Epilogue
ONE MONTH LATER
Helena was very nervous. By all accounts, the Regent had been very generous to give them a month to recover from everything.
They had buried Lady Downfield in the family crypt. Helena was still oscillating between anger, sadness and regret when she thought of her mother. She also needed to provide a shoulder for her brother, though he was trying his best to be stoic.
She saw the effects of his years living with her uncle by how he retreated into the shadows, always seeking to be invisible. He moved quietly, and rarely asked for anything, whether he needed it or not.
It broke Helena’s heart.
Amelia was a huge help, with her sunny personality. She was slowly bringing him out of his shell. It filled Helena with joy to have him here with her, in her new family, but she knew that the price they both paid for that joy was high.
And now they were to meet the Regent at Saint Margaret’s abbey in order to present the diadem to him. According to Silas, the Regent also wanted to give them his thanks for their role in foiling a rebellion.
Helena would have been quite happy to go the rest of her life without being thanked for that. She was still very unsure of her ability to comport herself properly as a duchess, so she had no desire to meet the Regent.
“It will only be for a moment,” Silas had promised, “and I will be by your side the entire time.”
Helena nodded, giving him a strained smile. He bent down to stare into her eyes. “I won’t make you do this. If you truly do not want to, I shall send our regrets.”
Helena frowned. “I might not be up to date with societal propriety, but even I know that one does not send one’s regrets if one is summoned by the Regent.”
Silas smiled. “And yet, I will do it, for you.”
Helena reached out and rubbed his arm. “I appreciate your desire to protect me, Silas, but if you promise not to leave my side, I think I can manage.”
“I do promise.”
She smiled, reaching up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his lips. “Well then, that is all I need. Let us get this diadem to the king before someone crowns me with it.”
Silas chuckled. “Yes, we would not want that.”
She tilted her head to the side. “Why do you think Father had it in the first place?”
He shrugged. “He must have found it in the course of his investigations, or perhaps it was simply his interest in history that led to it. According to legend, the diadem was buried for many years in a crypt.”
Helena shivered theatrically. “That is not difficult to believe. There’s something about it that simply radiates coldness.”
Silas gathered her close, rubbing her shoulder and arm.
“Don’t worry,” he whispered, “I shall keep you warm.”
When Benedict drew up to the front door of Highcliff in his carriage, Silas was surprised to see that he was accompanied by his mistress, Miss Cassandra Evans.
“Oh, Amelia’s heart will be broken,” he murmured to Helena.
She gave him a sidelong look. “As if you’re not pleased as punch about that.”
He smiled. “I am not, but you’re right. It would be good for her to face reality.”
As if summoned by her name, Amelia came trotting down the stairs, accompanied by Charlie.
“We’re ready,” she said and then came to an abrupt stop as she caught sight of Benedict helping his mistress from the carriage.
“Who is that?” she asked.
Silas exchanged glances with Helena. “That is Benedict’s lover. Now that he is here, we can get going. The women can ride in the carriage while the men go on horseback. Are we in agreement?”
Helena widened her eyes at him but he just grinned, and offered her his arm. They walked down the stairs where Benedict and Cassandra were waiting.
Silas bowed at Cassandra. “Miss Evans, always a pleasure,” he said. “May I introduce my wife, the Duchess of Highcliff.”
Cassandra curtsied prettily. “Very pleased to make your acquaintance, Your Grace.”
Helena blushed, looking around awkwardly. “Oh, please just call me Helena.” She dropped her voice, “Otherwise it is going to be a very long trip.”
Silas bit his lip to keep from laughing.
“And I am Cassandra,” she replied, and they smiled at each other pleasantly.
Silas and Benedict exchanged glances. The stomping of Amelia’s feet was audible as she came up behind them. Silas was not surprised to see her stormy face when he glanced in her direction.
“Amelia, have you met Miss Evans yet?” Helena asked.
Amelia’s eyes narrowed. “No, I have not.”
“Well then, Amelia, meet Miss Cassandra Evans. Cassandra, this is my sister-in-law, Amelia.”
“That’s Lady Amelia to you, Miss Evans,” she said coldly. “A pleasure, I’m sure.”
Helena bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing before sending a glare to Silas.
He felt a twinge of guilt for making her ride with the two ladies all the way to St. Margaret’s. He had a feeling it would be terribly awkward. But he did note that she was completely distracted from her nervousness.
A silver lining.
