“What do you know about this?” She demanded.
“Nothing!”
“Do not lie to me, Elizabeth. You have never been one to do that, and I refuse to have you start doing it now. Tell me everything, whether you think I wish to hear about it or not.”
“Well,” she grimaced. “Letters were exchanged between the duke and our father. Father told me that they have come to a deal of sorts. We are here to visit, and should you be compatible with the duke, and it is a good match, then the duke will pay all of our debts, and give me a dowry so that I can marry—”
Again, she froze.
“Marriage?” Jackie echoed. “You are not even in a courtship.”
“Erm, well, that is another thing… I have been in a courtship with Lord Greene for a while now.”
Suddenly, Jackie’s own match meant very little to her.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because it was never going to go any further,” she sighed. “I knew that I had no dowry, and it was simply a matter of time until he found out himself and refused to marry me anyway. I was simply enjoying it while it lasted, but now… I have a real chance at happiness.”
“And so you lied to me in order to secure it?”
“It has been destroying me since the moment I learned of it. I cannot apologize enough for what I have done, but you have to understand. I wanted to save our family from ruin, and when I found out that I could also marry the man that I love… I had a moment of weakness and Father knew it. He told me that, if I told you, then you would run away, and I would never see you again and it would all fall through anyway. I did not know what else to do.”
“What you should have done was talk to me,” Jackie argued.
“I couldn’t. The longer I kept quiet the harder it was to tell you until I could no longer say anything at all. Truly, I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid.”
By that point, the younger sister was in tears and the older sister was trying with all her might to maintain her composure. She had never been one to make outrageous displays, but at that moment she was unsure of how long she would be able to keep control.
“I wish to be alone,” she said coldly.
“Sister, I—”
“I need to be alone for a while,” she repeated.
Elizabeth seemed to understand at last, and left without another word. Jackie left the room herself after a moment, knowing that she needed some time alone in the gardens before she could face the others for dinner.
“Excuse me,” she asked a servant in the hallway. “I am sorry for bothering you, but might you be able to point me in the direction of the garden?”
“Of course, my lady. The stairs are just there, and then from there the quickest route is on your left, down that hallway, and through the fourth door.”
Jackie nodded quickly and thanked the servant before going on her way. She couldn’t help but feel watched, but she scolded herself for being superstitious and told herself that it was simply because of what she had discovered.
The gardens were magnificent, perfectly cared for. It was the best place for a walk so that she could think about what had happened. Deep into the garden came a dense thicket to navigate, and Jackie welcomed it as it gave her some privacy.
It was dark from all of the shade cause by the tall trees and long branches, but soon enough she spotted a clearing and headedtoward it. The sun on her face, warming her skin, she at last allowed herself to think things through.
She did not know whether or not she could forgive Elizabeth. After everything she had done for her younger sister, it was a betrayal greater than she could ever have foreseen, and yet she pitied the poor girl greatly. After all, she understood her predicament. Whether she would have done the same thing or not, she didn’t know. Especially given the threat their father had given them that Jackie would run away if she came to learn the truth.
Jackie did not know what she would have done, nor did she know what she would do now. She was angry with her sister, and downright furious with her father, but she did not hate them. They had been granted the opportunity to protect their family, and though they had not taken the best route, Jackie could not deny that it was something to heavily consider. After all, they had to be a good match first, did they not? If the duke did not like her, then it would all fall through regardless.
And she was positive that the duke did not like her at all, whether he had invited them there or not. He likely did not remember her at all, and if hedidthen he could not have known her name. He would see her, remember who she was, and call it all off, she was certain of it, and then they could all return home and she could forgive Elizabeth simply because it was impossible for her to stay angry with her sister.
A twig snapped.
Her line of thought broken, Jackie turned to the source of the sound, only to see a figure retreating away. She recognized the figure in the darkness of the woods, as if she had seen it before.
“Stop,” she called out. “Please do not run away.”
