Page 68 of A Duke's Lustful Riddle
Gemma knew people would be looking for her but at that moment she did not care one bit.
A cold wind swept in through the window and Gemma pulled her cloak around her tighter.
“Which way, my lady?” Gemma’s coachman asked.
“To the right,” Gemma directed the coachman toward her old convent. A place she had attended as a child, a place that had been home to her long ago.
A rush of bittersweet memories washed over her as she recalled the time spent there under the protection of the sisters.
Would they still open their arms to her, or would they also see her as a wanton woman too?
That thought alone made Gemma take a pause.
Was she making the correct choice in coming here? Would she be welcomed?
Gemma shook those thoughts away. If any place was to accept her it would be the convent.
The ride to the convent was long but gave Gemma time to reflect.
Did she regret her intimate moments with Gabriel?
She did a bit, but she still loved the man. Deeply.
How could she regret giving herself to someone she loved? It was natural and after they were wed, they could be intimate at any time. If Gabriel even wanted that.
Seeing the tall building of the convent in the countryside Gemma relaxed. This place had been her home and she hoped that it would be a place of healing and hope for her now.
Upon reaching the convent, Gemma stepped out, but her legs felt weak.
She was overcome.
The sight and sounds of the convent caused a rush of comfort to wash over Gemma.
“Hello, Miss. How can I be of service to you?” Lady Agatha asked. Gemma would recognize that kind voice anywhere.
Lady Agatha had basically raised her during her childhood years. She looked the same just with a few warm wrinkles, but her kind smile still sat on her face.
“Lady Agatha, It is I, Gemma Whitmore,” Gemma stated, tears pricking at the corner of her eyes. Seeing her old caretaker made Gemma feel overcome with emotion.
She had hoped to feel at home and safe at the convent and she was feeling exactly that. She had made the right choice.
“Oh, my dear Lady Gemma, do not cry. What is wrong?” Lady Agatha asked, pulling Gemma into her arms.
Gemma broke down in tears, her sobs echoing in the quiet of the night.
Gemma cried and told her everything. From the death of her parents to her ruined reputation. She let her tears flow freely as Lady Agatha held her in her warm embrace.
“There, there, Lady Gemma. Why don't we go inside?” The older woman’s voice was soothing to Gemma.
Lady Agatha, with a gentle hand on Gemma's back, guided her inside, offering the sanctuary that Gemma so desperately needed.
She needed somewhere safe. Somewhere where no one would judge her for her mistakes and the convent was exactly that. All of the years that she had spent there, she had been secure, and certainly, there had been no scandalous rumors or a man to break her heart into pieces. Not everyone could find a place for solace, yet Gemma knew that the convent would hold her closely and keep her in a proper place, for her heart and her mind.
***
As Vivienne and Cressida arrived home after the ball, Vivienne found herself grappling with her mother’s bizarre behavior.
Vivienne had no clue what to do with her mother. Usually, she would come out of her fits, but this one seemed to be lasting longer than the others.
