Chapter 16

CHAPTER16

“Iam so sorry for interrupting,” Gerald spoke over Charlotte. “But I have been so looking forward to some alone time with my beautiful wife, and I would appreciate it if you allow us to resume our walk. Excuse us, and have a good day.”

He held out his arm, which Katherine gladly took, quickly nodding goodbye to Charlotte before turning to follow him.

“A walk with Katherine sounds rather ironic, for she is visibly limping,” Charlotte whispered to Elias, but her voice was loud enough for Katherine and Gerald to hear.

Katherine ducked her head, wanting to crawl into a hole and lie there forever. She was surprised when she felt Gerald drop her arm.

She turned around to see where he was headed. But, before she knew it, he was standing in front of Charlotte and Elias, the veins in his forehead throbbing.

“Please repeat that to me, Lady Louton,” Gerald said in an ominously soft voice.

Katherine remained a few steps behind him, feeling as if she would start crying from embarrassment. She watched as Charlotte’s face slowly went from a pale shade of pink to a dark shade of red.

“Oh, Your Grace,” Charlotte huffed, as if she were attempting to call his bluff. “It cannot possibly come as a shock to you that you married a cripple.”

Katherine’s eyes widened as she heard the last word. Cripple. A seven-letter word which she had too often been reduced to.

Gerald’s eyes narrowed, and she feared that this interaction might turn ugly any moment. Yet, she didn’t intervene. A part of her wanted to see how someone stood up to the Charlotte Atkinson. And she thought Gerald might be the perfect person to do so, as even Elias was too much of a pushover to ever say a word back to his domineering wife.

Gerald didn’t say a word, but he slowly took another step closer to Charlotte, towering above her as he looked down at her.

Charlotte stumbled back a bit, and then Elias decided to intervene.

“Your Grace,” he said in a surprisingly soft voice, “I don’t believe that is very proper, attempting to intimidate a lady by standing too close to her.”

“Well, My Lord, then I find it in your best interest to get your beloved wife in check, or else there might be consequences for everyone who speaks out of turn,” Gerald warned as he slowly stepped back, creating only the slightest bit of distance between them. “Especially people idiotic enough to cross a duchess, never mind the Duchess of Powell!” he then boomed, causing Elias, Charlotte, and Katherine to jump.

Katherine watched as Charlotte clenched her fists, wanting to fight back but unsure of how to go about the task.

“Gerald,” Katherine called softly, hoping she might be able to convince him to drop the issue.

Gerald turned on his heel, walking back to where she stood. He held out his arm to her, which she took without a second thought.

“Don’t be fools,” he said coldly, before they resumed their walk.

Some passersby looked over at them, but they were quick to avert their gazes if Gerald dared but glance in their direction.

Silence fell over the pair, and Katherine found herself too stunned to utter a single word. No one, in her entire life, had ever stood up for her the way Gerald just did. Often, as a young child, her mother used to turn a blind eye when her friends used to call her cripple. Yet, now, there was someone willing to fight for her.

Although Gerald might neither notice nor admit the fact, Katherine could tell that he looked at her a little differently at that moment. His face might appear cold and emotionless to the average onlooker, but to Katherine, something was different. And then a new wave of anxiety washed over her.

Now Gerald had witnessed how members of the ton truly viewed her—the ton’s favorite cripple, the damaged goods that no one else had wanted.

He was bound to understand that unfortunate truth at some point, and she could only pray for a couple of happy moments with him before that happened.

* * *

Simon, usually brash and confrontational, now sat at the breakfast table with a heavy cloud of gloom hanging over him. His usual lively demeanor was replaced by a sullen expression, his eyes downcast as he pushed his food around his plate without any real interest.

Gerald, ever composed but a bit concerned, exchanged a silent glance with Katherine, before turning his attention to his brother. “Simon, is everything all right?” he inquired.

Simon let out a deep sigh, his shoulders slumping further as he rubbed a hand over his face. “It’s nothing, Brother,” he muttered, though his tone betrayed the weight of his troubles. “Just… feeling a bit under the weather, that’s all.”

The Dowager Duchess, who was observing her sons with a critical eye from across the table, arched a skeptical eyebrow. “Under the weather, Simon? You look as if the weight of the world is on your shoulders,” she remarked, her voice full of worry.

Simon shot her a sharp look.

Katherine, ever the peacemaker, attempted to defuse the tension with a gentle smile. “Perhaps some fresh air would do you good, Lord Simon,” she suggested, her tone soft and soothing. “A stroll in the garden might lift your spirits.”

But Simon merely shook his head, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. “Fresh air won’t solve my problems, Your Grace,” he replied, his tone bitter. “Some things are beyond repair.”

