Page 73 of The Undesirable Duke
“I made a mistake.”
“That is odd. You are quite proficient on the pianoforte,” he pointed out. “Particularly this melody.”
“I am. I do not know what has happened to me,” she sighed.
That statement was not really true - she was aware of what was the matter. Her heart was broken, which led to her poor performance with the keys. The once-loved melody filled with happiness and hope for the future was now nothing more than a sad reminder of what she had lost.
“Why do you not try again?” he suggested.
Lillian turned herself around on the bench and stared at her brother.
“I wish to know something.”
Timothy did not tear his gaze away from the book in his hand but still replied.
“You always wish to know something, sister. It has been that way since the moment that you were able to speak. You have the most inquisitive mind of anyone I have ever met.”
“While normally I would take that as a compliment, I am not certain whether that is a good trait to have.”
Timothy’s interest was piqued, and he gazed at Lillian.
“Why would you say that?”
“I feel as though my inquisitive mind has placed me in the predicament I am in now, with no way to escape.”
“Tell me what you wish to know, Lillian.”
“Has the Duke left London yet?”
“I would think so, yes. It is a long journey back to Cornwall, and the earlier the departure, the better.”
Lillian’s shoulders slumped.
“I did not get the opportunity to say goodbye to him, or to thank him for…”
Her voice trailed off and she was overwhelmed with sadness. She sniffed and wiped under her eyes.
“My apologies, brother. It would appear that my eyes still have tears in them, even though I was under the impression that I had no more tears left to cry.”
Timothy closed the book and set it on the table beside him then leaned forward.
“I am sorry, Lillian. Seeing you this way brings me much sadness. It was never my intention to hurt you.”
“It was not you who hurt me, Timothy. And while I understand Mother’s reasoning for keeping me in the house to prevent any other scandal, it is very unfair. There is a chance that I might never get to see the Duke ever again, and it hurts me immensely.”
“It is clear that it does, sister.”
“I wish that there was something I could do to convince Mother that he is not a bad man.”
“You have done what you could, Lillian. I had hoped for a better outcome than the one we received, but it is not always in the cards.”
“Nothing I wish is ever in the cards. Now Mother will marry me off to the next eligible gentleman who walks through the door, and I will be forced to live my life pining for the one man who filled me with excitement at the prospect of marriage.”
“You felt that when you were with Yarmouth?” Timothy asked with a furrowed brow.
“Indeed. I had never felt anything like it before. It was powerful but gentle enough to ease my worries. He was wonderful, Timothy, and while I am well aware that he is your friend, and possibly out of my reach, that is how he made me feel and I cannot deny that. Nor will I.”
“I was not fully aware of the depth of your feelings for Yarmouth. I knew that you were fond of him, but I did not think that there were thoughts of marriage.”
