks on theirfaces. Silas reached out to open the carriage door, but the coachman beat him to it, looking at them with a nervous expression.
“My apologies, Your Grace. There is someone standing in our way.”
Silas blinked. “I beg your pardon? Did you just say that someone was standing in our way?”
Prudence’s heart skipped a beat, the treacherous little thing.
No… It can’t be.
“See for yourself, Your Grace.” The coachman pointed ahead.
Silas leaned out of the carriage, surprised to find a man on a horse standing a few feet ahead of them.He glanced back at the ladies and then called out, “Excuse me? Sir? Can we help you?”
“I want to speak to Prudence!” the voice called back, just as loud.
Prudence couldn’t believe it. It was reallyhim.
“Is that—”
“The Duke of Serpenhood? He’s got a lot of nerve—” Agnes stopped mid-sentence to lean her head out of the carriagewindow, not caring about the rain. “Are you out of your mind? Get out of the way!”
“Not until I talk to Prudence!”
“That rude, and crazy!” Agnes whipped around to face her sister. “Do you wish to speak to him?”
Although Prudence yearned for him, the wounds from that morning were still fresh, and she didn’t want to risk getting hurt again if nothing was going to change.“N-No, I don’t.”
Agnes nodded and stuck her head back out again. “She doesn’t want to talk to you. Bugger off!”
“Prudence, I’m sorry! For everything! I was—I was a fool. I shouldn’t have gotten you involved in my situation like that. Orchestrating a sham courtship was one thing, but taking advantage of your kindness was another. I am sorry I let things get this far. Even more so, I am so sorry for what I said to you this morning. I meant none of it! I was just… scared. I’ve never wanted anything or anyone before. And with you, it is as though my entire being is alight with want.
“But I don’t know how to reach for the things I yearn for. I don’t think I’m worthy, and I was scared that being with me would hurt you. I’m still scared, to be honest. But I don’t want that to keep me from the best thing that ever happened to me. If… If you give me another chance, I promise I’ll work on being less afraid and more honest about how I feel.I want to court you—for real, this time. I was too blind and stupid to see that you were the veryfirst person to see me as just another person rather than a cursed duke. And you loved me just as I am. So… Please, Prudence.”
