Page 10 of The Duke's Accidental Wallflower
Chastity let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. “You think you are saving me, Minerva, but you are not. You are just... controlling me. I do not need you to fix everything for me. I do not need you to be Mother. I need you to let me live my life.”
Minerva stood there, frozen, as the words hit her with the force of a physical blow. She had always known, deep down, that she couldn’t replace their mother. But hearing it from Chastity, hearing the anger and frustration in her voice, made it all too real.
After a long, tense moment, Chastity turned her back on her sister, her voice brittle. “I am going to bed.”
Minerva watched her retreating figure with her head held high. The sound of Chastity’s bedroom door closing echoed through the quiet townhouse, leaving Minerva standing alone in the dimly lit hallway, her chest tight with unspoken pain.
The house felt so different now. It wasn’t the home it had been when their mother was alive, filled with laughter and warmth. Now it was a place of shadows and tension, a place where two sisters were slowly growing apart.
Minerva drew in a shaky breath, her fingers brushing against the cool banister as she stood at the bottom of the stairs. Her eyes locked with the eyes of her mother in a portrait hanging in the main hall. Her mother smiled down at her from the frame, radiant and poised, as though she had all the answers Minerva so desperately needed.
“I am trying,” Minerva whispered, her voice barely audible. “I just don’t know if I’m enough.”
She pressed her palms together, resisting the urge to reach out and touch the edge of the frame. Mother would have known what to do, she thought. She would have known how to make Chastity listen without driving her away.
A knot tightened in Minerva’s chest as her mind replayed Chastity’s words:
You’re not Mother, so stop pretending you are.
The truth of it stung more than she cared to admit. She wasn’t their mother. She wasn’t warm or patient or effortlessly kind. All she had were rules, expectations, and a growing fear that she was failing at all of them.
She had tried so hard, had given everything to keep them together. But no matter what she did, it wasn’t enough.
The soft creak of her father’s study door opening startled her. She froze, turning to glance back down the hallway, and caught sight of her father slowly stepping inside.
Lord Bellington’s once powerful frame had grown leaner over the years, his shoulders slightly hunched as though carrying the weight of time. His dark hair was streaked with silver, and deep lines had settled into his face, particularly around his eyes—eyesthat had once been sharp and full of life but now seemed distant, burdened by years of loss and responsibility.
He closed the door gently behind him, moving with the careful deliberation of a man who was no longer as young as he had once been. He had not attended the ball with Minerva and Chastity; he rarely attended such events anymore. His time was now largely spent in his study, poring over estate matters or retreating into his own world of quiet contemplation. Minerva had long since taken over the responsibilities of running the household, and her father, though present, had become a more distant figure.
But tonight, as he looked up and saw his daughter standing at the end of the hallway, his expression softened. There was a deep concern in his eyes, a quiet understanding that Minerva had not expected.
“Minerva,” he said softly, his voice gravelly with age. “I heard you and your sister arguing.”
Minerva hesitated, caught off guard by his sudden interest. “Yes, Father,” she replied, her voice quieter than usual. “We just got back from tonight’s ball.”
Lord Bellington moved slowly down the hallway toward her, his steps measured. When he finally reached her, he placed a hand on her shoulder, the touch gentle, but solid enough to offer comfort.
“What is amiss, my dear?” he asked, his voice low and filled with quiet understanding.
Minerva nodded, trying to hold back tears.
“Chastity... she won’t listen to me,” she started, but her breath caught in her throat.
Lord Bellington let out a slow breath and reached out for his daughter. Giving her a tight hug, he told her, “ Chastity... she has your mother’s spirit. But she will find her way in time. She is angry now, but that will pass. But I feel there is something more than just your sister being upset with you?”
Minerva shook her head, her emotions finally breaking through the carefully constructed walls she had built around herself. “I do not know if I am helping her or making things worse. She is pushing me away, and every time I try to protect her, she accuses me of trying to control her.”
Her father’s eyes softened, and he gave her shoulder a light squeeze. “You have been doing more than anyone could ask of you, Minerva. I know I have not been as present as I should be. As such, you should know, you are not her mother. And perhaps... perhaps she does not need you to be. Likely, she needs you to be her sister. As I am sure, you need her as well.”
Minerva swallowed hard, her throat tight. “If I do not protect her, who will?”
Lord Bellington’s hand slid from her shoulder, and he stepped back slightly, his expression thoughtful. “You have always taken after me—steady, responsible, knowing what must be done – for others. And if in my fifty some odd years I have learned anything, it is that sometimes it is acceptable to put your needs and wants first.”
Minerva’s eyes stung, and she blinked quickly, refusing to let the tears fall. She had spent so long trying to be strong, trying to fill the void their mother had left behind. But standing here, in the quiet of their home, with her father’s words echoing in her mind, she realized how heavy the burden had become.
“I do not know how to let go,” she whispered, her voice breaking.
Her father’s face softened even more, and he reached up to gently cup her cheek, his thumb brushing away the tear she had not even realized had fallen. “You do not have to let go completely. But you have to let her grow up. And allow yourself to let go a little, as well.”
