“Us?” Deena looked at him, but before he could explain, Selina rushed forward and embraced Deena tightly.
“Do not frighten us like that again,” Selina said fiercely.
Dominic followed, relief giving way to anger. “Do you have any idea how worried we were?”
“Forgive me, Dom. But I had to do something. I could not just sit by like I always do.” Deena’s gaze dropped; she looked like a child that was in trouble, and Austin would not stand by and watch.
“Dominic,” Austin said sharply. “Deena has something to say; you may berate her after she is done.”
Dominic sighed loudly. “What is it then, Dee?”
She stepped back, her expression steady despite the exhaustion etched into her features. “I did not mean to frighten anyone or cause any distress. But when the blackmailer made an appearance, I just…had to do something.” She turned to Austin and smiled. “Austin…you are not illegitimate.”
The words echoed through the room. Everyone remained silent and confused.
“How do you know?” Selina breathed.
Deena reached into her cloak and withdrew a folded letter, yellowed with age. “I found proof.”
She handed it to Austin, and he took it with steady hands. He held his breath as he unfolded the page. The handwriting was elegant, familiar in a way that made his chest ache.
“This is?—”
“Your mother’s handwriting.” Deena finished for him.
Austin felt his heart race as he read the letter.
My dearest Duke,
My love for you has deepened since last night. I can only explain this feeling as a deeply sated ache. I long for you even when you are near, but when you are afar and I find myself smiling at nothing, thinking of the way you looked at me as dawn broke after our wedding night.
But this is not about me; it is about your son.
He came into this world last night, strong and perfect. His cries filled the room as though he already knew he was loved. I held him and saw you in him at once. Your eyes. Your strong chin. I was in love with you when we first laid eyes on each other, but my love is abundant even more so now as I hold our child.
We miss you dearly, and I swear this with every breath I take. I would endure any hardship for you, for him, for us. Even through the distance, my devotion has never wavered, and it never shall.
Yours, always and entirely,
Your Duchess and your beloved son, Austin Delves.
“Your mother wrote this to your father,aftertheir marriage,” Deena spoke softly. “You are not illegitimate, Austin. You are the true Duke of Windemere. Your mother never had an affair; she loved your father and only him.”
Austin could not see the page anymore. Tears blurred his vision, spilling freely down his face, and he did not bother to wipe them away.
“Thank you, Dee.” He looked at his wife who was crying silently.
“There is no need to thank me,” she said unsteadily.
“She loved him,” he whispered. “She loved him so much even when he betrayed her.”
“We will give you a moment,” Selina said gently.
Dominic placed a comforting hand on his shoulder before they withdrew silently, leaving Austin and Deena alone.
His eyes could not leave her; he was too afraid that if he blinked, she would vanish. Emotions choked his voice. “Deena, when I saw you leave and when you did not return… I thought you were abandoning me.”
Her eyes filled. “I would never do that. I made a vow, Austin.”
