Page 54 of A Duchess to Fight For
Chapter 13
It was the sixth day since the ball, and Frederick had had enough.
“Amelia, I want her in my office in one half hour. If she doesn’t come to me, I will discuss this situation with her in her bedchamber.”
Amelia opened her mouth to say something but thought better of it. She left, headed for Louisa’s bedchamber.
The townhouse had been in turmoil for six days. When Louisa came home from the ball, she went straight to her bedchamber and never came out.
Each day Percy called. Louisa refused to see him. Stafford would call. She refused him also. Amelia sent for Emma thinking she would jar Louisa from whatever had a grip on her, but Louisa would not see her either.
She ate all her meals in her room. When Amelia visited and tried to talk to her, she got nowhere.
Amelia called for Percy.
He came right away, hoping Louisa would finally see him, but Amelia had called him to talk with her.
Amelia apologized to Percy for getting his hopes up; she hadn’t meant to give him the impression that Louisa would see him.
“I know you don’t want to betray her trust, but we must know. We must know what is wrong. It’s been long enough for her to hold out and for you to hold out. Percy, I need your help.
“You were talking with her while we were waiting for our carriage. What did you talk about?”
“She was devastated that I betrayed her. She said it over and over again. If I could cut off both my ears so I didn’t have to hear her voice in my head, I would.”
Amelia leaned forward, "How did you betray her?”
Percy sat back and gripped the arms of the chair. “The same way you did. The same way Frederick did. The same way any of us who knew the real reason Jack left and knew what Barton was up to did.”
Amelia nodded. “She found out.”
Percy nodded. “She found out. She will never trust me again. It will take her a long time to trust anyone again.”
Amelia said, “You wanted to tell her.”
Percy barked out a laugh, "I did. But someone at the ball got to do it for me.”
*****
“You wanted to see me, Father?”
“I did. Sit down,” Frederick said.
She sat in a chair next to his. Louisa's face was pale; she had bluish half circles under her eyes, her morning gown wrinkled as if she put it on then got back into bed, and her hair needed to be taken down, combed through then put up again.
“I have always been as kind and as reasonable a father as I knew how to be because you are my precious girl. I have not demanded much from you. I always wanted you to look back on your childhood fondly.”
“But hear me now,” Frederick continued in a soft voice, “you and I are not leaving this room until I fully, totally, and completely understand why my beautiful, vibrant, social daughter has spent six days behind closed doors.”
Louisa burst into tears. Frederick pulled a handkerchief out of his coat pocket and handed it to her.
“Take your time, my dear. We have all day. I’ll ring for tea.”
After a few more crying jags and some tea, Louisa sat up, spine straight. She took a deep breath and began.
Frederick kept his face schooled but inside, his heart was breaking. Percy was right. He should have told her. It hadn’t occurred to him how betrayed she would feel.
When she was done, and all her tears were used up, he asked her if there was anything else she wanted to say about the whole mess.
