Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

" W hat is this you were speaking of in the letter you sent to us?" Selina asked, sitting in the garden of their estate.

Nora was visiting the girls on their family's estate. It wasn't often that they visited each other at home, considering Lord Worlington was not totally welcoming towards guests, no matter how close they were to Nora.

Nora wished that for once, her mother wouldn't be so blinded by her love for an abusive man and would speak up for her, but she understood. Her mother was a victim of her love and marriage. A marriage that now seemed more like a trap than anything else.

Nora sighed as she sat beside her friends underneath the shade. She took a sip of her tea, closing her eyes for a moment.

"Lord Worlington wishes to have me sent over to his sister, Mathilda. It is my punishment for not heeding his warning to find a husband," she said.

"Oh my," Selina gasped, holding her hand to her mouth in shock. "Isn't there something that can be done about it? Can't he be convinced to give you some more time?"

Thalia scoffed. "Lord Worlington has always been a terrible man—well beyond reason, Selina. There is no way a man like that can be convinced to do whatever he doesn't wish to do."

"I hate that I had to beg him, but even more, I hate that it amounted to nothing. He had a sadistic smile on his face as I fell to my knees. Like he had finally won."

Nora shuddered in disgust. There truly was no one she hated more than her stepfather. He was the only one who had managed to evoke such feelings in her.

"If I cannot come up with a solution soon, I might have to leave my mother here at my stepfather's mercy. I don't think I would ever be able to live peacefully if that were to happen. Perhaps if I had been a son, none of this would have happened," she bemoaned.

"Oh, you need not think like that Nora. It's wonderful that you're a woman." Selina hugged Nora, running her fingers through her hair. "Perhaps things would be better and there would be no reason for you to worry about her. Maybe your stepfather would learn to treat her better, and after that, she could live as she did with him before. You did say he was kind to her once, did you not?"

"Oh, don't be a fool, Selina," Thalia said, shaking her head at her sister. "There is no way that she could possibly change him. Not if she hasn't managed to do that in all the years that have passed. I assure you, it is better for her to find a solution that means taking her mother with her than for her to leave for Lady Mathilda's without her."

Thalia bent to Nora's eye level. "You know better than us how things are. You cannot delude yourself into thinking that things will be better, Nora. What are you going to do?"

Selina sighed. "How terribly ugly things have become. I can only hope to find a man who would treat me better than the Viscount treats your mother. Why can't we all just fall in love and be happy with each other?"

"I can only hope that your dreams of romance are not destroyed. I will make sure that you only marry when it's a man who will treat you like you are his world. However, I have seen the world for what it is, and I cannot have such designs. It is better for women to remain without husbands. That is the only way to be truly happy," Thalia said, smiling at her sister.

Selina pouted. "I suppose it doesn't truly matter what I think right now. All that matters is if we are able to find a way to save your mother from Lord Worlington's clutches. Surely, that cannot be an easy task in itself."

Nora shook her head. "No, it is not. If it were, we would've long been on our way, completely forgetting about him and living the life we were always meant to live before we were unfortunate enough to meet him."

"I have an idea," Selina said, waving her hands excitedly.

Thalia sighed, mock-glaring at her sister. "What have you thought of now?"

Selina rolled her eyes before speaking. "I was thinking that perhaps we could help you run away. You have already thought of it, and you have no means to make it happen, but what if we found a way to do so?"

Thalia balked, looking at her sister with her mouth wide open. "What? And what exactly are we supposed to do, Selina?"

"There's still time for us to think it through. We'll be whatever she wants us to be—a distraction or perhaps involved in aiding her escape."

Nora sighed as she watched Selina. The younger lady was always so excited to be involved in things that would normally get her in trouble if she were found out. She was the exact opposite of Thalia, who was more sensible and would often think things through before she chose to be involved in them.it.

"Come on, Thalia. She's our friend, and she needs us. We cannot leave her to do this all on her own, not when it could turn out disastrous for her. Do you think you'll be able to forgive yourself if something went wrong because we weren't there for her to make sure that it all turned out smoothly?"smooth?"

Thalia sighed. "I can see what it is you're doing, Selina, but I suppose you're right. We should help her with it."

She turned to Nora and took her hand in hers. "We'll help you however you need. All you need to do is call on us, and we'll be there."

"Thank you both. I don't think I've ever been more lucky to have friends like you who care about me so much."

Despite all that had been discussed, there was one thing that remained on Nora's mind. Although it had been her idea to run away, now she didn't want to leave. She'd only begun to enjoy her time here. Her chest hurt at the thought of leaving.

"I will need to speak with my mother about my plans. None of this will happen if she doesn't agree to it," she said. "I cannot go if she will not leave with me."

For the rest of the day, Nora hung out with the girls. Her home hadn't felt the same ever since her stepfather's declaration. She'd felt guilty staying home and watching as her mother slowly slipped into a depressive state while the days she was forced to live with her aunt Mathilda loomed nearer.near.

As Nora returned home, her mind drifted to the Duke. She'd tried not to think of him as she hung out with the girls. Although that had been a difficult task, as he inhabited her every waking thought, she had managed it.

It helped that the girls had continued to speak to her and involve her in their conversation so that she didn't have to think too much about the Duke.

Nora had refrained from telling them about her night with the Duke. Although they knew of her arrangement with him, since she'd told them at the ball, she'd suddenly wished to hold all of the secret details closer to her heart.chest.

She smiled as the cool evening air brushed against her skin. The Duke was the only thing that made her dreary days much better.

She'd spent all of her time thinking of him and giggling like a schoolgirl. Her face turned red every time she remembered how she'd wrapped her hands around his hard member, bringing him pleasure.

Nora stifled her squeal against her pillow and closed her eyes, lost in her imagination. Even more appealing was how he had brought her pleasure with merely his hands and lips.

I'm such a fool! But it's so exciting!

She had never been so attracted to anyone. She had been too ready to go further if he'd asked her to. She wanted to feel his expert hands on her skin again and his lips kissing every part of her.

Nora had heard women discuss their escapades, but she had never thought that it would be this wonderful.