He went to the carriage door and opened it, helping first Helena and then Amelia into it. Finally, Benedict handed his mistress into the carriage and closed the door. They turned to face each other with long sighs.
“It is for the best.” Benedict said with a shrug as he headed for his horse.
Silas wasn’t sure he agreed that having the three women in a confined space for hours was a good idea…but there was nothing to be done about it now.
He headed for his own horse, noting that Charlie was already astride his.
The young man had impressed Silas with his composure. He shared that trait with his sister. Silas could only hope that one day, he would let his guard down and realize that he was safe at last.
They rode out, towards St. Margaret’s. Silas was pleased that it was a lovely, mild day with nary a cloud in the sky.
He prayed that this trip to the abbey would be much more pleasant than the last.
The place was quite crowded once they arrived.
Nevertheless, Helena was glad to have arrived because it meant she could leave the carriage.
She didn’t know how much more glaring and cold glances she could take.
Cassandra seemed to be taking it all in stride, but Helena could not help but feel mortified on Amelia’s behalf.
She grabbed her sister-in-law’s hand as soon as they alighted, and marched her away with a murmured excuse to the men. She took her behind the abbey building, which was relatively secluded before rounding on her.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
Amelia had the temerity to look puzzled. “What do you mean?”
“I mean the glares, the ‘humphs’, the cold looks. You made the journey very uncomfortable.”
Amelia had the grace to be abashed. “Oh, I didn’t mean for you to feel—”
“Well, I did. Now, Miss Evans has been very gracious so far, but I need you to remember your manners and act accordingly from now on.”
Amelia’s face fell. “But…”
Helena took her by the shoulders, looking into her eyes. “I know. I do. But Miss Evans is his choice. You have to respect that.”
Amelia pouted, folding her arms mutinously. “I do not like her.”
“Of course you don’t. But you can behave politely and with decorum.”
Amelia huffed.
Helena grinned at her. “Now, that was your last humph. No more of that. Smiling. Politeness. Keep that in the front of your mind. Yes?”
Amelia sighed, her shoulders dropping in defeat. “Fine.”
“There’s a good girl. When we get home, I’ll have Cook make you some pralines.”
“You cannot bribe me with confectionaries, Helena.”
“But I just did.” Helena hooked her arm through Amelia’s. “Come now, smile for me.”
Just then Charlie came around the corner and stopped short. “Oh, I was looking for you. They are calling for you. The Regent will be here any minute and His Grace said he wishes to introduce you to some other nobles.”
“All right. Let us go back.” She hooked her other arm through his and led them both back to Silas, Benedict, and Cassandra.
Helena could feel her hand shaking as the Regent went down the line, greeting everyone as a man by his side introduced them.
She took deep breaths, trying to calm herself. Then she felt the warmth of Silas’s hand in hers and she was able to calm down.
The Regent came up to her and she curtsied deeply. “Your Royal Highness,” she murmured.
“Your Grace. I am particularly thankful to you for returning the diadem to the Crown, rather than claiming it for yourself.”
To Helena’s shock, he grinned at her.
She curtsied again. “It was my pleasure, your Royal Highness.”
The Regent nodded in acknowledgement and moved on.
Helena looked at Silas, widening her eyes at him. He smiled at her and nodded, squeezing her hand encouragingly.
Once the ceremony was done, they all trooped to the dining hall in the abbey, where a feast had been prepared. Helena was too nervous to eat much. There were too many distractions, and she was cowed in the face of so many nobles.
She surreptitiously watched the women, looking for clues on the right way to behave. These women had all grown up in the convent, but they seemed confident in their positions.
Helena wondered about that. The nuns certainly did not teach comportment, or how to play an instrument, or even a second language. They didn’t teach oblates how to converse politely, or any of the myriad skills a duchess was supposed to have.
The other women did not seem bothered by that.
Perhaps I’m good enough as I am.
The thought had her sitting up straighter and pulling her shoulders back.
I am good enough as I am.
They were all tired when they arrived back home.
Tired and hungry.
“I hope we don’t have to change for supper,” Amelia said.
“Absolutely not. Go and wash up, and then we’ll eat,” Silas replied.
He watched his sister skip up the stairs, followed by Charlie at a much slower pace.
“Is it just me, or does it feel more like a family around here, lately? Not that we weren’t family before, but it’s as if Charlie has completed it all.”
“He wasn’t here before,” Silas said. “Of course, the family did not feel complete.”