Page 58 of A Duke's Lustful Riddle
A new bout of tears streamed from Gemma’s eyes. She knew that what had happened wasn’t appropriate, but she had to keep confessing.
“But I love him. I do, Felicity. I truly love him.” Gemma’s voice broke as her tears continued to flow.
“Will you two wed? You must after what happened.”
“I would hope so but after we were intimate, he got up and left. I haven’t seen or spoken to him since. It seems as if he is avoiding me and that is breaking my heart. I love Gabriel so much and I want to marry him. Especially after we spent so many intimate moments together, but I fear he may not feel the same. Do I really want to wed a man who has treated me so poorly after I gave myself to him?”
Felicity offered no answers, but pulled Gemma into her embrace as she cried.
***
“I love Gabriel so much and I want to marry him. Especially after we spent so many intimate moments together.”
Cressida stopped as she heard Lady Gemma’s voice from an open door.
She leaned in further as she continued to listen.
“He is the one, Felicity, I know it in my heart, and I hope he feels the same.”
Cressida, stunned, took a step back from the door. Her face paled at the realization that Vivienne had no hope of securing a match with Gabriel. The anger within her began to boil.
She was seething inside as she started mumbling incoherently to herself.
Vivienne was supposed to become the duchess, not Gemma. Yet, Cressida was overhearing that Gemma had been intimate with the duke.
She wondered just how far they went, but she was overcome with anger that she could not bear to listen to their conversation any further.
Her daughter would be duchess. She would make sure of it.
***
the tea party, Vivienne could not spot her mother anywhere. She hated being alone with the women of the Ton. Knowing that all the ladies were in competition with each other over the gentlemen made Vivienne uneasy.
So, Vivienne got up and went to find her mother. At least she was used to her mother’s chatter.
She wandered the corridors until she heard a quiet muttering coming from around the corner.
Vivienne found her mother, alarmingly pale and disoriented. She was mumbling to herself.
“This cannot happen. This cannot happen. This cannot happen,” Cressida was mumbling as she pulled on her hair.
“Mother, are you alright?” Vivienne asked Cressida but was met with no answer.
Her mother just kept on mumbling.
“Let us go home,” Vivienne said, gently grabbing her mother into her arms and discreetly taking her back to their carriage. She fought Vivienne’s hold a few times before they made it outside, but fortunately, the ladies of the Ton did not notice them leave.
Their carriage driver looked at them funny, wondering why they were leaving so early but he kept his mouth shut. Especially when he saw the wild and far off look in the Countess’s eyes.
The carriage ride back to Sagewood Manor was filled with Cressida’s muttering. Once they arrived back home, Vivienne helped Cressida to her bed chambers before escaping on her own.
Vivienne broke down into tears in her bed chambers. She couldn’t understand what would cause her mother to have such a breakdown, especially in such a public place. If anyone had spotted her mumbling to herself, they would be run out of society, shunned forever more.
Vivienne spent the rest of her night alone, trying to figure out what she was going to do about her mother.
Chapter 24
Gemma felt a weight lifted off her chest after confiding in Felicity. It felt good to have someone that she could talk to about all things Gabriel. While Felicity was most likely worried about Gemma no longer being innocent in a physical way, she was also a supportive friend.
