The Duchess’ Replacement (Unrelenting Lords #2)

Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24

C harles slammed the door behind him. He was surprised it didn’t splinter in half with the force he used.

His had just arrived back from his visit to the town when Samuels informed him that Eli was in the drawing room with Sarah. His world came to a crashing halt as he sprinted into the house, knocking over tables and housemaids alike.

“You both know I hate repeating myself.” He spat.

The color drained from Sarah’s face and her body tensed up. Meanwhile, Eli’s body relaxed as he rolled his eyes.

“You were always so welcoming, brother.” Eli said casually as he sat back into the sofa and crossed one leg over the other.

Charles’s eyes tracked to Sarah who remained motionless.

“Sarah.” He snipped. “What were you doing in a drawing room with my brother… alone?”

Sarah’s dazed eyes began to clear as his insinuation dawned on her. Fire ignited within her eyes as shot to her feet.

“Tell me you are not accusing us of doing what I think you’re accusing us of.” Her voice rose with indignation.

Charles scoffed. “I absolutely am and with every right. I come back from taking care of a situation in the village and I find you in my brother’s arms!”

Sarah’s eyes closed for a moment and she took in a breath then pushed it out. “I know you are unfamiliar with the idea of comforting someone who is hurt so it is not surprising to me when you are met with such an image you immediately assume the worst.”

A laugh erupted from Eli. “And here I thought your were amiable and pliable.”

Sarah’s eyes snapped to Eli. “You may have been forgiven for the farce that was our hasty relationship but you are not in the clear. And you’d ought not to forget that.” She chastised.

Eli’s eyes rounded as he put his hands up in defense. “My apologies, Your Grace.” Eli turned to his brother. “We definitely misjudged this one.”

What little restraint Charles had on his control snapped and he lunged towards Eli. Sarah jumped in between them and shielded Eli from his attacking brother.

“Stop this! I will not have you fighting with your brother inside like some wayward child.” She scolded.

Charles stopped and stared at his wife. She literally threw herself in between them and raised her hands to shield Eli from any harm. Eli. The man who left her at the alter. The man that brought her to his home in the middle of the night, hurt and in need of help.

Charles’s vision blurred as the instinct to lash out pushed him forward.

“You protect him. Him? The man that humiliated you? Who used you just so I wouldn’t cut him off. This is the man you choose to protect?”

“You gave me no other choice!’ Eli quipped from behind Sarah.

Charles’s eyes narrowed. “Look! He is still using you! He won’t even face me, he needs to hide behind you.” Charles sneered. “A disgrace.”

Sarah lifted her chin. “I do not agree with either one of you. Both of you made poor choices in the past and, unfortunately for me, my life was upended in it all.”

Eli stepped out from behind Sarah. “Brother, Sarah and I spoke and she forgave me for my missteps in our relationship.”

The word “relationship” raked down Charles’s spine like rusty nails. Just the thought of his brother having anything more than a casual acquaintance with his wife fueled his wrath. The thought of Eli touching her, kissing her, taking her to his bed had his rage just at the tipping point.

Charles stretched his neck causing little pops to sound. He stretched his fingers in front of him causing his knuckles to crack. He widened his stance and flexed his hands at his side.

The movements caused Eli’s eyes to widen as alarm bells were surely going off in his head. However, Sarah was none the wiser to his ministrations.

Good. If she knew he was preparing his body for a fight, she would try to stop him again.

Eli put up his hands. “Charles. Stop. Whatever you’re thinking it didn’t happen. I came to apologize and she accepted. She seemed like she was having a tough time so I offered her a hug.”

Charles snarled.

Eli’s eyes widened even more as he shrank back. “A brotherly hug! I swear! I have no malicious intent or ill will towards either one of you.”

“You shouldn’t be touching her in any way!” His yell echoed throughout the room.

Both Eli and Sarah took a step back from him.

“Charles,” Eli began.

“No. You have done enough. I have fixed your last mistake.”

A small gasp escaped Sarah but Charles ignored her.

“You are to leave this estate and never return. I don’t want to see you ever again. You are not welcome in any of our residences and I will instruct everyone who works for me to refuse your call.” Charles took one more breath before delivering the final blow.

“You are done.” He enunciated each word.

Twin flags of red peaked on Eli’s cheeks. “You can’t mean that, Charles. Everything is fine, we’ve moved on.” Eli looked over to Sarah for help but she stood in shock.

“I always mean what I say, Eli.” Charles rose a finger and pointed to Sarah. “The second you left her at the alter you sealed your fate.”

The memory of a humiliated and confused Sarah pummeled Charles’s mind. She looked so innocent and helpless in that moment. He swore he would never allow Eli to cause her that much pain again.

He looked over to his wife who was wearing the same expression as that day. Charles growled and looked back to Eli.

“Get out,” he bellowed. “Now! And don’t come back.”

Eli once more looked to Sarah for help but she was still frozen, staring at the ground.

Charles could see Eli fighting with moistening eyes and was surprised he didn’t let a tear fall for effect. Eli always had a flair for the dramatics.

Eli rolled his lips and rushed out of the room with his shoulders hunched and his head cast down.

“Coward.” Charles muttered.

He looked back to Sarah who was now looking straight at him. She was the personification of fire and fury.

“Am I a mistake to you?” She seethed.

“What?” Charles had the audacity to look confused.

“You’re not the only one who doesn’t like to repeat themselves, Charles.” She stated.

Sarah clenched her muscles to stop her finger from shaking as she pointed to the door. “You just told your brother that you had fixed his last mistake. Am I a mistake?”

