Chapter Forty – Never Again
After taking the wounded Mr. Turner to his parents’ house, where his mother quickly called for a doctor, a look of tension, and yet, incredible relief on her face as she learnt of her husband’s fate and realised that her son could have shared it, they all returned home to their townhouse.
The moment the doors opened, Beth breathed a sigh of relief. Although the morning had hardly progressed, all their lives had changed, and the events that had happened at dawn that day would forever be remembered.
“Good night,” Tristan called after his sister and her husband as they ascended the stairs, barely able to keep their eyes open. “I shall have a hearty breakfast prepared as soon as you wake.”
Beth smiled as she saw the glow in her husband’s eyes and knew without a doubt that the future had never looked so bright. “I do not consider myself a petty person,” she said, and he turned to look at her, “however, I feel compelled to tell you that I told you she wouldn’t turn from you, did I not? She’s your sister, and she loves you; that will never change.”
A deep smile came to his face as he stepped toward her. “Yes, you were right, and it does feel good to be reminded of that. You saw things that I did not, that I did not want to see. And although I spoke to you harshly, you never stopped looking out for me and telling me the truth.”
“Lies serve no one,” Beth insisted, and she remembered the sense of panic that had washed over her when she had found his letter that morning. Had it truly been only that morning? It felt like a lifetime ago!
Swallowing, she walked up to him, her eyes holding his. Her lips tightened, and she noted his brows furrowing slightly as he tried to understand what was happening. Then her arms shot out, and her fingers curled into his coat. Yanking him down to her, she touched her nose to his and commanded, “Don’t you ever do such a thing again, do you hear me? You do not have only your own life to worry about now; I’d rather not become a widow any time soon. Did I make myself clear?”
A slow smile curled up the corners of his mouth as his arms slowly came around her. “Perfectly clear,” he whispered as his head lowered and his lips claimed hers.
Enjoying the feel of his body against hers and feeling his beating heart under her fingertips, Beth marvelled at the lies and secrets and misunderstandings that made life so unpredictable and had the power to change it almost instantly. If things had gone any differently, she might be a widow now, and his uncle might be the new Viscount Elton.
That thought sent a shudder down her back.
However, a moment later, her husband’s arms picked her up and carried her up the stairs. As the door to their bedroom closed behind them, Beth whispered a silent goodbye to the past and welcomed the future with open arms.
***
Later that day, they all sat around the dining room table enjoying supper in the company of family and friends. Never in his life had Tristan felt so much at home in this house than in that moment right then and there.
With his wife by his side, he knew that the future could not look any brighter than it already did. For the first time in his life, he was truly and utterly in love, and the very sight of her quickened his pulse. Unable to keep his hands off her, his fingers often brushed against hers as they ate and laughed, told stories and listened to those told by the others.
His sister, too, appeared relaxed as though a large burden had been lifted off her shoulders. A burden she had been carrying her whole life. And although Tristan knew that the renewal of their bond had something to do with it, he could not fail to see the deep love and devotion that existed between her and her new husband.
“You simply rode up to Hampton Hall and asked for her hand?” Beth asked, her eyes sparkling as she waited for Connor to answer.
“I did,” he chuckled and glanced at his wife, a smirk on his face, “and she didna like it.”
Everyone laughed−even Derek−as Henrietta rolled her eyes. “Of course, I didn’t. You have to admit you were a bit condescending when we met in the clearing.”
“Condescending?” her husband asked, his tone teasing. “Or intimidating?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Condescending. I never feared you. Not even then.”
Holding her gaze, he nodded. “I believe ye, Lass, for I know that the only thing ye ever feared was how ye felt about me.”
Henrietta drew in a deep breath, and for a moment, Tristan thought she would lash out at her husband as she would have in the past when someone – anyone−had dared to suggest that she was afraid of anything. However, she didn’t. Instead, a soft smile came to her face, and she nodded her head. “Did that ever scare you?”
“Of course, it did,” he boomed, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “Even upon our first meeting, ye lifted yer sword to my chest. Believe me, Lass, for a long time I didna know if ye held any love for me in yer heart, and I freely admit that it terrified me.”
For a long time, the two of them looked at each other, and Tristan shifted his gaze to his wife, who smiled back at him knowingly. “It is wonderful to see her so happy,” he whispered to her, gently squeezing her hand. “And to find myself knowing exactly how that feels.”
