Chapter 31 - Thirty One
The Duke’s carriage rolled away, leaving Delia standing alone in the bright afternoon sun. Mr. Rye’s kind farewell, "Have a peaceful afternoon, Milady," echoed in her ears, a sentiment she wished were true. She looked up at the sun, high and hot in the sky, and felt a sliver of peace after the morning’s confrontation. That peace, however, was short-lived.
As she walked towards the wrought iron gate to get into the manor’s grounds, she saw a figure waiting for her on the path. It was Lady Pembroke. Delia’s brief moment of calm evaporated, replaced by a weary annoyance.
"Why is this family so determined to pester me? she thought, her hand tightening on the gate’s latch. First it was George, now his mother. Can’t they just let me be?"
Mrs. Pembroke saw her and immediately moved to block her path, her face arranged in a look of cloying concern. "Delia, my child," she began, her voice overly sweet.
Delia had no patience for these games. "I have nothing to say to you, Lady Pembroke," she said, her tone cold and final.
But Lady Pembroke was not so easily dismissed. "How can you change your mind all of a sudden?" she pressed, stepping closer. "What about my George? What about how he feels? His heart is broken, Delia."
Delia stared at the older woman’s concerned face and a memory from her past life flashed in her mind: Lady Pembroke, constantly weeping about debts, manipulating a younger, more naive Delia into asking her father for money, money that was used to pay for lavish gowns and gambling debts. The memory was sharp and clear. She knew the real reason for this woman’s insistence. It had nothing to do with George’s heart and everything to do with his empty pockets.
"He should be relieved," Delia replied, her voice cold. "Now he can go for the one he truly wants, and you can all spend her family’s money instead." She saw the flicker of shock in Lady Pembroke’s eyes and pressed her advantage. "Do you think I don’t know about the mountain of debt your husband had before he died? The debt that George inherited? And he is still pilling more on it."
Lady Pembroke was so stunned that someone else knew her family’s most shameful secret that she was momentarily speechless. "How did you..."