Charles heaved a sigh. “Sarah. How our marriage came to be is not a shock to you. It was a mutual arrangement. When I said I fixed his last mistake I meant the disgrace he brought onto this family by him leaving you at the alter.”

“Therefore, a mistake.” She offered.

“Exactly. I fixed his mistake.” Charles looked relieved.

Sarah’s eyebrows pinched together. “And by him leaving me at the alter, a mistake, you fixed it by marrying me. A mistake.”

Charles’s brow furrowed. “You’re taking my words out of context. I didn’t mean that.”

Sarah looked up surprised. “I thought you always say what you mean.” She countered.

Charles took a step towards her which caused her to retreat a step and put her hands up in a defensive manner.

“Sarah. In the beginning we agreed to marry to help each other. Neither of us wanted that charade of a wedding to haunt us. You yourself said it was a farce.” Charles spoke earnestly.

Sarah’s voice held no emotion. “And you fixed it. Like you always do.”

She could feel herself shutting down emotionally. Every word he spoke provided her with one more brick to build the wall around her heart.

Charles’s breathing returned to normal and he shook his head. “Yes, you know I will fix any problems that comes our way.”

“Whether we like it or not.” She offered.

“Now hold on,” Charles tried to interject.

Sarah steamrolled over his words. “No matter if it actually hurts us in the long run. As long as you get your way in the here and now, all is well with everyone and if it’s not,” she shrugged. “Then it is on them and they must be the problem.”

“Sarah.” Charles pleaded.

She pursed her lips, lost in thought. She felt as if she was wading through molasses, her mind became sluggish and she was having trouble concentrating on the man in front of her. She just wanted comfort. She was tired of fighting. Fighting to understand him. Fighting for support, for connection. She was tired of fighting for them.

“I can understand us.” She waved a finger between them. “We’re still new to each other. But I just watched you cut off your own brother, your own flesh and blood.”

Charles shook his head. “You do not understand the damage that man has done to this family.”

Sarah’s laugh rang out, startling Charles. “Of course I don’t understand. How could I?You tell me nothing. You’ve trained your staff to be just as guarded. As if they whisper a single truth about your past then the whole world would come crashing down on the them. Even poor Nora, who is just a girl,” she added, “is worried to express herself freely.”

Fury propelled her forward. “You know who wasn’t afraid to be honest with me? Eli.”

Charles flinched.

“Eli. Your brother, who, yes, has made many poor choices in his life, but came to me under his own volition to make amends. You know what that shows me, Charles?” She taunted. “That shows growth and change and you” she poked his chest, “stand there and call him coward and throw him out of his home.”

Charles stood his ground. “You will never understand.”

More bricks for her wall.

“Ah. I see.” She rubbed her clammy palms onto her dress. “That’s it then, right?” She kept her tone conversational, even though it began to tremble.

“I have no recourse to that response, Charles. It’s your way or no way. I can’t understand if you don’t let me understand.” She shrugged. “But to do that you would have to open up to me. I’m starting to think even a wedding ceremony isn’t enough motivation for you to do that.”

She eyes drifted to the window then back to Charles. He was still standing, ever at the ready for the next attack. He was exhausting and she was tired.

Her shoulders sagged as she sighed. “Perhaps I shall take you up on your earlier statement and I should find other accommodations.”

“What?” Charles’s voice was heavy. “What do you mean?”

It took effort for Sarah to raise her eyes to his. Every part of her body felt weighted down with grief.

“Earlier today you had insinuated if I don’t like your way of handling things then I should find somewhere else to be-”

“I spoke in anger!” Charles’s eyes widened. “I didn’t mean it!”

A wistful smile crept onto Sarah’s face as she shook her head slowly. “Yet you are steadfast with your threats of always saying what you mean.”

Charles reached for her hand and she pulled away.

“You must have a busy day ahead. I have some correspondence of my own to see to.”

She turned quickly and made her way to the door.

“Sarah,” his voice cracked with her name.

Her hand steadied on the door handle as she turned her head to the side.

“Just give me some time to handle the situation in town, I was not expecting his call this early and it caused me undue stress. I just need to work some things out and then we can talk.”

Sarah nodded as she closed the door behind her.

Charles didn’t seek her out that day to talk.

That evening Sarah put what she could into a bag. She wrote a letter to Charles and gave it to Samuels to deliver.

“The carriage is ready for you, Your Grace.” Samuels’s eyes were heavy and full of concern.

Sarah’s lips trembled. “Thank you, Samuels.”

He hesitated as he opened the door. “Are you sure you’d like to travel to your sister’s so late at night? Perhaps in the morning we can have His Grace accompany you.”

Sarah tried to swallow over the lump that had formed in her throat. “That won’t be necessary, Samuels. His Grace needs some time so I figured some space would help our situation as well.”

Her quivering lips strained her voice. She took a deep breath and willed her tears not to fall.

Samuels pursed his lips as lines formed on his brow. “Very well, Your Grace. William!” He called to the footman. “Please see Her Grace to her sister’s home.”

William nodded solemnly. “Of course. Right this way, Your Grace.” William held his arm out to escort Sarah to the carriage.

“Your Grace!” Samuels called out.

Sarah took a breath as she turned back to a man she was fond of.

“Travel safe and I hope for your safe return.”

Sarah released her breath on a hiccup. She could only shake her head in acknowledgment before she turned and entered the carriage.

She watched until the house was completely out of sight, then she let the tears fall.