“Oh, you poor thing,” the Dowager Duchess cooed, picking up a muffin and splitting it in half, before buttering it. She then handed it to Simon, hoping to coax a smile from him at the very least. “Once you finish your meal, go lie down for a while. A bit of rest always does one good.”

Katherine watched as Gerald rolled his eyes, and she had to suppress a snort. She briefly caught his gaze, nearly sending him into a fit of laughter as well.

The Dowager Duchess shot him a sharp look of disapproval, which made him straighten up instantly. But as soon as she turned away, he gave Katherine a knowing smile.

“I think I might go lie down for a bit,” Simon said curtly, rising from his seat, before walking away without another word.

The Dowager Duchess looked at his retreating back, her eyes worried and her lips pursed.

“I have some work to do today,” Gerald said after an uncomfortable silence had descended over the dining room. “Please, excuse me.”

With those words, he stepped out of the room, leaving only his wife and his mother alone, which was a situation Katherine had strongly been trying to avoid.

Katherine smiled at her mother-in-law once Gerald had left, unsure if she should engage her in conversation. She was relieved to see that the Dowager Duchess had risen from her seat, walking out of the dining room without another word.

Now left alone, Katherine had impulsively decided to grab a piece of bread and eat it in her peaceful solitude.

After finishing her meal, she decided that it was a good time to resume her painting. She could only wish that the painting would not be damaged again, but she knew well that anything was possible in Powell Manor. A second torn painting would come as no surprise to her.

As she made her way to the drawing room, she went over all kinds of ideas for her next painting. She was a lover of landscapes, but trying something new was also exciting. She was so lost in thought that when she stepped into the drawing room, it took her a moment to realize what was happening.

Simon, hunched down in the corner of the drawing room, was stuffing a collection of golden candelabras into a bag, unaware of her presence.

It took Katherine a moment to realize what was happening, but once she did, she acted upon her instincts.

“What on earth are you doing?!” she yelled loudly, causing him to stumble backward.

A panicked look crossed his face, and for a moment, Katherine thought he might run. Unfortunately for him, she was standing in the doorway.

“What is going on?” the Dowager Duchess asked as she came running into the room, a couple of servants hot on her heels.

“He’s stealing from us!” Katherine shrieked in disbelief, pointing at the bag of golden candelabras in Simon’s hand.

Simon looked nervously between her and his mother.

“Oh, nonsense!” the Dowager Duchess scoffed. “My son would never do such a thing. How dare you accuse him!”

Katherine was taken aback by her reaction. She looked over at Gerald, who had just entered the drawing room, taking a moment to understand what was happening.

Katherine looked at her mother-in-law in disbelief, before pointing at the bag of candelabras again.

The Dowager Duchess walked over to her. “If anyone in this house were to steal, it would be you!” she accused, picking up one of the candelabras and pointing it toward Katherine.

Katherine gasped, turning to look at Gerald once more. He appeared calm, the commotion not upsetting him in the slightest.

“Exactly why might a duchess ‘steal’ her own furnishings, Mother?” he asked bluntly, his patience running thin. “One doesn’t simply decide to steal their own possessions.”

“One can see that she has been trouble from the start,” his mother huffed, pursing her lips. “And you dare defend her over your own flesh and blood!”

“Listen to me, Mother!” Gerald snapped. Katherine remained silent, feeling the back of her knees knocking into the easel. “A duchess doesn’t steal her own belongings—it makes no sense. But a gambler who had recently been cut off has more than enough reason to do so.”

He glared at Simon, who stood back from the commotion, using his mother as a shield.

“How could you have possibly reached that conclusion, Mother?” Gerald asked after a pause. “Has my family no respect for my wife?”

“You traitor!” his mother shouted, ignoring his questions. “How dare you reveal this information in front of her!”

“I keep no secrets from my wife. We are bound in wedlock, and my secrets are her secrets,” Gerald said, his voice briefly softening.

His mother’s mouth hung open in shock. “How. Dare. You,” she mouthed, her lips pursed and her entire body shaking. “How! Dare! You!”

Simon used that distraction to storm out of the drawing room and up the stairwell—like a child after a minor fight.

The Dowager Duchess shot her eldest son another glare, which he eagerly returned, holding his ground. Eventually, she left the room as well.

Katherine felt her heart pound in her ears, unable to hear the words Gerald had been speaking to her. Something strange came over her, a mix of all kinds of emotions that rattled her nerves. She didn’t like the feeling.

Gerald had emphasized that she was his wife, but did he mean everything he had said? Why did her mother-in-law distrust her so much? Was it because of her limp? Why was Simon stealing from them? What were they going to do now?