Page 72 of An Orphan for the Broken Duke

Was it because of how he had treated her this last week? That felt absurd, and he knew that she would not have left Lucy if that was the only reason. There must have been something else… a cause that he did not know or understand.

Or maybe, and this was what hurt the most, it was just that she hated him. He had spurned her, refused her, and in so doing he had turned the one woman against him who had dared to care for him… who he cared for just as deeply in return.

She is right to hate me, and that realization hurts more than anything.

Rhys watched with dismay as Mr. Marrow walked into the room and sat with Lucy. And his heart crashed and caught a flame when Lucy threw her little arms around the aged servant and started to weep.

He wanted that to be him… he wanted to be there for her! But such was the type of man that he was, that Rhys did not know how. And likely, he never would.

With that final thought ringing in his ears, the weight of his failure settled on his shoulders so that it was crushing, Rhys turned from the nursery and walked down the hallway. And as was common in his life, and would be for some time, he did so alone.

Rhys spent the rest of that morning in a state of anxious worry.

He wanted to determine a way that he might be able to help Lucy through her sadness—that he might possibly make her see that this was not the end of the world, as she seemed to think. Try as he might to do that, he could not divorce his thoughts from Violet.

To go after her was the right thing to do, and Rhys was certain that if he did so, if he explained himself and apologized, that she would come back to him. But to do that would be to ignore the warning voice in his head that screamed at him of the dangers such a thing would present.

Still, he was sure that if Violet did return, it would be worse for her in the long run, as it would be worse for Lucy.

I just need to get through these first few days. Once I do, I will realize this was the right decision.

So it was that when Mr. Marrow informed Rhys that they had an unexpected visitor, Rhys perked up, his heart soared, and for a minute he dared to wonder if it was Violet returning. And for those few blessed seconds, he was able to pretend that all was well again.

“It is Miss Beaumont,” Mr. Marrow explained when he saw the hope in Rhys’ eyes. “She has returned to collect a few forgotten items.”

“Oh.” Rhys sank down in his chair. “Yes, that makes sense.”

“Shall I allow her access to the property?” Mr. Marrow asked him. “She is in the foyer at the moment, but I was not sure if —”

“Of course you ought to,” Rhys cut him off. “Her sister is still my wife, legally speaking, and this is still her home.” He said it sharply, as if Mr. Marrow was somehow to blame.

“Your Grace.” Mr. Marrow bowed and turned to leave.

“Wait,” Rhys called out without meaning to. His first thought was to ignore Rose entirely, because that would be easier to do. But he needed answers. He had to know why. “Might you inform Lucy that Rose is here,” he found himself saying. “No doubt she will wish to see her.”

“Are you certain, Your Grace?”

“I am.” He nodded firmly as he stood. “I will speak to Miss Beaumont myself.” Rhys strode from the office, feeling nowhere near as confident as he pretended he was.

Rose stood waiting in the foyer, and when Rhys appeared at the top of the staircase, she showed no indication whatsoever that she was surprised to see him.

“Rose.” Rhys started down the staircase, again to appear confident and in complete control. His world was not falling apart, and he was certainly not at a loss as to what he should do. “I thought I might see you today.”

“Did you now?” She had her arms folded and she raised a questioning eyebrow at him.

“The two of you left in such a rush last evening…” Rhys reached the bottom of the staircase and stopped, almost as if he was afraid to get too close to Rose. “Some might even call it fleeing, as if from a crime scene. It is no wonder a few things were missed.”

“That was my sister’s decision,” Rose said simply. “She thought you might appreciate waking to an empty home.”

“How selfless of her.”

“Personally, I disagreed with her decision,” Rose continued, dropping her arms, her voice softening. “In fact, I am quite certain that she disagrees with it too.”

“She…” He blinked as hope rose in his chest. “She does?”

Rose looked at him with pity. “She did not leave because she hates you, Your Grace. Typically, with Violet, she left because she has the absurd notion that it is the right thing to do.”

“And why does she think that?” Rhys demanded. “Do you know what I woke to this morning? I woke to the sound of tears. A three-year-old girl who has no idea what is going on but knows enough to feel distraught. Did she not think of Lucy when she decided to leave?”