Page 55 of A Dream of Redemption
His Grace turned on his heel, his angry footsteps reverberating through Clary’s sore head as the duke stormed from the room.
He collapsed onto his bed. A place that only a few moments ago had given him the greatest bliss imaginable was now like a jail cell.
“What do you think His Grace will do?”
He knew Simon was worried. He had every right to be. Once again he’d put them both in jeopardy, but he could not seem to care. What Clary cared about was that he would never see Helen again. Never see her smile. Never see her eyes light up when she laughed. And never see her look at him as if he were her pot of gold at the end of her rainbow.
How was he to live with that?
Chapter 15
Helen’s skin vibrated from the waves of anger hitting her as they radiated from her brother. He sat beside her in the carriage staring straight ahead as if he could not bear to look at her. She hated that he was so angry with her. She could see him clenching and unclenching his fist. His hand must hurt; she could see blood on his knuckles. She wanted to reach out and take his hand. As a young girl, whenever she’d been afraid, she would slip her hand in his large one and feel safe.
“I’m sorry to have disappointed you,” she uttered on a sob. “It wasn’t Clary’s fault. He tried to make me leave but I…”
“He should have tried harder. He should have left you alone. He should have…” His words trailed away. “Bloody Marisa and her interfering good intentions.”
Tears filled her eyes. This was her fault. Clary had tried to warn her, to tell her that Sebastian would never approve.
An icy coldness seeped through her.What have I done?One thing was sure. She would not allow her actions, or her brother—her family—to hurt Clary.
“Please don’t punish him.” Her brother said nothing. “You have the power to destroy him and he’s already suffered so much in his life. I willingly gave myself to him and if you feel a driving need to punish anyone it should be me.”
Still nothing. Sebastian couldn’t even look at her.
A sob escaped her chest. “I’m sorry if this has made you think of me differently, but I’m still your little sister. I’m also a woman. I’m a woman who found joy in falling in love. I couldn’t help whom I fell in love with. Love doesn’t let you choose it. It captures you and tips your world upside down.” She ended softly, “Please don’t hate me.”
He turned to look at her, tears streaming down his face. “I could never hate you, it’s just—it’s just that I want so much for you. I want you to be happy.”
“Clary makes me so happy I think I might burst with the joy of it. Why is that so wrong?”
Sebastian reached for her hand. “We will have a family meeting and discuss what can be done. Until then I think it best if you stay at home.”
The carriage came to a stop outside the house he owned yet was the only home she knew. She turned to her brother and said with a heavy heart, “I won’t be kept a prisoner. I’m old enough to know my own mind, and I want to marry Clary.”
With that she rushed from the carriage, up the steps, past a worried-looking Beatrice, straight to her room, slamming the door before throwing herself on her bed and letting the tears come.
—
Maitland entered his home with a heavy heart. He loved his wife but sometimes he wished she wasn’t so “modern.” Sebastian was hurting and now so were Helen and Clary.
Marisa came to greet him in the hall, and she must have read his face for she quickly embraced him. “I’m sorry.”
“I hope you are happy. Your meddling has seen a young man’s position and that of his brother put in jeopardy.”
Marisa stepped back out of his embrace. She looked around. “Let’s talk somewhere more private,” and she led him into the drawing room.
He waited for his wife to take a seat before moving to pour himself a drink. He lifted an empty glass in her direction, and she nodded. “I think I need a brandy,” she admitted.
A good Scottish whisky was what he called for.
Handing her a brandy he slumped down beside her on the settee resting his free hand on her thigh and took a long drink of the fiery liquid. “Well, it’s a bloody mess. We found her in his bed. You can imagine Sebastian’s reaction.”
Marisa looked at him in alarm. “Is Clary all right?”
“The lad suffered a broken nose, but he was standing when I left, thanks to Simon and me. It took both of us to pull Sebastian off him.”
“And Helen?”
