Abel would have loved to go with her, but he held himself back. He watched her leave, wishing he could find a way to undo the mess that had happened. He could still feel eyes turned in his direction, and he tried to ignore how uncomfortable the attention made him feel.
Going after her would raise more than a few eyebrows. He strode across the lawn and met her mother instead.
“Would you kindly check if all is well with Lady Bridget?” he asked politely after describing what had happened, even though she witnessed it herself.
“Certainly—”
“I’ll send a maid to help her clean up,” he added.
Ruth watched him curiously, probably taken aback as to why the Duke was concerned about her daughter’s well-being, although she gave him a small smile before walking off in her daughter’s direction. “Of course.”
Abel couldn’t understand why he felt this degree of concern for Bridget. These kinds of feelings were foreign to him, and he’d never felt this protective for another woman except Olivia.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
It was the night before the wedding, and a little smile danced on Bridget’s lips as she clutched a book in her hand on her way to the library, the sound of her soft footsteps echoing in the silent hallway.
At last, she was finished with it—the book she and Abel had been reading together.
She couldn’t help but wonder if he had finished reading it as well. She mused on what his thoughts on the novel’s conclusion would’ve been.
Did the male protagonist’s grand gesture of love truly make his nose scrunch up as he claimed it would? With such whimsical questions filling her mind, she couldn’t help but chuckle softly to herself.
A blush spread across her cheeks, a warm reminder of her constant inner turmoil when thoughts of him arose. Shequestioned why he occupied her thoughts so persistently, why she could not seem to break free from his captivating hold.
It was a perplexing sensation, one that both delighted and confounded her. Perhaps she knew the answers to her questions as well, yet she was not ready to face them.
As she approached the library, however, Bridget’s previous thoughts dissipated as the sound of hushed whispers drifed out of the nearby study.
Curiosity filled her, compelling her to inch closer, drawn by the intensity of the whispered conversation.
“They sent word the day before, as I said. If we don’t pay up, we shall be forced to give up our lands on the morrow.”
Bridget’s breath caught in her throat as the words reached her ears, spoken in a hushed tone that betrayed the gravity of the situation.
Her father’s voice was laced with desperation and urgency. Her eyes widened in shock, her mind racing to comprehend the implications of such a dire statement. With bated breath, she strained to hear more, her heart pounding in her chest.
“It’s simply unfortunate how deep in debt we are, Son. It’s overwhelming. If only we hadn’t trusted the wrong people. Look at us now, left in this mess.”
The tired sound of her elder brother’s voice shocked Bridget even more. He did his best to offer reassurance as he spoke, “I know, Father. It’s a difficult situation, but we must trust in the plan.”
His tone dropped as he continued, “Olivia’s dowry will provide us with a significant amount of money after the wedding. We will be back on our feet soon.”
Bridget’s jaw dropped, and she stayed frozen in place. Her entire system seemed to shut down, and she felt completely overwhelmed by the weight of the words resounding in her ears. Elliot continued to speak, but her ears could barely hear anymore.
“We could have never anticipated such losses. It is a heavy burden to bear, but there’s nothing good to come from dwelling on it, especially with the wedding this close.”
His tone was anxious. “You assured them they’d get payments made after the wedding, did you not, Father?”
“Of course, I did. It was in the letter I sent the day before and the one sent at noon.” However, Leonard’s worry persisted. “Yet, what if they come knocking on our door, demanding payment during the morning before the wedding, as they’ve threatened?”
His tone was tight. “Or worse, what if they disrupt the ceremony? Are you certain you do not wish to inform your bride of such possible complexities?”
“Olivia need not be anxious on her wedding day.” Elliot’s tone revealed his own anxiety as he replied, “I understand your fears, Father. We shall do everything we can to handle this delicately. For now, let’s think of a solution and ensure that the wedding goes smoothly.”
Bridget remained frozen in shock till the conversation began drawing to a close. Then she managed to retrace her steps back to her destination, righteous anger radiating from her body.
“Sister? What are you doing in here?”
