Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
“Icannot believe I sang in front of the Duke. Have I lost my mind?”
Helena woke up with a bit of a headache the next day. She sighed tiredly as she lay on her bed rubbing at her temples.
Unfortunately, she had not forgotten even one aspect of their carryings-on the night before.
One thing she could not remember was how she had gotten to bed. She really hoped that she hadn’t passed out and had to be carried like some drunken fool.
There was a tentative knock at the door before she could spiral any more downward.
“Yes,” she called.
Amelia opened the door, peering cautiously at her.
“Can I come in?”
Helena nodded and then clutched her head at the sudden pain it had caused.
Amelia must have noticed the shift, as she stepped into the room with a teasing smile.
“You look positively dreadful,” she observed, her tone light. “One might think you’ve indulged in a little too much wine last night. I should ring for some willow bark tea to settle your head.”
Helena shot her a weary glance. “I’m not… I didn’t drink that much,” she muttered. “It’s just that I…”
Amelia interrupted with a playful smile.
“Oh, do not try to deny it. I’ve seen the signs before.
A glass of wine and some merrymaking, and now here you are, suffering from the effects.
” She gave her a sympathetic look. “I could fetch the willow bark tea for you, if you like. It does wonders for headaches, I hear.”
Helena narrowed her eyes slightly. “How do you know that?”
Amelia’s smile turned mischievous. “Oh, my brother’s whisky is hardly the only thing Mrs. Owen keeps in stock around here. And… I may have been curious to see what all the fuss is about. Willow bark tea has a long history of curing many a headache.”
Helena raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”
Amelia nodded seriously. “It’s a cure-all, I assure you. And,” she added with a cheeky grin, “if you ever get into too much trouble again, I’ll make sure you get some.”
Helena chuckled despite herself, “I may take you up on that,” she said, rubbing her temples again. “I must have acted like such a fool last night.”
“You did not act the fool. Don’t be silly. We had such a lovely evening thanks to you.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “What do you mean? I didn’t do anything.”
“You helped me get Silas to play for us. And you sang so beautifully!”
She blushed. “Th-thank you.”
Amelia squeezed her arm. “You’re welcome. I truly wish you were my sister.”
Helena gave her a sympathetic look and squeezed her hand back.
Suddenly Amelia got a sly look upon her face. “You know, if you married Silas, we could be real sisters.”
Helena let out a snort. “Me? A duchess? Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Why not?” Amelia asked. “You would make such a lovely bride, and I know you can make Silas a happy man. He’s wound up too tight. You would loosen him up.”
“Aha, so you want me to be the distraction, so you can get what you want out of your brother?”
“No! I want him to be happy.” Amelia grinned, “And perhaps a bit more free rein, yes.”
“I believe you, dear. On both accounts,” Helena rolled her eyes.
Amelia jumped off the bed. “Come on then. Breakfast is waiting.” She practically pulled Helena off the bed.
Helena let her lead with a resigned sigh. Amelia didn’t seem to care that Helena was essentially going downstairs in her nightgown and robe, with her hair falling in an untidy pile down her back. She just skipped along, tugging Helena with her.
They entered the dining hall and Helena stopped short, seeing Silas sitting at the head of the table.
Oh no, she thought with a sinking heart.
She hadn’t really expected him to be there, for whatever reason. Now she was a disheveled mess in front of him.
Amelia seemed inordinately pleased about it. As if she had planned the entire thing.
Helena narrowed her eyes at the other girl in suspicion, but Amelia just gave her an innocent smile.
“Sit down. Have some coffee,” she said.
Helena slowly sat. She turned towards Silas, giving him a tentative smile. “Good morning, Your Grace.”
He nodded at her. “Good morning, Lady Helena. Did you sleep well?”
Helena grimaced. “I suppose so.” She looked up to see that Silas had an amused smirk on his face.
“You aren’t sure?” he asked.
“You are mocking me,” she said with a pout.
He laughed. “Not at all. I am just concerned. It was a… boisterous evening for you.”
She covered her face with her hands. “Oh lord, what did I do?”
He leaned towards her, his face softening. “Nothing. You were merely exuberant. Nothing wrong with that.”
“The way you say it, I think there is.”
Silas leaned back and laughed. “Well, you don’t seem to have suffered any permanent damage, so all’s well that ends well.”
A servant girl came up and put a cup in front of her.
Helena nodded her thanks and smiled, though she wondered if she would be able to keep the drink down. Her stomach felt quite queasy.
“Slow sips. That’s the secret.” Silas said confidingly. “And dry toast, until your stomach settles.”
Helena blushed, feeling embarrassed about Silas knowing exactly how she was feeling.
His advice worked, at least.
Silas stepped into the library searching for a book on butterflies. He intended to give it to Helena, as she and Amelia had plans to go butterfly hunting.
Amelia had mentioned a nearby meadow that tended to attract a great number of them.
She had made sure to ask Silas if it was acceptable for them to go, and he saw no reason to object, especially given how isolated the meadow was.
However, he had insisted they take a couple of footmen along as a precaution, just to ensure the girls were properly escorted.
Still, finding this book was his olive branch. Perhaps he had been a bit harsh with both of them. Out of fear for their safety, of course. Giving them the book to look over would work in lieu of a verbal apology.
He heard Amelia’s high piping voice, talking a mile a minute, and smiled.
Speak of the devil.
He turned towards the door just as Helena came in. She came to a stop when she caught sight of him.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you. We were just coming for some books.” She pointed behind her to where Silas assumed Amelia was waiting.
Suddenly the door slammed shut.
