“What happened?” Alastair pressed.Why did it end?
“Your father became ill, and you had to leave for London.”
“But not forever,” he said.
She let out another short laugh. “Yes. Forever. After your father passed, your uncle took over managing the estate. With your approval, he evicted the tenants who were behind in their rents.”
If her words were the truth, he had been a cad. And deep down, he knew she wasn’t lying.
Perhaps it would be better all-around if he never remembered.
Damn my eyes.
“I’m—”
“I don’t blame you.” She held up a hand. “Families with sons to work the land were allowed to stay. The steward said that in order for the estate to thrive, changes were necessary. I knew it wasn’t your fault. I realized that. I just wished?—”
Guilt pressed down on Alastair as he waited for her to finish.
She picked at a thread in her dress.
“Your uncle wanted me gone.” She swallowed hard.Dear God.
“What did you wish?” Alastair needed to hear it.
“I wished you had come back to face me—to tell me goodbye yourself.”
There was pain in her voice—a pain he knew she was trying to hide. A pain that he, apparently, had inflicted.
“We were friends first. You were mybestfriend. When I had to quit school, you brought me books to read. You encouraged me, and I almost believed I could be anything. Because you believed it.”
He’d obviously lacked backbone as a young man. Alastair clenched his jaw.
By God, he might be missing some memories, but he knew his own mind. And regardless of what happened between Daisy and himself now, he’d never let her suffer again.
“Not remembering—I cannot...” He needed answers—for himself, but also for her—even if he ended up resenting the person he’d been.
Daisy crossed to where he sat. “You will remember.”
But Alastair simply shook his head. “You must have hated me.”
She dropped to her knees and took his hands in hers. “I never hated you. Your father meant the world to you, and he needed you. And I understood that upon his death, incredible responsibility would land on you. Your uncle, I think, believed he was protecting you…”
From Daisy?
Alastair stiffened.
“He knew about the two of us, and of course, he didn’t approve. I’ve no doubt he did his best to discourage you from coming home.” She squeezed his hands. “I was upset, but I understood.”
“I should have returned.” Alastair’s throat felt unusually thick. He didn’t like the truth she painted, and yet, he believed every word she said.
But now that he had a few pieces of the puzzle, he wanted to sort them out. “Tell me more about this uncle of mine.” He tugged her upward. “But from up here.”
He didn’t want her on her knees, especially on the heels of what she’d just told him.
He was the duke, and she’d been a tenant’s daughter. And scoundrel that he was, seeing her like that gave him massively inappropriate ideas.
He drew her onto his lap, and she did not resist. Instead, she made herself comfortable.
