That tiny spark of mischief, or defiance, finally broke him. He shot to his feet, quivering with sudden energy, and bolted toward the shelves, knocking a stack of books over in his escape. Lucy sprang after him, quill in hand, as she gave chase through the dimly lit library.
Around and around they went, him weaving between tables, her laughing, dodging a fallen chair, calling after him. “Confess before I mark you permanently!”
The chase ended abruptly in the corner of the library, the scent of old parchment and beeswax hanging heavy in the air. Lucy had Brook pinned between a mahogany bookshelf and a velvet armchair, the quill in her hand poised like a weapon, its tip glistening with dark ink.
“Now,” she said, holding the quill above him with exaggerated menace, “tell me everything. Every last detail, or I promise, I won’t stop drawing. Anthony and Daniel will laugh at you for a long time.”
Brook’s stubbornness crumbled at last. His shoulders sagged, and the defiance in his eyes softened. “All right. I will tell you. I will.”
“Yes?” she prompted gently, lowering the quill but keeping him under her watchful gaze.
“She was in the hallway,” he whispered, his voice so small it was nearly swallowed by the shadows. “The day she arrived for dinner. Before we sat down to eat.”
Lucy lowered the quill, her playfulness evaporating. “Who, Brook? Judith?”
He nodded, his gaze dropping to his boots as he sat up to lean on the bookshelf. “She was walking through the house, looking at the paintings and the furniture like she already owned them. She was talking to herself, saying how she would change the draperies and replace the rugs because they were ‘drab.’ She said she would transform the whole place the moment she became the Duchess. That everything was old, and she hated it.”
Brook took a shaky breath, his small hands clenching into fists. “When she reached the hallway, she saw the painting of our late mother and said she was going to take it down. Make it disappear. So, I told her she was getting ahead of herself. I told her this was my mother’s house, and she didn’t have the right to change a thing.”
He paused, a flicker of fear crossing his face before he forced the rest of the words out. “She didn’t even argue. She just… She slapped me. Hard. Right across the face. My face burned for an hour.”
Lucy’s blood ran cold. “What?”
“Then she leaned down,” Brook continued, his voice cracking. “She whispered in my ear that once she was in charge, she wouldmake sure to teach me how to behave properly and how to speak. She said I would learn my place, or I would regret it.”
He looked up at Lucy, his eyes brimming. “I didn’t tell Father. I couldn’t. He needs a wife, Lucy. He’s so lonely, and he needs help with us. I didn’t want to ruin it for him. He might be strict and demand order, but Father is a good man. He loves us and wants to make sure we have what he thinks is best for us.”
Lucy felt a surge of protective fury that nearly took her breath away. She set the quill down on the floor, her hands shaking slightly from the revelation. She could tell that Brook saw Rowan as a good father. He was a good man, but he was about to invite a viper into his nest, thinking it was a dove.
All because of her.
“Look at me, Brook,” Lucy said, her voice dropping into a tone of absolute, unshakable steel. She reached out and took his small, cold hands in hers. “There is nothing wrong with you. Do you hear me? Not a single thing. You are brave, and you are loyal, and you do not need to change a single part of yourself to suit a woman like that.”
Brook’s eyes searched hers. “But I was rude at dinner. I made Father angry.”
“You did, and next time, you will be sure to control yourself, but you were protecting your home,” Lucy said firmly. “While your father might not see what happened yet, that does not mean you deserved to be struck. You must never think that someone hasthe right to treat you that way, Brook. Not now, and not when she becomes a duchess... because she is not going to become the Duchess of this house.”
The boy’s eyes widened. “But Father said he was proposing.”
“I don’t care what he said,” Lucy whispered. “We will fix it. I will not let anyone treat you this way, and I will not let you walk through this house in fear.”
She squeezed his hands one last time. “Go to bed, Brook. Try to sleep. Tomorrow, we will come up with our plan for when Lady Judith arrives.”
Brook smiled and nodded passionately, rising to his feet and dashing out of the library.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“It really is a magnificent piece, isn’t it?” Judith remarked, her chin tilted upward as she appraised the massive oil painting of the third Duke. “Though I think it’s a bit dark for this room. Once I’ve settled in, I imagine I’ll move it to the gallery and replace it with something a bit more… light. A floral, perhaps.”
Lucy stood beside her, keeping her expression perfectly neutral. “You seem to have a very clear vision for the estate, Lady Judith.”
“One must,” Judith said, a triumphant little smirk playing on her lips. She didn’t even look at Lucy; she was too busy mentally measuring everything for new... everything. “A house like this requires a certain hand to guide it. The Duke has done his best, I suppose, but men are so dreadfully blind to the nuances of a home, don’t you think? It’s a relief he finally found someone capable of taking the reins.”
She finally turned her head, her gaze sweeping over Lucy. “Speaking of things being settled, I understand your aunt has arrived. I assume that means your bags are already being packed? It must be such a relief for you to finally be moving on to your next project. Are you excited?”
“We are leaving a bit later in the day,” Lucy replied calmly, her voice as smooth as glass. “My aunt is currently finishing her tea with the boys. I wanted to ensure I saw you one last time to offer my congratulations on the proposal.”
“How professional of you,” Judith said, the word professional sounding suspiciously like a slight. “I do wonder, though, how soon you can manage to vacate. Not that I’m rushing you, of course, but the Duke and I will have so much to discuss regarding the staff and the new nursery arrangements. It’s best to have the house clear of outside influences.”
