Page 97 of Duchess By Accident
“You really are rather wise, my Little One.” Adrian held his arms open, and Melody allowed herself to be scooped into a hug. “I would be utterly lost without you.”
“I know.” Melody gave him a cheeky grin as she disentangled herself from him and began to walk towards the door. “I think I shall call my puppy Shadow.”
“What puppy?” Adrian stood to follow her, arching an eyebrow at his daughter.
“The puppy you will bring back with you when you bring mother back.” She said as though she were explaining the most painfully obvious thing in the world. “Daphne told me there was a black one, and I think that is the one I would like.”
“You told me that apologies were not about what I want.” Adrian pointed out. “I will earn her forgiveness, but that she may not wish to return.”
And I will not force it.Natalie had asked him to trust her, and he had failed her once. She was the woman he wanted, the one who had stolen his heart. He had tried to control everything around him, told himself that keeping secrets would keep his daughter safe. But he had been wrong.
“They are not. But if mother forgives you, then obviously she will come back with you.” Melody rolled her eyes.
“I just want you to be prepared for the fact that she may not return.” Adrian gave his daughter a serious look. “A life without her seems awful, but I will not force her to do something she has no wish to do. Her forgiveness is more important to me than her presence.”
“I understand. But at least I will have a puppy to console me.” Melody laughed. “Besides, Mother loves me too. And I think she would miss me too much to stay away for long.”
“You really are my daughter.” Adrian chuckled and ruffled her hair affectionately.Blood relation or no, you are mine through and through.
“Of course I am! You are really rather silly. Now go and get my Mother and puppy!” Melody hugged him again, and then scampered away.
Adrian watched her go, feeling a fire spreading through his body. He knew what he had to do.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“Ihate men!” Natalie exclaimed, shaking her fist at the gathering black clouds overhead.
The clouds answered with a crackle of thunder and Natalie scowled at them. She was in the gardens of Emberly castle on the second day since her argument with Adrian.
Every time she thought of him, her heart twisted itself into a knot. She wanted to scream, to rage, to cry. Her chest ached from sobbing, her eyes were constantly puffy.He probably does not even care that I am gone.
When she had first arrived, she had whipped her head around at any sound of a carriage or horse hooves. Each time, she had felt shame at her hope that it was Adrian and then anger that it was not.
“I wish we had never met.” A droplet of rain hit her arm, and she decided that it would be best to return to the castle.
“Stupid, pathetic Natalie. Falling for his charms. You knew, you knew he was not to be trusted.” She muttered the words over and over, hoping that with each repetition they would feel more true.
“The heart cannot help what it wants.” Alexander murmured from behind her.
She turned to face her brother. “I wish I did not have a heart. Then perhaps this would not hurt so much.”
Alexander gave her a sad, knowing look. “Heartbreak is the worst kind of grief. But it will heal.”
“It feels impossible.” Natalie leaned against her brother. “I am so angry and yet so sad. I miss Melody. I worry that she will think I hate her, even though I wrote her a note explaining that I had to leave and that I would send for her soon.”
“She is a child, and she knows you love her.” Alexander hugged her. “It is not just Melody you miss, is it?”
“I miss him. I hate that I miss him. I hate that even after all that he has done, I wish he was here.” Natalie shook her head. “When I wake up, I feel for him beside me, and my heart breaks a little that he is not there.”
Alexander nodded but said nothing. Natalie took a deep breath, swallowing the sob that threatened to erupt from her.
“I trusted him, Alexander. I thought he trusted me, but how can he have trusted me when he clearly did not even know me?”
“It is hard for me to say when I do not know the full story of what has happened between you.” He rubbed a hand along his jaw, his lips pursed in thought. “For my part, I do believe he cares for you a great deal. In honesty, I thought you two were a good match from the moment he entered the church. It is why I gave him my consent.”
“You are clearly not the matchmaker your mother-in-law is.” Natalie grumbled bitterly.
“Apparently not. But when we saw you last… You love him.” Alexander tilted his head towards her. “And I believe he loves you as well.”
