Page 56 of Healing the Duke's Desires
As he watched them move away, his shoulders slumped with the weight of responsibility, and he knew he had played a central role in bringing this night to its tragic conclusion.
Feeling someone’s touch on his shoulder, he turned to see Caroline standing there with a sorrowful look on her face.
“Alexander…” she said, her voice filled with concern. “Are you all right?”
He couldn’t find the words to respond, his emotions too raw and conflicted to put into words. He felt as if the entire world had been silent witness to his destruction of not only Emily’s reputation, but her life as well. This was all his fault.
Emily deserved so much better than the chaos he had unleashed upon her with his indecision, and this realization gnawed at his conscience like a ravenous beast. He couldn’t escape the anguishing belief that Emily’s happiness and well-being were far more important than any feelings he had for her.
He simply shook his head at the question he was asked and, with a heavy heart, turned away from her, rushing back inside to find Rose and return to the sanctity of his own home. Only, he doubted that the prying eyes would leave him.
No. They would follow him everywhere he went, because his own guilty conscience had those same prying eyes. And there could never be any escape from them.
Chapter 32
“Is there no end to this disgrace!?” Lord Ashfordshire threw the morning’s paper angrily, right in the middle of the dining room table, with his wife and two daughters already having taken their seats. Everyone stood stunned into immobility, only their eyes darting across the room.
As fate would have it, the newspapers landed within clear view of Emily. The headlines were glaring, their bold letters accusing her of the worst possible crime a young lady could be subject to: scandal and misconduct.
A Wanton’s Fall from Grace.
That was what they had referred to her. The words struck her like a physical blow, and tears welled up in her eyes as she read the salacious details that had been splashed across the pages. The town’s gossip columnists had spared no effort in dissecting every single aspect of the incident, and Emily’s humiliation was laid bare for all to see.
The public seemed to be ravenous for more of this sensational story, and even after three whole days, their interest did not dwindle even in the slightest. She felt a deep sense of shame and despair as the weight of the headlines settled upon her. Her guilty conscience was eating her alive.
“Don’t read that, darling.” Lady Ashfordshire’s gentle voice brought Emily back to the present moment.
Emily tore her gaze away from the newspapers, doing as her mother bid her. She could see in her mother’s eyes that this pained her more than she was willing to admit, as only a mother could sympathize with her child to such an extent. It had nothing to do with the fact that her marital prospects had all but disappeared, but rather the fact that her daughter was hurting, as her pain was laid bare for the entire world to see.
Emily silently appreciated her mother’s comfort and support. She laid the newspaper back on the dining room table, silent and apprehensive, but the headlines remained there, in plain sight, mocking her anguish.
However, her father would not allow for any peace and quiet regarding the matter. “Why shouldn’t she read it?” he asked, scoffing irritably. “All of London has. That is, those who weren’t fortunate enough to actually witness our family’s lowest moment.”
It had been only three days since the fateful ball, and the scandal surrounding it had quickly spread like wildfire throughout the town. The scandal sheets and gossip columns were filled with sensationalized accounts of the incident, painting a vivid and damning picture of the unfolding drama.
But that was not the worst of it. The marquess was hailed as a hero in the eyes of society for his decision to call off the engagement. His reputation as a principled and upstanding gentleman had remained intact, and he was lauded for preserving the sanctity of his family’s name by immediately shunning the woman who was set to become his wife.
Emily, on the other hand, bore the brunt of societal judgment. She was branded a wanton, her reputation tarnished beyond repair in the eyes of the town’s elite. Her family faced social isolation and scandal, and they found themselves on the fringes of society, their hopes and dreams shattered.
She knew the scandal would continue to be the subject of whispered conversations and raised eyebrows at social gatherings. The town’s gossip mill churned with fervor, with no indication of diminishing any time soon.
As the servants began to serve breakfast in the somber dining room, the clinking of dishes and the sound of silverware against porcelain filled the air.
The servants moved about the room with practiced efficiency, setting plates and pouring tea, but the atmosphere remained strained and uncomfortable. It was a stark contrast to the breakfasts of days past, when they had all laughed together and looked forward to the day. Now, there was nothing to look forward to.
“I know it is our family’s lowest moment.” Emily had to accept the blame.
“I really don’t know what you were thinking.” Emily’s father had been unable to talk about anything else for the last three days. “How could you allow this scandal to happen? If you weren’t thinking of yourself, you should have at least thought about Sarah. You not only ruined your own chances of a good marriage but hers as well!”
“I know,” Emily repeated. “It is no excuse, but I did everything out of love.”
“Love?” her father scoffed, shaking his head incredulously. “What has love got to do with marriage, you silly girl?”
“Everything,” Emily tried to explain, but she knew the pragmatic mind of her father would not understand. “I know things are as they are now, but I love Alexander, and there was a point where I thought he loved me, too.”
“The duke is even more irresponsible than you are,” her father grumbled angrily. “He should have known better than to find himself alone with a lady outside of a ball.”
“It is not only his fault,” Emily replied, adamant to accept her part of the blame.
