Page 35 of Her Cursed Duke
Agnes was shocked by the coldness in Prudence’s voice, reluctantly releasing her to do as she wished.
Without another word, Prudence entered her room and locked the door behind her. As if they had been waiting until she had some privacy, her knees gave out, and she sank down to the floor, feeling lost and pathetic.
Things had gone so wrong tonight. Not only did she fight with Aiden again, but he had kissed her, too. Why? What did that mean?
Despite the lack of any sort of romance and her general disinterest in it, she was not so naïve to misinterpret the motive behind his action. But the Duke had expressly stated that he could not—did not—want to fall in love ever again. So, why did he kiss her?
Prudence thought back to all the strange things that had been happening lately, especially when she was around Aiden, and gasped in horror, only then realizing that her body had been giving her signs of what was to come. She did not think it was anything to be too deeply concerned about because she genuinely believed that the only thing she could be to Aiden was a friend.
But there were moments when a flash of curiosity had tickled her mind. She had absently wondered what it would be like to be with him—truly be with him. She had let his compliments and attention get to her head. She had begun to think about him far too much. Without realizing it, Aiden had wormed his way beneath her skin, and she had gotten too used to his presence.
And that could not happen. Not only was she meant to leave for London in less than four weeks, but the idea of growing used to yet another person and separating from them terrified her. She did not wish to watch another person walk away from her again, to miss them as though she were missing a vital piece of herself.She had barely managed to convince herself to keep going after Thomas had stopped seeing her.
His words had destroyed her, and she had felt so ashamed, disappointed in herself for not being enough to make him stay. Prudence had never told anyone what happened between them, had never wanted to relive the betrayal and heartbreak. Then, she had barely survived being separated from her sisters and had barely managed to make herself useful without them.
She could not grow dependent on Aiden’s strength, could not develop a fondness for his smile, and she most certainly was not allowed to bask in his attention, no matter how regularly he made a show of flaunting it.
Aiden was not meant for her—maybe not for anyone. He had made that absolutely clear, and she would be a fool to forget that. Prudence could only hope that her heart would listen to reason and come to its senses.
Before it was too late.
“She has not been out the whole day?”
Agnes shook her head, her lips pulled into a frown as she recalled the lack of response she had received when she had gone upstairs to check on Prudence because her sister had not shown up for breakfast.
“I am not sure what could be wrong. She looked fine in the evening, but… I am worried it might be related to her courtship with the Duke,” Agnes said to their grandmother.
Martha hummed thoughtfully, then waved a hand in the air nonchalantly. “I doubt the Duke could pose a point of concern to our Prudence. She is tougher than she looks.”
Fiddling with her cards, Agnes sighed and glanced up at the Dowager Countess. “I do not doubt that for a moment. However, I am aware that Prudence tends to take on too much without any regard for her feelings. She is strong, yes, but she is also very sensitive. In a bid to hide that, she always tries to hold onto all her problems as though they are some nefarious secrets that would destroy her if they were revealed. I was hoping she had outgrown that habit, but…”
When they were children, their father had once said that Prudence had been born with a heart ten sizes too big. She was considerate and thoughtful, without a single shred of selfishness in her. Agnes had been a little like that, too, but hers stemmed from her desire to provide endless love and comfort to her family—her sisters, especially. Whereas it seemed Prudence despised the idea of getting any sort of attention that might reveal a moment of weakness.
It had been little things, at first. Prudence decided to keep quiet about the toy she wanted because Imogen wanted the very same one. Prudence decided not to come forward and speak when Agnes accidentally stepped on a plant Prudence had been growing for months.
Then, it escalated into larger secrets. One time, Prudence had fallen while playing with Imogen and had dismissed her injuries as a small scratch. The next day, her ankle had swollen up to the side of a fist, severely bruised and clearly painful. When she was asked why she did not tell anyone that she had been seriously injured, she said that she had not wished to ruin Imogen’s day, as it was her birthday.
“I am afraid that what happened between us… leading us to be separated only pressured her further to be independent. She worries a lot about the littlest things we might not pay attention to otherwise, and you know better than anyone that those are the things that eat a person up. I do not know what to do when she is like this. I wish to respect her desire for space and let her solve things her own way, but at the same time, I can’t help but fear that I could aid her by stepping in and at least staying by her side while she faces her problems.”
Martha stared at her eldest granddaughter coolly and stated, “You are not her mother, Agnes.”
Agnes sighed wearily. “I know, Grandmother.”
“I am not sure that you do. You are always trying to do everything, all at once, for your sisters. While that is commendable behavior to have as the eldest, you need to come to terms with the fact that you can’t fix everything. You need to let Prudence grow up, dear. I understand that you worry because of how your father separated you, and you feel as though you failed them in that time you spent apart. But it was out of your control.
“There is only so much you could have done, and you have done the most important thing. Your concerns right now should not be to take on the burdens of your sisters, but to let them know that they have grown up, just as you have, in the three years you lived apart. Prudence is a woman who is responsible for the choices she makes. And I know she knows that. And you might not expect it, but she, too, has grown up considerably since she first showed up at my doorstep.
“It is too early to assume the worst. Your sister, much like you, darling, is a smart young woman. She is as stubborn as she is kind and brave. How else do you think we have managed to get along? You need not worry so much. Prudence just needs some time to think about what it is that lingers on her mind, and I expect she will find some way to resolve it sooner or later.”
Martha set down her cards, revealing her hand, which was much higher than Agnes’s.
With a grimace at her fourth consecutive loss, Agnes put her cards down and asked softly, “Do you really think so? That she will be all right.”
Martha smiled at her and nodded. “I do. She is made from the same grit and perseverance you are—perhaps in a different quantity. You need to trust in that. Trust in her and know that if she needs you, she will come to you because she knows how much you love her. Let her live for herself, Agnes. Mistakes and lessons are all part of the handbasket life packs, especially for us. You have sorted through yours. It is her turn now, and I believe she will make the right decision when the time comes.”
Sighing deeply, Agnes felt her worries mellow out to a slightly bothersome hum at the back of her mind, realizing that her grandmother was right. She needed to trust her sister to care for herself the way she had in the last three years.
Martha grinned at Agnes and began to shuffle the deck of cards. “Another round?” she proposed.
