Page 56 of A Dream of Redemption
Maitland gave her angry look. “What do you expect? Sebastian led her from the house in tears. I told you this would not end well but you had to meddle.”
“I didn’t meddle.”
“You might think you didn’t, but you led Clary to believe he stood a chance to court Helen. You may not give a toss about what society thinks of you, but that’s because you have the title of duchess in front of your name. That will not be the case for Clary. If Helen marries beneath her, and society finds out about Clary’s true past, they will be ostracized. Do you actually understand what that means?”
“She will have us. And over the years society will forget, move on to some other scandal.”
He leaned his head against the back of the settee and closed his eyes. What a mess. He didn’t see any way out of it that would not destroy Helen. “If they marry, the children we have claimed as our own, and your brother’s children, cannot be seen in their home for they will be tainted by association.”
“I will not stand for that.”
He squeezed Marisa’s thigh. “We cannot openly support them. I am a duke who will have no heirs. But I can leave my fortune to the children we have taken in and called our own. I have to be fair to them, protect them. To be supported in society they will need to have a spotless reputation and any association with Helen and Clary would likely destroy that.”
“There must be something we can do. Could you not talk to the king?”
“And say what, ask him to give Clary a title?”
Marisa bolted upright and looked pleadingly at Maitland. “Is that a possibility?”
“I don’t see how. He would have to have done something heroic, like saved the king, or provided unquestionable service to the government of the country.”
Marisa’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “I intend to stand by my sister regardless, and if she wants to marry Clary I will do everything in my power to help her achieve that.”
“Even if it means in a few years she’ll be disappointed? Look at the women who flock to Clary. His looks are enough to turn any woman’s head. If I didn’t know how much you love me I’d even be jealous—all right, I am jealous that you spend so much time with him. What if what she feels is infatuation?”
“She would never have given herself to him if it was simply infatuation. Trust me on that.”
“I’m not so sure,” he mumbled and took another long drink.
Marisa tsk tsked. “I expected you of all people to understand how Helen is feeling. She’s in love. I repeat,in love. You don’t think she’d be willing to give up all of this—all of us—for love. Yet, look what you gave up when you learned I could not have children.” She laid her head on her husband’s shoulder and took his hand. “You’re a seventh generation duke, yet because of love you are going to lose what your family has had for hundreds of years, a title, one of the highest ranking places in society, and all the lands and houses that come with the entailed estate. You gave up your right and ability to have a son and heir. You gave all that up for love,” she said softly. “I hope you have not come to regret that? Have you?”
He cupped Marisa’s cheek in his palm. When she smiled at him it still turned him inside out. His heart swelled with love of her, and deep in his soul he knew that he would love this woman until he lay cold in his grave—and even then it would live on.
She must’ve read the love in his eyes for she suddenly kissed him. “I love you too. I would love you if you had nothing to your name.”
He pulled her onto his lap and kissed her thoroughly. When he finally let her up for air, he said, “I should talk to Sebastian and see what is to be done. But you are right, I’m not going to force you to let Clary go, nor will this impact Simon, who has done nothing wrong.”
“Thank you. I knew there was a reason I loved you.”
He stopped her as she tried to kiss him again. “However, I am going to inform Clary that if Sebastian forbids him to see Helen, I want his word he will obey that order. I have to respect Sebastian’s wishes.”
“Then I best ensure my brother does all in his power to make Helen happy. And it is Clary that will make her happy.”
He shook his head and hugged her tight into his chest. “If Helen loves him, and wants to marry him. I’ll support her decision. But I have no idea how you’ll get Sebastian to agree and society to accept the match.”
“Just watch me!”
Chapter 16
She’d been pacing her room all morning, too embarrassed and angry with her brother to go downstairs. Standing at her window she watched for her opportunity and it came just after three, when she saw Sebastian leave the house.
She pulled on her cloak and slipped down the back stairs and out into the alley behind their house. She knew it would take her twenty minutes to walk to Clary’s. That would give her twenty minutes at Clary’s house to ascertain that he was all right and to reassure him that she would find a way to make her brother come around.
So lost in thought, trying to work out how to approach her brother, she did not notice the darkened windows of the carriage trailing along the curb beside her, until a dirty rag was clamped over her nose and mouth and the world went black.
With a blindfold tied tightly round her head, the first thing she sensed was the heat and the rankness of the air as she was lowered into some kind of pit. Hefted over her kidnapper’s shoulder she could do nothing but let the man carry her to her fate. The man knocked on a door and was bid to enter.
“Did you have any trouble snatching her?”
