Page 38 of Always a Princess

“Viscount Ridley. You can thank me later.”

“Viscount Ridley? Is he an old man?”

“No, Soph. He’s the quiet, bookish one. Couldn’t be a day over twenty-five,” her sister replied.

Thea’s heart breathed a sigh of relief at that. “Girls, to bed. Tomorrow will be a big day.”

“What about you?”

“She’s leaving. Say your goodbyes. You will not be seeing her again in the morning.”

Louisa rushed to Thea’s side. “Father, what are you saying? Listen to yourself. This is Thea. She’s family.”

“And she will be gone before breakfast. I’ll make sure of it.”

And then he strode out of the room.

“What in the world is happening?” Louisa said.

“I fell asleep. I left the candle lit. This is all my fault,” Sophia said with tears pouring down her cheeks.

Thea held out an arm, and Sophia came toward her.

“No, stop that. It isn’t your fault. None of this is.” She wrapped both girls in her embrace, the way she had countless times over the last decade.

“What happened to Father? Has he lost his mind?” Louisa asked.

“He is angry and full of hate. They are blinding him.”

“But why?” Louisa cried. “How could he do this to you? How could he do this to us?”

As much as she wanted to break down and join them in tears, Thea decided it could be a productive teaching moment instead. Perhaps the last lesson she would ever impart to them.

“He isn’t thinking rationally. This is why we do not lose our tempers and let anger guide us. This is why we choose love over hate. Anger and hatred are unreliable guides as well as being dangerous, destructive, and unpredictable.”

“He did look like he hated you, Thea. I don’t understand,” Sophia cried.

“Because in that moment, he did.”

“But how? Why? This makes no sense.”

“Emotions often don’t. That is why we don’t make decisions based on emotion. That is what your father is doing right now.”

“But what happened?” Louisa asked. “Was it because you snuck out?”

“In part. Now you can both see firsthand that sneaking around is never wise. Learn that lesson, my dears.”

“But there must have been something else,” Sophia said.

“He learned of something in my past that I chose not to share with anyone. And now that it is known, your father fears it will ruin you.”

“What?” Sophia asked.

She looked at the two girls who had become beautiful, intelligent, kind young women. “I was married before.”

“You were?” Louisa’s eyes went wide. “When?”

“In India, of course,” Sophia said for her. “Was it romantic? Was he wonderful?”