“Oops!” Amelia’s voice said from the other side. “The wind must have blown it shut. And the key flew right off. I shall just go and look for it!”
There was the sound of her footsteps going away.
Helena and Silas exchanged exasperated glances.
“Your sister is not very subtle,” Helena said.
“Please forgive her. She’s new at this matchmaking thing, I think. She must like you quite a lot. She’s usually very hostile to ladies looking to set their cap at me.”
She visibly bristled. “I have not set my cap at you, Your Grace!”
His mouth twisted in a smirk. “Forgive me, I did not mean to insult you with such an insinuation.”
Her cheeks reddened. “I didn’t—It wasn’t my intention—”
He decided to change the subject by holding out the book he’d selected. “This might be of interest to you, if you’re still going on this butterfly hunt of yours.”
Her eyes dropped to the book and she smiled, reaching out to take it. “Thank you. Amelia and I are hoping to identify the species. I told her that I used to do it with my brother, and she seemed tremendously interested in learning how we did it.”
Silas watched Helena as she spoke, his gaze momentarily softening. He felt a wave of admiration for her patience and care with Amelia. He hadn’t missed how often she put others before herself.
“You’re a good sister, Helena,” he said, his voice low but genuine, surprising even himself with the words. “Charlie is lucky to have you.”
Helena blinked, clearly caught off-guard by the praise. She gave a slight, almost reluctant smile.
“Thank you,” she murmured, as though she hadn’t expected it. “I suppose I have my moments. You’re not so bad yourself, you know. A good brother, despite everything.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” he replied with his usual calm detachment.
She scoffed incredulously. “Don’t be silly. I haven’t seen my brother in five years, thanks to Uncle James… and my mother. At least you’re here for Amelia every day.”
He shrugged, gaze distant. “Your absence, if anything, was to protect your brother. You’ve done what needed to be done. As for Amelia… I’m never quite sure it’s enough.” His jaw tightened just slightly.
She frowned. “Well… I may have been a bit harsh towards you on occasion about that.”
He took a step closer to her and perched on the end of the reading table. She mirrored his movement, taking a step closer and leaning her hip against the chair.
“Well, in spite of what you think, I do listen. So, I took in what you told me. About disregarding Amelia’s opinion.”
“And?”
“Well…” he dipped his head in embarrassment. “There has been some disregarding where I thought her ideas were not well thought-out, or contrary to my expectations for her. I perhaps didn’t take the time to discuss things with her.”
“That’s very… astute of you. The question is, will you continue in the same vein?”
He gave a small laugh, shaking his head. “I shall try to listen more. To both of you. Are you happy now?”
She looked him in the eye. “Are you?”
He blinked, looking away, unable to stand the intensity of her stare. It was like looking at the sky through a clear lake on a late winter day.
“I don’t know what I am.” The words slipped out of his mouth before he’d even realized.
“Hmm, well the good news is that it’s never too late to learn.”
He turned back to her, smirking. “How did you become so wise?”
“My father used to bring a lot of scholars around for dinners and such. Scientists, philosophers, artists, architects…anyone he could find who could impart some knowledge. I learned a lot at those dinners. I can’t say who exactly said that to me, but I know where it was said at our dining table.”
“It sounds like your father built a happy life for you.”
She shrugged. “It was happy, I suppose. It’s strange, but I don’t remember my mother much from those days. My father was… He was…” She frowned, clearly searching for the word.
“Larger than life?”
“Yes. One could say that. He was effervescent.” She smiled in remembrance before the smile dropped off. “Until he wasn’t.”
He reached out for her hand and squeezed him. “He shall be avenged. I promise.”
She sighed. “Justice is enough for me.”
He nodded slowly, unable to think of anything to counter what she’d said. The silence stretched between them like a length of twine, weaving around them both holding them in place, so there was no escape, but no way forward either.
His eyes darted towards the door and he shook his head. “Silly girl. Amelia will be the death of me, I swear.”
Helena huffed in amusement, shifting her hip slightly and folding her arms under her breasts, which made them rise up into creamy twin peaks of temptation, almost bursting out of her square-necked morning gown.
Thankfully, she seemed unaware of his eyes straining not to drop and devour the sight.
“She’s not silly,” Helena said, making him jump slightly as his attention was brought back to their conversation. “She has a romantic heart and notions of making your family complete.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Were you not the one saying you hadn’t set your cap at me?”
“That doesn’t mean your sister doesn’t want us to be together for her own reasons.”
“Mmm. So, what do you think?”
“Of what?”
He gestured towards himself and then her, surprised at how curious he was to hear her answer.
“I am not in a position to think about any of that,” she said. “Not when my life is hanging by a thread, and the sword of Damocles hangs over my brother’s head.”
He took a deep breath, wanting to deny her words, but he knew that he could not. There was a man intending to kill her and holding her brother hostage.
“What can I do to make you feel better?” he asked.
She snorted, shaking her head. “You don’t need to do anything more for me, Your Grace.”
“Something practical. Something that will stop you from worrying so much. Tell me, and I’ll do it.”
She took a deep breath, brow furrowed as if she was thinking furiously.
“Teach me how to fight,” she said thoughtfully. “I want to learn how to defend myself. To protect those I care about, should I need to.”
He blinked in surprise. “What?”
“Please. Teach me,” she insisted, her voice steady.
God help me, Silas thought, feeling a flare of heat in the lower part of his body.
Why did she have to sound so good when begging?
He fought to steady his breathing, clenching his fists to keep his composure.
He took a long moment before responding, his voice rougher than he’d intended.
“As you wish.”
“Good. Since we’re locked in we might as well start now,” she said.