Page 79 of The Duke's Promise to Her Child
“I love them,” Mary said quickly.
Helena glanced at Clara, who tilted her chin toward the door. The two of them retreated back to the drawing room. Clara pulled the door to — not all the way, propriety being what it was — and they returned to their seats.
All four of the Langley women had migrated toward the door frame during their absence. Marianne was balancing Lavinia on her hip.
“That is your maid,” Frances said.
“And the gentleman your husband tried to match you with is making a push for her,” Charlotte added.
“And one of the very first suitors Nathaniel brought into the house,” Evelyn pointed out. “He was perfectly pleasant. I would know him and his daisies anywhere.”
“Oh, he is the one with the daisies,” Marianne said, nodding. “Evelyn scared him away.”
“I scared them all away, which was the point. But he would make a fine match for someone who is not me.”
Helena smiled. “Apparently Gideon put him up to it.”
“Gideon?” Frances exclaimed.
“Yes. I did not know he had paid such close attention to the things I said, but apparently he had.”
“Oh, Gideon listens to everything and retains everything, even when he doesn’t share it,” Frances said. “He has always been that way.”
Helena absorbed this. A part of her had already known it.
They returned to their seats. Lavinia had fallen asleep against Marianne’s shoulder, and Helena reached over and gathered her, settling the little girl in her own lap with her head nuzzled against her collarbone.
Frances took a quiet breath. “May I ask a question?”
“Of course.”
“I am somewhat aware of what has transpired at Blackthorne. Only because James left this morning to see Gideon — Gideon wrote to him.” She paused. “He also wrote to ask that we keep a weather eye on you while you are in town, and put funds at your disposal should you require them.” She nodded at her cousins. “As are they. We are rather like a small village.”
“Right,” Helena said. She could not face any of them and so fixed her gaze on the teapot, its contents by now gone cold.
“What happened exactly?” Charlotte asked.
Helena sighed. She did not want to talk about it. And yet not talking about it was exactly what had brought her here.
“I did not tell them anything,” Clara said quietly.
Right. Should she really share her deepest thoughts with these women? They were not exactly her friends — Clara was, but she barely knew the others. And yet somehow each of their lives was intricately woven into the fabric of hers now. By way of Gideon. Several of them knew Gideon better than she did.
She took a breath.
“I was afraid of him,” she said.
“Of Gideon?” Frances exclaimed. “He is all bravado.”
“He does have a temper,” Charlotte put in. “Not a violent one. Though I know he has planted a facer on more than one gentleman. Always richly deserved. But he would never harm a woman.”
“He never would,” Clara agreed. “Was he ever unkind to you?”
Helena shook her head. “The opposite. He has done so much for me.” She paused. “He never mistreated me. I know how it must sound. I have no reason to have been afraid of him. And in truth I was not afraid of him — not until after we were married. There were occasions on which I was not pleased by his outbursts of temper, but I was not truly afraid. I don’t even know if afraid isquite the right word. It is just that in the past—” She stopped. Wrapped her arms around herself. “My former husband was very charming when we first met. I thought he was kind and generous and that he would be a good husband. But once we were married I found the opposite to be true. He was unkind. He treated me very badly. Especially after he began to suspect that my father was not related to an earl at all.” She bit her lip. “He became dismissive. Increasingly so.”
“Did he hurt you?” Evelyn asked. Her tone was gentle but direct.
“He would shout at me. Tell me I was worth nothing. That I had tricked him. That I could never be the kind of wife he needed. He would grab me by the arms or the wrist. Drag me. Push me. Once or twice he pushed me to the ground. He would raise his hand, and — well. Once he did more than raise it.”
