Page 46 of The Duke's Accidental Wallflower
Blinking back the tears that threatened to spill, she straightened her spine and smoothed her skirts. She couldn’t let anyone see her like this, least of all Minerva. With a practiced smile that didn’t reach her eyes, she returned to the gallery, making her way toward Minerva and Samantha.
“I am feeling a bit unwell,” she said, interrupting their conversation. “I think I will head home early.”
Minerva frowned, concern flashing across her face. “Are you certain? We can leave together if?—”
“No,” Chastity said quickly, shaking her head. “There’s no need to cut your evening short. I will have the carriage take me back.”
Minerva studied her for a moment, her eyes narrowing slightly, but she didn’t press further. “Very well. I will send for the driver.”
Chastity nodded, murmuring her thanks, and made her way toward the exit. As the cool evening air enveloped her, she allowed herself a single tear before wiping it away. She had made a mistake, trusted too much in the promises of a man who seemed unwilling to take the risks he demanded of her.
But as the carriage carried her away from the gallery, the note in her reticule burned against her side, a reminder that she wasn’t ready to let go—not yet.
Minerva arrived home from the gallery, her thoughts still swirling from her unexpected conversation with the Duke. The memory of Evan's gaze lingered with her longer than she cared to admit. She had spent the entire carriage ride home trying to make sense of her feelings—his near-confession, the strange tension between them, the way he had walked away when she was certain he wouldn’t.
But any further reflection was cut short the moment she entered the house. The atmosphere felt heavy, thick with something she couldn’t quite place. The housekeeper greeted her with a tense expression, her lips pressed into a thin line as she handed Minerva her gloves and bonnet.
“Where is my sister?” Minerva asked, sensing that something was off.
“In her room, my lady,” the housekeeper said softly, her tone laced with unease. “She... she is upset.”
Minerva’s heart sank. Something must have happened. Without wasting another moment, she hurried up the grand staircase, her skirts brushing the banister as she moved swiftly toward Chastity’s room.
When she reached the door, she paused for a moment, listening. The sound of muffled sobbing reached her ears, confirming her worst fears.
Taking a deep breath, Minerva knocked softly. “Chastity? It is me. May I come in?”
There was no answer, only the faint sound of movement on the other side of the door.
Minerva tried again, her voice more pleading this time. “Chastity, please. Let me in.”
“No!” came the sharp, tearful reply from inside. “Leave me alone!”
Minerva winced at the harshness in her sister’s tone, but she refused to give up. “Please, Chastity, just tell me what happened.”
The door remained closed, but this time, Chastity’s sobbing grew louder. “You want to know what happened?” she cried through her tears. “He has gone, Minerva! He has gone, and it is all your fault!”
Minerva froze, her hand still resting on the doorknob. “What do you mean, gone?” she asked carefully, though she already knew the answer.
Chastity’s voice cracked as she continued, her words laced with anger and despair. “He broke it off! He said he was tired of being treated like some... some secret! That he wanted more than stolen moments and hidden glances. He said he couldn’t bear it anymore, and it is all because of you!”
Minerva’s heart ached at the sound of her sister’s pain. “Chastity, I never meant to?—”
“You never meant to!” Chastity interrupted, her voice rising with each word. “You have been smothering me, Minerva! Always hovering, always interfering, always judging! He said it was because of you that we had to keep everything a secret! He said I couldn’t stand up to you, and now—now he has gone!”
Minerva’s chest tightened with guilt. She had been so focused on protecting Chastity, so determined to shield her from any potential scandal, that she had not realized the cost of her actions. And now, her sister was heartbroken—and blaming her for everything.
“I was trying to protect you,” Minerva said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. “I only wanted to keep you safe.”
“I do not need your protection!” Chastity yelled, her voice thick with emotion. “I never asked for it! All I ever wanted was to live my own life, to make my own choices—but you wouldn’t let me!”
“I am sorry, Chastity,” Minerva whispered through the door. “I thought I was doing what was best.”
“Best for who?” Chastity spat. “For me? Or for you?”
The accusation stung, but Minerva couldn’t deny that there was truth in her sister’s words. She had been so focused on protecting Chastity that she hadn’t considered what her sister might truly want.
She had been too caught up in her own fears of scandal, of heartache, to see that Chastity needed the freedom to make her own choices—even if those choices led to pain.
