‘Mother says my injuries make me look dashing,’ he tried to smile, but failed. ‘Mothers are often blind to their children’s faults,’ he finished lamely.
‘Your mother speaks the truth, as only mothers can, but you are in need of a wash, shave and a good night’s sleep.’
They sat in silence for a moment, Drake staring at the grass, Tilly staring at him.
‘Why did she marry him, Tilly? We loved each other.’
‘I know.’
He looked at her. ‘Did you know we were going to run away together?’
Tilly swallowed and nodded. ‘She told me.’
‘I was attacked while I waited for her. She must have been so upset to find me not there.’
‘She was, but she is now married, Drake. Forget her and move on with your life.’
‘Why didn’t she find out why I was not waiting for her, Tilly? I thought she loved me, but instead she punishes me by marrying someone else.’ Drake cradled his throbbing head in his hands. Finding no relief, he lifted his face again to stare at the trees lining the graveyard. ‘I didn’t realise her feelings ran so shallow, Tilly, or that she had so little faith in me.’ He looked at Tilly and was surprised to see that her eyes were filled with tears. At least she understood his pain. ‘We would have been married by now, Tilly. We were going to rent a property until we found one of our own.’
‘I cared for her too, Drake, but her family would never have accepted your marriage.’
‘She knew that, but she wanted to be with me anyway. That is how much she loved me. At least, that’s what I thought.’
‘She did love you, Drake.’
‘It doesn’t feel like it,’ he grumbled. ‘She didn’t try to find out what happened.’ He was beginning to sound like a miserable child and he despised himself for it. Yet, losing her to someone else hurt so much.
‘She tried.’
Drake shook his head. ‘Not hard enough.’ He picked up a blade of grass and began to strip it of its seeds. ‘They must have been waiting for me. Beaten and left me for dead to teach me a lesson not to rise above my station.’ But how did they know? His thoughts and final conclusion sobered him. He lifted his gaze to meet Tilly’s.
‘I didn’t know you would be hurt. I did what I thought was right, Drake.’
‘Did you tell her father?’ Tilly nodded. Drake couldn’t believe it. ‘Why?’
‘I cared for you both. Running away with you would have destroyed you both!’
‘Iamdestroyed!’ shouted Drake. ‘And so is Evie! Mawgan will never love her like I love her.’ Drake leapt to his feet and steadied himself on his father’s gravestone. His head began to throb with pulsating pain, but he wanted to know what she knew. ‘Tell me everything!’ Tilly stood to leave but Drake grabbed her arm. ‘Everything!’ demanded Drake.
He listened, with mounting horror, as Tilly told him her part in it. How she had found Evie packing and learnt of their elopement. How, brave on gin, she had found the courage to tell Sir Robert to protect Evie from herself. At first Sir Robert had refused to believe her, she told him, but then he had changed his mind.
Tilly began to sob when she recounted Evie’s attempts to leave and how she was caught and carried, kicking and screaming, to her room. ‘They tied her to a chair, Drake,’ she sobbed. ‘I couldn’t believe they were treating her that way. Doctor Birch eventually untied her.’ Drake waited for her to continue, his throat too full to speak. ‘She refused to deny her love for you, Drake,’ sniffed Tilly, as she dabbed her nose with a handkerchief. ‘It would have been better if she blamed you for her seduction, but she didn’t. She was proud of loving you, Drake, but it did her no good in the end.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Doctor Birch diagnosed her as morally defective. He wanted her admitted to a private clinic.’ Drake clutched the headstone. He needed to feel the pain in his nails to tell him he was not dreaming. ‘Her parents were reluctant. Her only other option was to marry her cousin. Miss Evelyn was terrified she was going to be sent away. The Rest Cure still gave her nightmares. She wrote a letter to you, pleading for help.’
‘I received no letter.’
‘I destroyed it. Marrying Mawgan Pendragon was her only real hope, but she still believed you would come for her. I had to convince her you no longer cared.’
‘How did you do that?’
‘I gave her the letter you gave me when you were leaving to be a journeyman. I had kept it all these years.’
‘Why didn’t you give it to her when I asked you to?’
‘Because I wanted her to grow to hate you. I wanted to avoid this happening.’
