“I knowhe’s hiding things?—”
“Enough!” Charles’s shout silenced her. “You’re hellbent on proving Alfred is a terrible person. For what purpose? Your mother is happy for once. Let her have that.”
“My mother was happy with my father,” she said, her voice trembling slightly. She needed to believe that was true.
Charles huffed. “There’s so much you don’t know.”
“Then tell me.”
“No,” he replied. “I’m trying to protect you. I don’t want to ruin the memories you have of your father.”
Elsbeth straightened her shoulders. “I’m not a child. I can handle the truth.”
“Can you?” Charles asked, stepping closer to her, his expression grave. “Well, here’s some truth for you: Alfred is twice the man your father ever was.”
“That is not true!” she shot back, her voice breaking.
Charles’s gaze didn’t waver. “I’m sorry, but it is. In time, you’ll see that.”
Elsbeth shook her head, her voice trembling with conviction. “Alfred has secrets, and I will uncover them. You’ll see he’s deceived you all.”
Charles sighed deeply, placing a hand on her sleeve, his touch unexpectedly gentle. “This is my fault. I was so consumed with running the estate that I failed you. You deserved so much more.”
Her back grew rigid. “I’m not wrong. Niles believes me.”
“Niles?” Charles’s brow furrowed in displeasure. “You are calling him by his given name?”
She realized her mistake too late. “He gave me leave to. We are friends.”
His jaw clenched. “You need to stay away from Lord Westcott.”
“Why would I do that?” she countered. “He’s the only one who believes me, the only one who’s stood by me.”
“I don’t want to see you get hurt,” Charles said.
“Niles won’t hurt me.”
Charles’s eyes narrowed, his voice hard and cutting. “Instead of talking you off a cliff, he’s encouraging you to jump. That’s no friend.”
Elsbeth’s lips pressed into a firm line. “You’re wrong.”
“There can be no future between you and Lord Westcott. You do realize that, don’t you?” he asked, his gaze unyielding.
She stiffened at his words. “I never said anything about having a future with Niles.”
“No, you haven’t,” Charles replied. “But your actions suggest otherwise. Lord Westcott will eventually leave, Elsbeth. He’ll return to his estate and his life, leaving you behind.”
She turned her face away, unwilling to let him see the flicker of pain in her eyes. “I am well aware of that fact.”
“Good,” Charles said firmly. “Because Lord Westcott is not the man I envisioned for you.”
She was done with this conversation. It was going nowhere, and she wanted to be alone. “Goodnight, Charles,” she said curtly.
He hesitated, as if he had more to say, but eventually stepped back. “In time, you’ll see that leaving with me is the right thing to do.”
“I doubt that,” she murmured under her breath.
Shaking his head, Charles exited her bedchamber, finally leaving her in peace. Elsbeth waited until the sound of his footsteps faded before walking over to her dressing table. She opened the top drawer and retrieved Niles’s pocket watch. Running her fingers over the smooth surface, she let out a sigh.
