Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

P hilip was seated at a large oak table in the midst of an important meeting when a message was quietly handed to him by a footman.

He frowned as his eyes scanned the note.

"Someone is here to see me?" he muttered to the footman, who nodded.

Taking his leave from the meeting, Philip stepped outside to find John standing at the entrance, breathing heavily.

"What is the matter?" he demanded, his brow creased with concern.

John took a moment to catch his breath before he spoke. "I have an update about Lord Keldbrooke, Your Grace."

Philip narrowed his eyes. "Who did he meet with?" he asked, knowing the only reason John would seek him out was because the Earl had met with someone of importance.

There was a brief pause before John, clearly reluctant, said, "Your wife, Your Grace."

Philip blinked, confused. "My wife?" He repeated, as if the words made no sense.

John nodded solemnly. "Yes, Your Grace. Her Grace is meeting with her father as we speak."

The world around Philip suddenly stood still. The noise of the bustling street, the distant chatter, the clatter of carriages; it all faded into a muffled blur. He felt the sharp stab of betrayal striking him in his chest. His heart pounded against his ribs.

"Where are they?" His voice, though calm, was laced with barely restrained fury.

John, sensing his ire, quickly gave him the location.

Philip didn't waste a second. Without so much as a word of explanation to those in the meeting room, he mounted John's horse and rode at breakneck speed towards the inn.

His jaw was clenched and his mind raced with thoughts of Aurelia's betrayal. How could she after everything they had endured? He had finally begun to trust her and let her into his heart and she'd gone behind his back after all.

Arriving at the inn, Philip marched inside, his presence commanding immediate attention. He approached the innkeeper, his gaze sharp. "The lady who arrived a short while ago, what room is she in?"

The innkeeper hesitated, clearly intimidated by the Duke's imposing figure. "I…I do not…"

Philip's patience was running thin. "Tell me. Now ."

The innkeeper, visibly shaken, stammered out the room number.

Philip stormed up the narrow staircase, his footsteps heavy and urgent. Each step he took felt like he was walking towards his doom, yet he couldn't stop himself.

He paused when he reached the door, his hand hovering over the handle. He closed his eyes briefly, willing the situation to be a misunderstanding. Perhaps John had made a mistake. Perhaps Aurelia wasn't there.

But when he opened the door, his worst fears were confirmed.

There she was, sitting in the room with her father, the Earl of Keldbrooke. The sight of them together sent a fresh wave of anger through him.

Aurelia's eyes widened when she saw him. "Philip! I can explain…"

Philip cut her off, his voice low and dangerous. "Was this your plan all along?" His gaze jumped between her and Lord Keldbrooke. "To get me to trust you, only to betray me?"

"No, Philip, you misunderstand," Aurelia protested, stepping toward him. "I only wanted to speak to my father to get answers about what happened between him and Gabriel. I needed closure."

"Closure?" Philip's voice rose, incredulous. "So, you thought it was appropriate to go behind my back? After everything I told you? After I let my guard down for you?" His fists clenched at his sides, his rage barely contained. "You have betrayed me, Aurelia."

Aurelia's heart sank. "It was not my intention to betray you. I just…I needed to know the truth."

"The truth?" Philip's voice was filled with bitterness. "The truth is that you have been lying to me. What assurance do I have that you are not conspiring with him?" He pointed at Lord Keldbrooke who had been standing in the corner, silently watching the exchange. "How can I be sure this was not your plan from the beginning?"

Aurelia's eyes welled up with tears. "Philip, I swear, I would never do that."

"Then why?" Philip's voice was filled with anguish. "Why do this on the very day I finally told you I trusted you? I believed in you, Aurelia. I let down my walls for you, and this…this is how you repay me?"

The hurt in his words stung Aurelia deeply. She tried to speak but the weight of his accusations crushed her. She had only wanted to hear her father's side of the story to find some peace, but she now saw that she had destroyed the fragile trust she and Philip had built.

Philip turned away from her, his jaw tight. "I cannot trust you anymore."

Aurelia's chest tightened. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Philip said in a cold voice, "I can no longer be sure of where your loyalties lie. I thought you were different, but I was wrong."

Her breath hitched. "Philip, please, do not do this."

Philip didn't respond. His silence was deafening and Aurelia realized with a sinking feeling that there was nothing more she could say to convince him.

The fight left her, leaving only sorrow. "If you cannot trust me, then I shall leave," she whispered.

Philip's intense gaze wavered slightly but he remained silent.

Aurelia turned to leave, her heart heavy. She didn't say another word to her father, who had been reduced to a mere spectator in their heated argument. She walked out of the inn with her head held high, but inside she was in shambles.

