Page 13 of Her Cursed Duke
“Did you enjoy the party?” Aria questioned, running a brush through Prudence’s hair.
“I did. It almost feels… odd how much I liked it. Perhaps it is because it had been far too long since I had attended one? The Duke and Marchioness have a lovely home, and they were wonderful hosts. All in all, it made for an entertaining affair.”
“I am glad to hear that. You have dedicated much of yourself to the service of others, and it is good that you were provided with an opportunity to focus on your own enjoyment for once.”
Prudence pursed her lips, trying to give no indication that Aria was somewhat… wrong.
The maid had a point, Prudence loved to help others in need. She was ever in search of something to do, some way to assist, and even at the party she had attended with the intention of making up for lost time, she had somehow found someone else to be of use to.
Prudence could not seem to help herself, ever willing to be helpful.But she did not see it as a bad thing, as long as she was not overstepping in any way. What the Duke… What Aiden had wanted from her was certainly different from the other requests for assistance she had gotten, but she was not opposed to it.
She only hoped it would not cause any sort of trouble for either of them or their families.
There was a knock at Prudence’s door, and Aria glanced down at her before moving to open it, immediately curtsying. “Your Grace, good evening.”
“Evening, Aria. Is my sister still awake?”
Aria stepped aside and gestured to where Prudence was seated. “Yes, Your Grace.”
Agnes walked into the room and smiled at her sister. “I merely wished to check on you before I retired for the night.”
“That was really thoughtful of you, Agnes. I also wondered if you and your husband had settled in just fine before I came in here myself.” Then, Prudence turned to Aria. “You may go. I think I am all set.”
Aria curtsied gracefully. “I will take my leave, then. Good night, my lady, Your Grace.” And then she left the room.
Agnes walked over to Prudence, who had not left the vanity, and picked up the hairbrush, running it through her sister’s hair in gentle strokes.
Agnes used to do that for her sometimes before they were separated. Prudence could never seem to put into words how much peace it gave her, erasing every thought from her mind and letting her simply feel the bristles detangling her long brown curls. It was just another one of the things Agnes had easily picked up and done for her sisters without realizing how much it meant to them.
“I still cannot fully believe you are here. It feels like a dream,” Prudence murmured.
Agnes chuckled softly. “I understand how you feel. But rest assured, it is reality. I am here with you. And very soon, Imogen will be by our side, and we will never have to part again.”
The last three years were by no means bad, but they had been difficult without her sisters. Prudence worried about them, missed them, longed for them, and finally, her loneliness had come to an end.
“Thank you for not giving up on us,” Prudence said quietly, opening her eyes as Agnes put down the brush.
“Whyever would you think that I would?” Agnes asked, looking sad.
Prudence began to squirm, not wanting to upset her sister. “Just… Father had asked a lot of you that day. I know marriage is no picnic, and for a long time, I tried to imagine how things would be for you. Simply waiting for the time to come so you can be attached to a man you had never heard of before that day. I knew that we would be your priority, and that bothered me because I did not want you to condemn yourself to a miserable fate, for our sake.”
“Prudence, darling,” Agnes started, taking her sister’s hand and leading them back to her bed. “I was always going to do whatever it took to reunite with you and Imogen. And I understand your concerns, but please let go of that guilt you feel. None of it was your fault, and I was not forced into that situation because I love you both enough to have willingly done whatever was asked of me.
“And I was fortunate that it was Silas I was required to marry. I cannot say that things would have gone as well as they did had it been a different man, and we did initially get off on the wrong foot, but… for what felt like the first time, I chose to do something nice for myself. I chose to love him, even though it had not been my plan from the start. I chose to accept his love, his care.
“Perhaps that was what Father had hoped for when he arranged our marriage. Perhaps it was fated so. But I have no regrets about doing what I did. And I would not, even if things between Silas and I had not gone so well. But they did, so let us let go of the past and look forward to the future. We have missed so much of each other, so let us not waste any more time thinking badthoughts or harboring poor feelings. Let us make the most of our time together.”
Agnes had always known what to say to comfort Prudence. Even now, Prudence felt her burdens melt away, allowing herself to find joy once more in what mattered—Agnes was here now, and things would be fine henceforth.
“All right Thank you,” Prudence said softly.
“Aw, sweetheart,” Agnes cooed, gently tugging her into an embrace. “Thank you for believing in me. I will always love you and do everything I can to make sure you are happy.”
“I know. But… you can rely on me, too. To bring you happiness. You have always been caring for ours, and I fear we might not have helped you as much as we could have.”
“Do not think that way, Prudence. Your very existence has been a source of joy to me. But if that is what you wish, I will rely on you more.”
Prudence allowed herself to bask in her sister’s embrace, once more hopeful for what their futures held for them.
