“Because they do not deserve to be happy. Not after hurting you, Father. I thought Joanna’s choice was wrong. I believed she hurt you by breaking your arrangement, and I wanted to make her suffer for it.”
Joanna, stunned by Judith’s admission, responded with a mix of hurt and frustration. “Judith, I thought you understood the struggles women face in our society. You said that you agreed that your father and I were a poor match. How could you turn against me like this?”
“At first, I thought you were right, but the more I saw you gushing over His Grace, the more I saw my father miserable. Ijust… I… I am so angry. He is miserable! Because of you. The two of you! And now I hear this was not even real?”
Joanna looked at Kenneth, who took a step forward. “The circumstances of our courtship are peculiar, but I assure you that what you set out to ruin was very much real, Lady Judith,” he said.
Joanna’s heart sank at the use of the word “was.” Was their union over because of her actions? If so, didn’t she deserve it?
Lord Worcester, grappling with disappointment, interjected, “Judith, what you’ve done is not the way to solve problems. As for my courtship, it is still early days, and I already decided that she and I are a poor match. As often, you let your imagination run away with you.” He ran a hand through his hair and looked at Joanna. “The truth is, I was enamored with the idea of having a young, pretty wife. It is true. So, when your father brought up the idea, I was all for it, though I knew in my heart that it was not a good match.”
Joanna’s head snapped around. So, it had been her father’s idea all along. She wished she were surprised, but no. She would have expected it from her father.
“But you were so sad when it was called off,” Judith pointed out.
“Because I had thought it a good arrangement for us all. You’d have a stepmother who could be a friend to you… In any case, I was not as distraught as you thought, Judith. You should have come to me. We should have talked about this as a family.” LordWorcester inhaled sharply and then exhaled through his nostrils while Joanna glared at her father, who did not dare look her in the eye.
Judith’s eyes glistened with regret, realizing the extent of the damage she had caused. “I’m sorry, Father. I just wanted you to be happy, and I let my emotions cloud my judgment.”
Joanna, grappling with the betrayal, struggled to find the words. “You may have had good intentions, but this was not the way to handle things, Judith. You’ve done more damage than you realize.”
She looked around the room, realizing just how awful today’s revelations were. As the truth unfolded, the shattered relationships within the family seemed irreparable. Lord Worcester, faced with the consequences of his daughter’s misguided actions, now had to navigate the aftermath and find a way to mend the bonds strained by deceit. Sally had been disillusioned with it came to their father, and while Joanna had yet to learn the full extent of her father’s theft, she sensed it would not make things any better. It would take a long time to repair what had been broken—if it ever could.
And Kenneth? Could he forgive her for her harsh words? Her judgment? Could she forgive herself?
Her father spoke up then for the first time since his deceit had been revealed. “Lord Worcester, would you mind taking Lady Judith home?”
Lord Worcester nodded solemnly, gesturing for Judith to follow him.
As they left, Judith turned to Joanna, a plea in her eyes. “Joanna, please, forgive me.”
Joanna, still grappling with the betrayal, replied coolly, “We’ll discuss this another time, Judith. I need time to process everything.”
Once Judith had left, Joanna turned toward Kenneth, her eyes filled with a mix of confusion and regret. “I don’t know what to say. I should never have believed her.”
Sally, ever the voice of reason, said, “This is a conversation you two need to have in private.” She exchanged a meaningful look with their father before leaving the room.
As they exited, they could hear Rosy’s curious voice demanding to know what was going on.
The Earl, perhaps feeling the weight of the truth pressing down on him, replied, “That’s Joanna and the Duke’s business, but I need to talk to both you and Sally as well. And your mother.”
Joanna realized that her father was prepared to come clean about his misdeeds, apologize for his actions, and make amends. Just as she would have to do as well, and hope that Kenneth could forgive her.
CHAPTER 33
When their voices faded, Kenneth observed Joanna’s agitated pacing, the rhythmic tap of her fingertips reflecting the unrest within her. He knew she had to feel terrible, as she’d thought the worst of him. Then again, so had he.
Unwilling to see her in such distress, he stepped closer. He called her name softly, and she turned around, her eyes betraying a mix of regret and vulnerability.
“I’m sorry,” Joanna whispered, her voice heavy with remorse. “I shouldn’t have believed anything Judith said. I was so willing to accept it all because of my father, even though I know you and I know your heart.”
Her father? What does this mean? Is it because he—Oh.
Kenneth nodded. “You thought I would cheat because your father did—and I told you mine did also.”
“Yes. I have long believed the worst of men. Even when I saw you were different, I could not allow myself to truly let go of those fears, and when Judith confirmed them, I… something inside me shattered.”
He wanted to hug her, hold her, but he knew this wasn’t the time. They had more to discuss. “Is your reluctance to marry tied to your father’s infidelity as well?”
