“You cannot do this,” Joseph said, trembling.
“I can. You own nothing that I have not provided with grace. You have no claim on our father’s estate. I am now the Duke in his stead, and I decide where to allocate my funds. And it seems that I have funded your depravity for far too long. This will end now.”
“No, Gerald, you can’t-”
“Your Grace,” Gerald demanded. “You will address me properly.”
“Your Grace, please-”
“Begging me is a very good start. Get out of my sight before I decide to cut you off right here and now.”
Joseph scrambled away without saying anything, in a hurry to get out of Gerald’s way, hoping that he would forget him.
The moment Joseph was out of the way, and he was alone, he let out the breath that he was holding. Arabella. He had to go and see Arabella right this minute.
Morgan was right. He was an absolute idiot. He just let Arabella go, and now she was alone, exposed to danger. He couldn’t even bear the thought that she wouldn’t be here. He missed her. God, more than missed her. He needed her.
He grabbed his coat and flew out of the house. He called for his carriage and ordered it to go straight to Lambourne Manor. And on the way, he was crumbling as panic set in. He had to see her and tell her all that he should have said, all that he felt. And if she still decided to go to Wales, he would escort her and then leave her alone.
When he saw Arabella’s paternal home, he felt his heart settle. Everything was going to be OK. He was going to explain to Arabella, ask her to forgive him, and he would accept any answer she would give, only that he would not tolerate her putting herself in danger.
He didn’t even wait to be announced. He just burst into the house, the staff unable to stop him.
“Arabella!”
Oswald came down the stairs from his study, looking at him as if he had gone mad, which was not entirely false.
“Your Grace, what are you doing here?”
“Where is Arabella? I need to talk to her.”
“She’s not here. She has left for Wales with Bridget. I thought you were aware of this.”
“When? When did she leave?”
“They… they left this morning.”
Gerald stood petrified, his heart heavy. She left. She left, and she still doesn’t know how he… No. He’s not going to let her go another mile without knowing, without understanding.
He ran outside and got into his carriage.
“Take the road to Wales. And fast.”
CHAPTER 28
Journey to Wales
The gentle rocking of the carriage was so soothing that both Winnie and Bridget had dozed off against the carriage pillows. But for Arabella, it was not enough. She simply sat there, watching the landscape shift beyond the window.
She looked at the world passing by, the endless green hills, the scattered houses in the distance, but she was not truly seeing any of it. She took everything in without thought: the warmth of the sun filtering through the glass, the steady grinding of the wheels against the road, the soft, uneven snore of her sister.
She had not regretted her decision. Bridget had been right. She needed to move forward. Going to Wales was, of course, an escape. No matter what she chose to call it, she knew she was running away. The problem was that not much else seemed tofollow. It felt as though her mind, her heart, and her soul had all been left behind in London.
“Where are we?” Bridget stirred awake.
She glanced out the window, and a smile blossomed across her face.
“Oh, this is truly beautiful,” Bridget said enthusiastically. “It seems that we have left London behind.”