As the evening progressed, they left the dining room and sat out on the terrace overlooking the garden as the sun gleamed dark red in the sky, streaks of purple and orange painted across it. A fountain gurgled nearby, and nightingales began to sing.
“Then why did you marry him?” Beth asked, and Tristan was delighted with her eagerness to learn about his sister.
Henrietta’s face darkened. “My uncle insisted. He threatened to throw me out of the house if I did not.”
Beth gasped. “And so, you did?” She glanced at Tristan. “Why did you not speak to your brother? He would have helped you.” Then she laughed. “Not that I don’t think everything worked out for the best for you both.”
A smile on her face, Henrietta nodded before her gaze grew serious. “In that moment, I wasn’t certain he would.” She looked at Tristan then, and her eyes held deep sorrow and regret. “As much as I always feared the influence of others on my life, I allowed myself to be manipulated. My uncle knew very well what to say to make me doubt myself as well as my brother’s love and loyalty.” She shook her head. “Looking back now, I cannot believe how I could ever think that my brother would abandon me, but in that moment…” Shaking her head, she shrugged her shoulders. “I cannot explain it.”
Tristan reached out his hand to his sister. “I never saw his intentions, either, and I stubbornly refused to believe my friend’s as well as my wife’s counsel. I feel like a fool for all the excuses I’ve given to explain his behaviour toward me, toward my wife and our marriage.”
Beth nodded. “Often it is difficult to understand other people’s motivations as we are all influenced by our own ambitions and desires.” She swallowed, and Tristan could see the strain it still put on her to speak of the lies and secrets of her own past. “When I was little, my mother took me away from my father because he was physically abusive as well.”
Henrietta tensed, and her eyes sought Beth’s.
“I never knew,” his wife continued. “I never knew any of it. When my mother died, I came to London and learnt what had happened and that my father was actually a peer, I was angry with her because in that moment, I believed that she had robbed me of a better life. I suppose it is human nature to want more, to only see that which we do not have and take for granted that which we do. But it is not a good way to live. It is a life filled with regret and envy and unhappiness.” Looking from one to the next, a sense of relief came to her face. “Now, I can see the wisdom in her actions. Now, I know that my mother didn’t betray me, but gave me the greatest gift. She saw me safe. She made certain that I never learnt the meaning of fear, not in my own home, not within my own family. It was a blessing. She gave me confidence and self-respect, and I’m stronger because of what she did, and I don’t want to imagine what would have happened if she hadn’t had the courage to do what she did.”
As the rest of them remained silent, Henrietta nodded. “I often wondered what our lives would have been like if our mother had had the courage to leave. But you’re right. Such thinking does not serve a purpose. Nothing changes the past. It made us who we are today, and although we might regret what happened, we should not allow it to shape our future.” Looking at her husband, she smiled, “I am happy now, truly happy, and I never thought I would be.” Then she looked at Tristan and Beth, and her eyes glowed with the deep emotion she spoke of. “And I can see that you are, too. So, despite what happened in the past, we are incredibly lucky to have found love after all…and to still have each other.”
Tristan drew in a deep breath as she held his gaze, her head slowly nodding up and down. “You are my brother, and we are family. Nothing will ever change that, and I shall never doubt you. Never again.”
Tristan smiled, his heart lighter than it had ever been. “Neither shall I.”
“Good,” Derek said, and they all turned to him, almost having forgotten his presence. As silent as he often was, his watchful eyes never missed anything. “I wish you all the happiness you certainly deserve and have earned through all the trials life put in your paths.” Then a soft grin came to his face, which almost startled Tristan, as he looked at his friend. “At least now we know that you aren’t cursed after all. However, I still advise you to stay away from dark alleys, for now you have a lot to lose, and it is not wise to tempt fate.”
“Thank you, my friend,” Tristan said, knowing in his heart that without Derek, his life would have ended long ago, losing every chance for a happily-ever-after, “for all you did. I can only hope that we will soon see you equally happy. It is my dearest wish, and no one deserves it more than you.”
Derek drew in a deep breath, nodding his head almost imperceptibly as his eyes grew distant.
Smiling, Tristan wondered if his friend’s thoughts had strayed to Lady Madeline.
Who knew what the future would bring?
Anything was possible!