Duty's Destiny by Wendy Soliman

Author:Wendy Soliman [Soliman, Wendy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, (¯`'•.¸//(*_*)\\¸.•'´¯)
ISBN: 9781619370463
Publisher: Robert Hale
Published: 2006-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

DINNER AT RIVERSIDE HOUSE that evening was a fraught affair. Even Miss Willoughby seemed to sense the tension rippling between Felix and Saskia and was unusually quiet. Saskia treated Fothergill with cold contempt. The school master clearly realised that he’d overstepped the mark and was going out of his way to be especially charming to her, his pomposity for once set aside. Saskia didn’t once look in Felix’s direction, and answered any remark he addressed to her with the minimum of civility. He knew it was nothing less than he deserved.

Shortly before eleven o’clock, Felix entered Mrs. Rivers’s private apartment and found the old lady there alone. She smiled and bade him sit beside her.

“Well, my lord,” she said, “I don’t know how you normally conduct your affairs, but you’ve been in my house for not much more than a week and life certainly hasn’t been dull during that time.”

“I’m sorry to have wreaked so much havoc, Mrs. Rivers. I would that it could have been otherwise.”

“That someone else could have informed me of my brother’s wrong doing? Yes, I dare say you do, and I’ve tried to persuade Saskia to that point of view.” She sighed. “I’m sure she will eventually come to see that you had no alternative but to act as you did.”

“Perhaps, but I’ve done enough damage, arrogantly assuming that I knew what was best for her. I wonder if I could prevail upon you to repair the damage and persuade her not to confront her father? The strain will be too much for her, I fear.”

“No.” Mrs. Rivers shook her head decisively, setting the ribbons on her cap dancing. “I shall not attempt to dissuade her. She must do it, for her own sake. I’m relieved that she’s finally spoken about her reasons for leaving her father’s house, even if I’m shocked and deeply upset by what she told us. I guessed something of what must have happened when she arrived in such a state, of course, but, still, my mind was reluctant to acknowledge the awful truth.” Mrs. Rivers paused to collect herself. “That my brother could act in such a manner saddens me deeply.”

“He’s unspeakably barbaric in his authority over his children, but — ”

“My niece is fragile, Lord Western. She works as hard as she does partly of necessity and partly, I suspect, to keep her mind from dwelling on the past. By forcing her to face up to those memories and demonstrating just how closely her father still manipulates her, you’ve unwittingly destroyed what little peace of mind she’s managed to achieve. She must now do what she feels is right, for her own sake, as well as that of the twins.”

“I can see that, of course, but — ”

Mrs. Rivers cut him off for the second time, and looked him squarely in the eye. “You must give me your assurance that you won’t hurt her,” she said. “It would destroy her.”

Felix didn’t pretend to misunderstand, but simply bowed in acquiescence.

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