Page 53 of Loving a Noble Gentleman
Duke Smith was to be hers, no matter what it took.
“Yes, I am. You have heard my story then.”
Mary pushed herself into a standing position, and she met Victoria eye to eye. She was no longer intimidated by Victoria now that she knew who she was. This Lady was no better than her. Mary’s misfortunes had happened to her. What had occurred to Victoria had happened because of her own actions.
“Iknowthat His Grace did not try to ruin you,” she said coldly, refusing to back down in the face of this adversity. “He has already told me what had happened. He danced with you, as expected of him, and then he left. You followed him, and you made the move on him.” Mary had not been one hundred per cent convinced by Edmund’s words when he told her the tale, but as she spotted a flicker of uncertainty crossing Victoria’s face, she knew that it was the truth. Her heart lifted with glee as she realised that Duke Smith was who he told her that he was after all. “So do not come to me and tell me all these lies because I know the truth. Iknowthe truth.”
Victoria’s lips parted, but Mary already knew that no sound would come out before the silence rang between them. This Lady had expected her to fall apart and cry at her words, especially since the rest of her life was falling apart around her, but she had not. She had not said anything that showed weakness at all.
Mary was proud of herself as she realised just how far she had come through all of this adversity. The shy girl who would not dare confront anyone was long gone. Now she was strong and powerful. She embraced this change within herself.
“I do not ... I do not think that you should marry him,” Victoria stammered having been knocked off her feet. She was usually the strongest woman in any room, but she had undoubtedly met her match with Mary. After everything that she had heard about her, this was totally unexpected. “He is not a nice man. He will not treat you well.”
Those words coiled a vicious snake in Mary’s stomach, but not because she believed them at all. It was because she knew with absolute certainty that Edmund would treat her well if she were to marry him. He was a nice man, and had proved himself over and over again to her, even when she had doubted him. Even now, he had offered to marry her, and she had turned him down because she wanted to protect her sister. That was a very big mistake.
“I do not need your opinion,” she hissed at Victoria, unable to keep the emotion from balling up thickly in her throat. “What I decide to do is up to me. It has nothing to do with you. I suggest that you leave me now, and you never involve yourself in my life again.”
Victoria took a step backwards and shook her head slightly. For the first time in her life, she did not know what to say. There were words spinning about in her brain, but she knew that none of them were right. She figured that it was so much better to say nothing than to embarrass herself. If there was one thing that she had learned from a life of being told to keep silent, it was how to remain quiet.
Once she left through the shop door, Mary let out a deep breath of relief that she had not even realised she was holding. Seeing Victoria leaving left her all tied up and confused, but happy too. She was glad that at least she was right to trust Edmund. It was just a shame that the realisation came far too late. There was not much that she could do about it now.
She sat back in her seat and stared blankly forwards with a serious expression. The funny thing was now that she actually had some time to think, her brain was the blankest that it had been in a very long time. There weren’t any thoughts racing through her mind. Instead, she was sitting in the knowledge that she might well have messed everything up in an irrevocable way.
“Are you ready to leave?” Charlotte finally asked her once she had a bag of clothing in her arms. She was sick of the store, she had been feeling sick the entire time that she was there, and judging by her sister’s face, Mary was not doing much better herself. She looked like she was about to throw up all over the store floor which would be very humiliating for the both of them. “Mary, are you alright?”
“Hmm? Yes.” Mary bolted up and tried to rearrange her expression so that she could at least look normal. She had almost forgotten where they were because she had gotten so lost in her thoughts. “I am ready to leave.” Just before they could leave, Mary grabbed onto Charlotte’s arm and stared deeply into her eyes. “Actually, before we go home, is there any chance we could stop somewhere on the way? There is someone that I wish to speak with.”
Charlotte did not know what her sister was talking about, but she could tell from Mary’s expression that this was something very serious, something that could not be denied. After everything that Mary had done to help her, she would have done anything to reciprocate. “Of course,” she gushed trying to be helpful. “Whatever you need.”
Mary rushed off to the carriage and sat very stiffly in her seat while she waited for them to leave. She reeled off the address that she wanted to visit to the driver and then remained frozen with her back straight until it took off. She could feel her sister shooting her odd looks as they moved, but still she had nothing. She needed to think of nothing while they travelled because she needed a clear brain. It was the only way she was going to do this without completely losing her head.
