Page 59 of The Undesirable Duke
“Indeed.”
And, as more memories of his time at Oxford, and Lord William Beaumont surfaced, Samuel recalled that he and Beaumont were not friends and even had an entirely forgettable spat about a rumor. Surely Lord Beaumont, nee Bertram could be involved in ruining his reputation? No, it was too insignificant and happened too long ago to matter to anyone.
Chapter Eighteen
Atear rolled down Lillian’s cheek, and her heart ached in her chest. It had been only a short while since her brother arrived back from the Duke’s home and handed her a letter addressed to her. The Duke had explained that he was to leave London and return to Cornwall in two days time, as he did not wish to cause any more damage to her reputation. He wished them not to have any contact, and he apologized for all of the damage and discord that he had caused.
But that was not good enough for Lillian.
She wished that he would reconsider all of the things he had said, but he had made himself very clear in his letter. How could he do such a terrible thing to her? After everything they had been through, the lovely moments they had shared, how he had made her laugh, and how they had danced together. How could he simply decide to leave and wish to have nothing to do with her any longer? That was not at all what she had expected when Timothy handed her the letter from the Duke.
Admittedly, she had hoped that it was a declaration of love and possibly a proposal, a swift marriage at Gretna Green, followed by a journey to Cornwall to the Duke’s estate as his wife. She had hoped that they would leave London togetherand that she would not have to concern herself with a ruined reputation.
But it certainly had not turned out the way she had hoped.
At that moment, she felt like nothing mattered any longer, and the hope of a wonderful life was beyond her reach. She would now have to marry Lord Bertram and stare at his face for the rest of her life while carrying the memories of the Duke in her heart.
Lillian was aware that her thoughts were rather theatrical, but she could not stop herself. Her feelings had been hurt, and she felt rather hopeless. She drew in a deep breath and ran her fingers through her hair.
She turned her attention back to the letter on her lap and stared blankly at it. The words swirled as her eyes filled with tears, and one tear ran down her cheek. Her heart was shattered, and now there was nothing she could do to stop her mother from marrying her off to Lord Bertram.
A soft knock came from the door of her bedchamber, and she wiped her tears away.
“Leave me be.”
“It is me, sister. Do you have a moment?”
“I wish to be left alone, please.”
After a pause, Timothy spoke once more.
“Please, sister. I must speak with you. It is important.”
Lillian sighed and folded the letter, as she had been staring at the Duke’s words for much too long. She rose from the chaise in front of the window and approached the door. As she caught her reflection in the mirror, she paused for a moment.
She was dressed in her nightrail, and her hair tumbled down over her shoulders. In fact, she had spent the majority of the evening in her nightrail and wrap. Her face was pale, and her eyes drawn. Her maid had ensured that she was provided with dinner, but she had barely touched it. After Timothyhad delivered the letter to her, she had locked her door and pretended not to hear the previous knocks from her concerned brother.
But the loneliness had crept into her heart sooner than she had expected it to, and she craved interaction, even if it was from the one who had delivered the heartbreaking letter to her.
“Lillian?”
Lillian was pulled from her thoughtful state, and she turned away from the mirror. She unlocked and opened the door.
“What is it?”
“May we talk?”
“I have nothing to say,” she stated simply.
“That may be true, but I do.”
“I do not wish to hear it,” she shrugged her shoulders.
“The Duke asked me to give you a message. Please. I do not wish to speak in the hallway.”
Realizing that Timothy had a point, she stepped aside and allowed him entry to her bedchamber. She closed the door, locking it behind her, and crossed her arms.
“I am sorry that things turned out this way. I do not enjoy seeing you in the state you are in.”
