“Oh, good.” Mrs. Helen clasped her hands together in relief. “Thank the heavens. I saw her go to the ballroom, Your Grace.”
He thanked her before rushing on. His mind raced even faster, trying to find the right words to say. He owed Georgiana an apology, he accepted that. But there was still the fact of having to reassure her that it was all a misunderstanding that they would be able to sort out together.
Pushing the doors open, Owen spotted her at once. His wife stood in the middle of the closed-up ballroom with her arms wrapped around herself.
“Georgiana.” He strode toward her as she turned to face him.
“No.” When he hesitated, she added, “Don’t come any further. I need to talk to you, Owen.”
“And I you. I’ll talk about anything you want to,” he said. He took another step forward before he caught himself and stopped. “Georgiana, I don’t know exactly what you’ve learned, but––”
She cleared her throat. “I know enough. In fact, I rather believe I know everything.” She was close enough for him to see her red-rimmed eyes—she had been crying. But she was too far away for him to hold her. “A very special letter arrived to tell me all that you refused to confess.”
Steadying his breathing, Owen nodded slowly. “You’re right. I should have told you. I should have shared everything with you.”
“Yes, you should have!” Her voice rose several octaves as her self-restraint began to slip. “How could you? I can’t believe I ever thought you could come to care for me. All of this has been a lie. All you ever wanted to do was hurt me. How dare you be so cruel, Owen?”
The blood drained from his face as she railed. It was more serious than he had expected. She was even more upset about Benedict than he thought possible. While he didn’t know that the situation warranted such rage, he quickly spoke up to try and calm her.
“You’re right,” he said with a reluctant nod. “Georgiana, I did a cruel thing and kept the truth from you. I am sorry. I mean that, I am sorry. Mrs. Helen told me about the letter, and I only wanted to––”
“Is it true?” Georgiana asked through gritted teeth. She marched up to him, looking him in the eye. “Is it?”
She was still beautiful in her rage. Owen stared at her while wishing he could fix all of this. He could feel the pain radiating from her. Though his hands itched to hold her, he forced himself to stay put.
“Yes. It is,” he admitted at last. “But I never expected Benedict would actually run and––”
Georgiana let out a heart-wrenching sob that nearly broke him. Clasping a hand over her mouth, she stepped around him.
He turned around as she cried out, “I can’t bear it!”
And then she ran, leaving him behind.
CHAPTER29
Georgiana couldn’t keep the tears from falling, and she hated it.
Had she not spent a lifetime learning to hold back her tears and frustration and pain? Had she not come into this marriage with low expectations of a husband who didn’t care for her?
What a fool I have been!
She cursed her heart more than anything as she ran through the house. Though she couldn’t bear to look back, she slowed at the last turn to make sure there weren’t footsteps following her. She heaved a small sigh of relief, before she picked up speed and made for her bedchamber.
Tempted as she was to crumble and curl up into a ball, Georgiana stopped at the foot of her bed. Tears rolled down her cheeks.
Her hands balled into fists while she tried to catch her breath. She could not stop shaking. It made her queasy and anxious—feelings she tried to ignore while holding onto the anger.
This was easier than allowing herself to sit in the pain. Georgiana reminded herself of this and flinched at the memory of Owen’s face.
“Yes,” he had said. Like it was so simple, like it was something they could overcome in the span of an afternoon.
She had seen the way he reached out to her. The hope in his eyes. It didn’t make any sense to her why he wanted her like this. He had made her a toy in their marriage. All he wanted to do was poke and prod her. For what? Why? Was he truly that bored?
While he has estates to manage and servants to care for––even his plants! ––he wastes time on me. Couldn’t he just let me be?
There was so much they had said, but now Georgiana realized it had never been enough. It never would be enough. Nothing she did could salvage their marriage because Owen had never cared.
A shudder wracked her shoulders painfully. She held herself together tightly as she considered her options. Wasn’t there anything she could do?
