He scoffed. “And you believe that?”
“I do,” Olivia said firmly. “Once Theodosia leaves, I will explain everything to you. But you will not stop her.”
Theodosia made to move past him, but Richard reached out, his hand closing gently around her arm. “I’m sorry it came to this.”
She stilled, surprised by the sincerity in his tone, and turned to meet his gaze. “As am I.”
He let his hand fall away but remained close, his jaw clenched. “If only you had told me the truth from the start, we could have avoided this.”
“You don’t understand,” Theodosia began. “From the moment we met, you have been waiting for me to disappoint you. I tried to prove myself useful, to show you I wasn’t some scheming woman. And still, when it mattered most, you believed the worst.”
He grew silent. “Thank you for helping me with the accounts.”
Despite the ache in her chest, she offered him a small, resolute smile. “I do believe you’re a good man. Misguided. But not without decency.”
He bowed, stiffly, formally. “Safe travels, Miss Theodosia.”
She inclined her head and turned away, stepping out into the crisp morning air. The coach loomed ahead. She paused for a moment and looked back at the grand townhouse. It had once been so full of promise, but now, it was a reminder of what might have been.
With a quiet sigh, she climbed inside, ready to leave this chapter behind. Ready to return to a life that, while not extraordinary, was hers.
And if her heart felt a little heavier with each turn of the wheel, no one need ever know.
