Page 59 of Mad Duke March

Light footsteps making their way down the grand staircase caught her attention. She turned to see the Dowager Duchess of Tyrone approaching her.

Emily froze, watching the woman elegantly glide down the stairs and traverse the hall before stopping a few steps away.

“Duchess,” she said softly.

“Your Grace.” Emily bobbed a quick curtsy.

The dowager stiffened, her hands briefly curled into fists before letting go. “I am glad to finally make your acquaintance. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Emily wished she could have said the same. “A pleasure.”

“I wanted to apologize for the way we had to meet. I thought in a small company of friends, my son wouldn’t be able to ignore me. Evidently, I was wrong.”

“I haven’t known him long,” Emily admitted. “But I’ve come to realize that he can ignore anyone under any circumstances if he puts his mind to it.” She grimaced at the bitter tone of her voice. She wished she could control her emotions better.

“I have no doubt that his reaction hurt you, but I assure you that the fault lies with me, not you.”

Emily swallowed. Perhaps the way he stormed away had nothing to do with Emily, but the fact that he left her behind spoke volumes against her.

“It is clear that he cares for you,” the dowager continued, and Emily couldn’t help the involuntary bitter laugh that left her lips.

“Is it?”

“And it is clear that you care for him, too.” The dowager paused, wringing her hands. “I watched you that day at the theater. You couldn’t take your eyes off each other.”

Emily’s breath caught. Oh, how humiliating, but that sweet memory washed gently over her bruised heart. Their quiet conversation, that gentle but scandalous kiss were their first steps toward a harmonious marriage. How fragile was their foundation to let that all crumble so easily?

A tear slid from the corner of her eye, and she wiped it away. “I do care for your son. But I don’t know how much he cares for me if he didn’t see fit to introduce me to his mother.”

The dowager grimaced. “I assure you, it has nothing to do with you. He despises me.”

Despises? Such a strong word. “Why?”

“He thinks I left him.”

Emily frowned. Women lie and cheat and sneak out in the middle of the night and leave their defenseless children alone and vulnerable. “Left him?”

“Ran away from the house leaving him behind,” the woman clarified.

“And you didn’t?”

“I did.” She looked down at her hands, fiddling with the skirt of her gown before meeting Emily’s gaze again. “But I had no choice. You must understand. You are married to my son, a duke. You know how powerful one’s husband is especially with a title such as his. Unlike my son, my husband was not a caring man. He was spiteful, angry, and violent to both me and my child. I tried to protect my son, but all I was left with were bruises and even broken ribs.” She placed a hand against her stomach and took a deep breath before she was able to continue. “He wanted to get rid of me from the moment I gave birth to a son. And he didn’t allow me to be close to my child, either. I stood in the way of ‘disciplining’ him. I was in the way of him becoming a man, a duke. I was simply in the way. If I hadn’t run, I would have been dead. Not a minute goes by that I don’t regret leaving my child with him. But if I hadn’t, he would have tracked us down and he would have killed me. The duke didn’t want me. But he wouldn’t have stopped if I had taken his heir.”

Emily’s chest constricted. She was in a unique position to understand this woman’s pain. That could have been her. If Alec was like his father, violent and angry, he could have killed her or her unborn child and nobody would have been able to intervene. Not even her family. But this poor woman in front of her didn’t have a family it seemed. She had no one. Nothing.

But neither did her husband.

“How old was Alec?”

The dowager blinked up at her. “Pardon?”

“How old was your son when you left him?”

The duchess swallowed audibly, her chest rising with a heavy breath. “Nine. He was nine years old when I ran away.”

Emily looked away.

“I left when I knew he would be safe at school for most of the year.” She paused. “But I am back now. Although I realize that I cannot undo what I have done, I would love to form a relationship with my son. I would love to explain to him why I ran and how much I wish I hadn’t. Even if it killed me.”