"And let me remind you," Andrew continued, his voice like steel, "who you're speaking to. Watch your tone."
"David, stop," Lavinia said softly, her voice trembling.
Both of them turned to her, Andrew with frustration, and David with curiosity mixed with anger.
"It wasn't him," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "This was...it was my plan. My foolish, thoughtless plan."
David stared at her, his anger twisting into disbelief. "What?"
Lavinia took a shaky breath, her hands clutching the fabric of her gown. "Papa has been relentless, David. He won't stop. Every day, he pushes harder. I...I couldn't take it anymore."
"So you thought sneaking into a man's room was the solution?" David's voice rose again, though some of the fire had dimmed.
David turned sharply to Lavinia, his expression as dark as thunderclouds. His jaw worked as though he was trying to force himself to stay composed, but he just couldn't control himself. "This...this was your desperate act, wasn't it?"
"It was a mistake," Lavinia said, her voice trembling as she clutched her hands tightly in front of her. "I...I wasn't thinking. I just—I spoke to Edwina, and Papa has just been..." She trailed off, her gaze dropping to the floor as her cheek flushed crimson. "He is determined to send me away, David. You know this. He gives me no space, and he wouldn't leave me alone. I am suffocating! I cannot even breathe properly these days. I had to do something."
David's face hardened, his anger unwavering despite her trembling voice. "Do you hear yourself, Lavinia?" he demanded.
"I didn't know this was the duke's room," she said and let out a frustrated sigh. "I thought it was someone else's. I told you, I wasn't thinking."
"You thought sneaking into a man's room—any man's room—was a solution? Have you completely lost your mind?"
"David," Andrew instinctively chimed in, noticing how Lavinia flinched at her brother's harsh tone. Her pale face and trembling hands told him she was already punishing herself far more than David's words could. "That's enough."
David turned to him. "Enough? Andrew, this is my sister. Do you have any idea what she has just risked?"
"Yes, I do. And you don't need to make it worse by tearing her to pieces. She's already upset. Can't you see that?"
"She should be upset," David snapped. "This is a disaster! Do you know what people will say if they find out? If Father found out?"
"I am so sorry!" Lavinia said. "I was desperate and it was a stupid attempt. I have apologized to the duke. I already admitted that I made a mistake. Can you just let it be, please?"
"Let it be?" David retorted. "Are you saying that because you truly don't know what you just did? People must have seen you come here. Staff, guests...people will see you leave this room as well. How stupid can you truly be?"
"David, calm down," Andrew said again. "People will hear you if you keep yelling."
"I don't care who hears me," David snapped, his voice still thick with rage. "What I care about is what people will say when they find out my sister was alone with a man, in his room, with no good reason for it." His eyes turned back to Lavinia, and a flicker of concern mixed with the anger. "And what I care about is that you've completely lost your senses, Lavinia. Do you know how reckless this was? How it could ruin everything?"
He immediately turned to Andrew and took a deep breath. "Andrew, this situation, whatever it is...cannot just end like this. You're a man of standing, and she's my sister. I can't just let this go."
Andrew squinted his eyes. "What are you suggesting?"
David's jaw tightened as he brought both hands to his hips. "You should at least consider marrying her."
Andrew's lips curled into a slight, bemused smile as he processed David's words. "Marry her?" he repeated, his tone rich with amusement. He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning slightly back as if he were surveying an unexpected spectacle. "David, surely you jest."
"That's absurd, David. He's a..." Lavinia paused and looked to Andrew, as if stopping herself from speaking her mind.
"You can say it," Andrew said to her, meeting her eyes. "I am exactly that."
His gaze lingered on Lavinia, longer than necessary. She couldn't even meet his eyes. She looked so helpless, he felt a nudge in him to do something about it. There was a weariness in her expression, yes, but also something deeper...something that twisted his gut like a haunting nightmare he couldn't shake. It stirred a memory he had buried long ago, raw and unwelcome.
She wasn't just a woman in a compromising situation, she was someone who had been backed into a corner, someone who reminded him of the parts of his past that he had tried to forget. He had no interest in becoming her savior, but in that brief moment, he couldn't help but feel a tug of sympathy, a desire to help her. Because of that buried part of his past, he found it hard to remain detached, despite the fact that he didn't want to get involved.
He had seen this before. But he didn't want to think about that now. It hurt too much to think about.
"I cannot marry her," Andrew said. "I will not. But, I can help."
