Page 33 of Lusting for the Duke's Kiss
It had been so very easy to dismiss him as a bastard child, as society taught. But seeing the reality of this small child, abandoned by his mother, pulled at her heartstrings. The circumstances of his birth were not his fault, nor was the fact that his mother did not want to have anything to do with him. In God’s eyes, he was an innocent.
And she knew what it felt like to be abandoned. It had only been her husband, who had done it to her – a man who she had never really loved, anyway. How much worse would it be to be abandoned by a mother, who was the one person on earth who was supposed to love you, no matter what?
Suddenly, her own situation seemed so much better by comparison. She had been dwelling in her misery over it, but seeing this little child, who might have ended up in an orphanage, poor and unloved if it wasn’t for the man in front of her, cleared it completely.
“Bye,” said the boy, waving a chubby hand.
“Bye,” she said, smiling.
The Duke walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind him. He shot her a look of gratitude, just before he closed it. Their eyes met, and held, for just a second.
***
He returned to her in just under an hour, knocking on the door again. When she opened it this time, she was glad that he was there. Without a word, she let him in.
There was a strained silence, for a moment, before he turned to her, his green eyes intense.
“I know that it was a cheap trick to bring Ben to you,” he said in a strangled voice. “But I had to make you see that he is just a small child, and not the demon that society would have you believe.”
Hetty felt utterly ashamed of herself. “Of course he is just a child,” she said, her voice trembling. “And he deserves extra love because of what has happened to him. I do not blame him in any way for the circumstances of his birth. You must believe me.”
He looked touched. “Thank you,” he said. “It has been a hard road. There are some who would have nothing to do with him because he is illegitimate. He will face prejudice, wherever he goes in life, even if he is the son of a duke.”
She nodded. “You shall bring him up to believe in himself, I am sure …”
He stepped closer to her, taking her hand in his. “I want both of us to bring him up,” he said softly, his eyes ardent. “I shall stand by you regardless, Hetty. But will you stand by me?”
She felt a deep yearning in her innermost soul.
“How can I trust you?” she whispered. “Why did you not tell me of his existence, before?”
“How could I?” he whispered back. “You were so very hurt, and distrustful of me. I thought that if I told you about Ben, straight away, that you would never consider me as a suitor. That I would never get the chance to woo you.”
She took a deep breath. “And you have told me the whole truth, now? You swear it?”
He nodded, his eyes shining. “I swear it, Hetty,” he whispered. “Everything that I told you in the garden today is the truth. The way that I met Rachel, our relationship, her abandonment of our child … everything.” He hesitated. “And the way that I have always felt about you. My desire to get the chance to love you properly, and marry you.”
She couldn’t help it. A single tear coursed down her cheek. Her heart swelled with love for him.
Could she do it? Could she cross that bridge and truly trust him? Believe in his love for her, and her for him? Suddenly, she wanted to, so very much. She wanted to believe that he was telling her the truth and that itwaspossible that she could be loved and love in return.That her experience with Frank Blackmore was not the end of her, and she had to bury herself in a convent, scared of life and love.
Hesitantly, slowly, he reached out, stroking her face. The touch was tender. She moaned, turning her face into his palm, and kissing it.
The effect was immediate. He scooped her up in his arms, kissing her desperately. She responded with alacrity, kissing him back so that they were twisted in passion. Her body felt like it had suddenly been set on fire.
“I love you so much, Hetty,” he whispered. “You are the only woman for me. I would walk over hot coals, for you …”
“I love you, too,” she whispered back, her voice choking.
The words, once released, felt incredibly freeing. As if she had just lifted a great weight off her shoulders.
She had never dreamt that such love was possible. Nor that it could be so hard to get to it. All of her doubts and her fears suddenly melted away like ice underneath the sun. She physically felt them unravelling within her.
Yes, he had lied by omission to her. But for good reason. And sherealised now that this man’s honour was not in question. He had brought his illegitimate son into his home, caring for him, after his mother abandoned him, flying in the face of convention. If that was not the action of a good man, then she did not know what was.
And he was determined to win her despite her own disgrace and the low probability that she would ever be divorced. He did not care about what society thought of her, any more than he did not care what society thought about his illegitimate son. He was brave, and he was courageous. He had the heart of a lion.
Suddenly, he scooped her up, sweeping her off the ground as if she were as light as a feather. Tenderly, he placed her upon the bed, his mouth never leaving hers.
