“It was not your intention? Are you telling me that you really did not plan to make a fool of me? My goodness, I never would have guessed. It would have been natural of me to assume otherwise, given the way you acted and treated me.” Lady Heather snapped.
She turned away and continued her journey up the stairs. Cecil tried to follow her, but she turned around to face him again before he could go far.
“If you did not care for me, why did you approach me? Why did you give me your attention and sweet words, assuring me that there was... something between us? I did not need you to love me, even! I know how men like you are, when you suddenly decide to keep your focus on a singular woman. It means you want something from her. But every time you were with me, you looked utterly distracted. As though you were only with me for a moment to make a point. If you were not interested, why did youwaste both out time? Why not indulge in the one who held your attention? It’s that woman, is it not? The one you had danced with?”
Cecil shook his head. “She is – was just a friend. I saw here standing with a man I believed had less than honourable intentions and I only left to go and help her –”
“Do not insult me, Your Grace. I saw how you looked at her. That woman has managed to capture you and you either do not realize it, or you are lying to yourself. It is none of my business, either way. All that I ask is that you cease any and every attempt to contact me.” She huffed, turning away from him.
Only to turn back to him again, this time looking sad.
“I really... I did not need you to love me. I really didn’t. But I thought you needed a companion at the very least. You seemed like the sort of man who marries to get it out of the way, as though it is a rather burdensome task you wished to be done with as quickly as possible. And I did not mind if that was the case, because you were kind to me, at first. If you changed your mind halfway and just told me... I would have understood that I was no longer what you felt you needed – just as I would have been fine marrying you for the sake of your duty. I apologize if that was rather forward – and presumptuous of me. Good night, Your Grace.”
She curtsied for the final time and completed her journey up the stairs, not turning back even once until she was out of sight.
Cecil sighed, feeling a headache starting to form as he decided this was a good time to retire for the evening. The walk there felt long and laden with shame, and he simply couldn’t wait until he was alone.
When he arrived, he barely rid himself of his clothes and shoes before he fell into bed, inhaling deeply, his heart stuttering when he realized Penelope’s scent still lingered in his sheets.
It had grown faint, and it was likely a reminder that things had finally reached their end.
Sleep eluded him for a long while before finally hitting him like atonof bricks, just before the night ended.
“You look awful.” Godric noted when Cecil slipped into his study the next morning.
“You don’t say. How strange, because I feel quite good,” Cecil grinned, trying not to wince when a twinge of pain flashed through his head.
His brother-in-law narrowed his eyes, pointedly looking down at the watch in his hand.
“It is early. Why are you up so early?”
Cecil shrugged, settling into a chair in front of Godric’s desk.
“I thought it would be best if I return to my estate as early as I could – especially because I have to make a stop on the way. You know the saying of the early bird and all that it could accomplish.” He said, waving a hand in the air casually.
Godric regarded him with a blank expression for a moment, then he leaned back in his own chair.
“So, you are not trying to run away before your sister rises and finds the opportunity to question why you look ghastly?”
It was Cecil’s turn to frown, and he looked petulant while he did so.
“That has nothing to do with it, and I think it is unfair for you to insinuate that I am in some way frightened of my sister –”
“So, you do not mind waiting here for a moment while I go and rouse her from her slumber to say goodbye?”
Cecil glared at Godric, wholly irritated by his friend’s loyalty to his sister.
“I was your friend long before you were married to my sister. Where is your loyalty to me?”
Godric sighed, slipping his watch into his pocket as he fixed a stern gaze on Cecil.
“She is my wife and your sister. Surely her happiness should take precedent. And you are like a brother to me, Cecil. I am only being strict because I worry for you. You have not been yourself lately and I fear – we fear that you might have gotten yourself into trouble of some kind.”
Cecil laughed humourlessly because it did not feel as though he was in trouble, but it certainly felt as though he had made one too many mistakes that had led to him losing important things. Things –peoplehe had taken for granted.
“And I wish you would not believe that you are being persecuted by the both of us. We do not come together to make things difficult for you. Have you ever considered that we are also your allies? Whatever it is that bothers you, we can help. Or at least try.” Godric added calmly.
Cecil wished he could come clean, but he was quite certain Nora would have his head on a pike if she learned of how he had interacted with Penelope. But other than that, he did not want to involve anyone else in his ruin.