By the time she reached Oakdale Manor her mind was made up. She could not stay. If Philip no longer trusted her, if he genuinely believed she had betrayed him, then there was no place for her in his home.

She packed her things quickly, her movements mechanical. Eilidh, sensing her mistress's distress, helped her in silence.

Within the hour Aurelia and Eilidh were seated in a carriage on their way to Philip's London house. She had been informed that Bridget House had been named after his mother.

"Is everything all right, Your Grace?" Eilidh asked as they rode away.

Aurelia parted her lips to respond but no words came out. Everything was not all right and it appeared to be entirely her fault. Seeing that the Duchess could not respond, Eilidh nodded in understanding, pressing her lips together to keep from speaking.

Eilidh felt the Duchess needed some quiet comfort and placed her hand on Aurelia's.

"I believe we shall arrive at Bridget House shortly," she said with a smile. Aurelia could only nod mutely in response.

Aurelia stood in the foyer, suffocating in the heavy blanket of silence.

The towering dark walls only deepened her sense of isolation. She was unable to lessen the significance of Philip's words, each one cutting more deeply into her heart.

How could he believe that she had intended to betray him? The mere thought twisted inside her, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. She had been patient with him; more patient than anyone else would have been. Nonetheless, he had instantly condemned her without considering her explanation.

She made her way up the grand staircase, her skirts brushing the polished wood as her thoughts circled back to the scene at the inn.

Aurelia had gone to see her father, believing that some clarity about the past might bring peace to her present. Instead, she had been met with Philip's rage, as though he had waited for the slightest misstep to cast her aside. It was so unfair that he would lash out at her when he hadn't even told her the truth. He had kept her in the dark, and yet it was she who was now paying the price for it.

Once inside the room she had claimed for herself, Aurelia sank down onto the bed, her eyes unfocused as the weight of the day settled over her.

Philip's words echoed in her mind, gnawing at her. He'd accused her of plotting against him, of undermining his trust. Although she knew his anger came from a place of deep hurt, she couldn't help but feel the sting of his unfairness.

The door creaked open softly and Eilidh entered, balancing a tray of tea and sliced fruit.

"Your Grace," she said gently, setting the tray down on the small table by the window. "You should eat something and rest if you can."

Aurelia didn't respond, her gaze fixed on a distant point beyond the window. Her mind was still on Philip, replaying the hurtful things he'd said. She had tried so hard to make the best out of their situation, even when it felt impossible at times. And yet here she was, locked away in a house that wasn't truly her home, nursing a broken heart, weighed down by a burden that should never have been hers to bear.

Eilidh stood quietly for a moment, watching her mistress, concern etched on her face. "Is there anything you wish me to do, Your Grace?" she asked softly, stepping closer.

Aurelia nodded slowly, pulling herself out of her thoughts. "Yes. Fetch me some paper and a pen," she murmured.

The maid hurried off and returned moments later with the requested items. Aurelia took the quill, pausing only briefly before she began to write. Her hand moved across the page with steady determination. When she finished, she folded the letter neatly and handed it to Eilidh.

"Send this to Godwin House," Aurelia said, her voice quiet but firm.

Eilidh took the letter and paused to look at Aurelia. "Are you sure, Your Grace?" she asked cautiously, holding the letter close to her chest. "Is this the right choice? Do you really wish to meet with him again?"

Aurelia's distant gaze met Eilidh's. "Philip has done his worst," she said flatly. "He has accused me of betrayal. What more damage could possibly be done? I need answers, Eilidh. If Philip will not give them to me, then I must seek them out from the only other person who knows what happened."

Eilidh hesitated for a moment, but the resolute look in Aurelia's eyes warned her not to press further.

With a curt nod, she clutched the letter and quietly stepped out of the room, leaving Aurelia alone once more.

As soon as the door clicked shut Aurelia fell back against the pillows, staring up at the ceiling. Her thoughts drifted to her father. Ever since Oliver told her that her father forged documents, she couldn't help but believe that her father had done something horrible to Gabriel.

She felt the familiar ache of longing, not just for her family but for the life she had lost. The life in which she wasn't constantly walking on eggshells, where she wasn't trapped between two men who had secrets they refused to share. A life in which she could trust without hesitation.

But that life was gone now, swept away the moment she'd married Philip.

Aurelia closed her eyes, feeling the exhaustion seep into her bones, not only from the day's events but from the constant tension between herself and her husband. She had tried so hard to bridge the gap between them, but it seemed as though each time she got close, something else stood in their way.

I cannot fight this battle on my own anymore.

Her father was the key to understanding it all. She just hoped that when she finally confronted him he would give her the truth she so desperately needed.

It was the only hope she had left to hold on to.