Page 31 of When the Duke Met His Match

She nodded and went to move toward the door. “Very good.”

Before she could leave, however, guilt ran down his spine. “Wait, Mother.”

At once, she turned on her heel and faced him, somewhat surprised by the outburst. “What is it, Theophilus?”

He swallowed against the lump in his throat. “I only wanted to let you know how much love and gratitude I have for everything you do. I hope to make you proud one day.”

Shock spread across her features while she stared back at him, seemingly caught off guard by the rare sentiment. She held her hands together in her lap. “Is everything alright?”

“Of course,” he returned to her gently with a small smile. “One shouldn’t wait for special occasions to express their love. I realize I haven’t said it enough.”

The pang of guilt in his heart only grew, and he tried to ease a reassuring breath from his chest. It could be the last time he ever saw his mother again, and he didn’t want to leave her with too many questions.

He certainly didn’t want her to wonder if he left because he didn’t feel any love toward his parents. It wasn’t true in the slightest. The thought of leaving without saying goodbye tore him up more than he expected.

His mother’s face softened, and she cut the space between them to envelop him in a tight embrace. “I love you more than life itself, my son. I am already proud of you and will always be, no matter what.”

Theophilus’ chest ached as he forced a careful smile not to give himself away once his mother pulled apart, and she mirrored the heartfelt look back at him.

Without another word, she moved toward the door, her dress moving behind her carefully.

He watched her depart with a heavy heart, and the first inklings of uncertainty entered his mind. Up until then, he had been unwaveringly determined to escape with Odette and secure their lives in France, free from confinement.

But after embracing his mother and seeing her face one last time, he stopped and truly thought about what he would be leaving behind. His family would have no closure on his disappearance.

Surely, his superiors would find out he helped her escape, but beyond that, they wouldn’t be given any reason why he did it. It didn’t feel right, but he had no other choice.

While he wished to tell himself that he had everything under control and it would all work out fine in the end, he had no way of being certain. Too many circumstances could unravel and derail his plans, and he couldn’t say if they would be successful.

But he was the one who made that decision to break Odette out. He chose his fate the moment he pulled her from that cell and escorted her out. There was nobody to blame but himself, yet he would have it no other way.

Odette was worth saving, which was the only thing keeping him going. She needed him more than ever, and that was enough.

He released a deep breath long after the door closed behind his mother, and a part of him silently prayed it wouldn’t be the last time he set eyes on her.

With whatever shred of luck and good fortune he had within him, Theophilus hoped for the best outcome, even if it seemed unlikely.

Chapter Nineteen

ODETTE

Tears burned at the corners of her eyes, and Odette tried her hardest not to cry. She breathed shakily from beneath the bed and found it nearly impossible to keep her composure.

She had heard everything between Theophilus and his mother, and it broke her heart to imagine saying the same things to her own parents, unable to confess the truth. She didn’t know how he had done so without giving himself up.

Their love and gratitude confessions were enough to pull on her heartstrings, and Odette couldn’t let him run away with her. She couldn’t let him go through with it.

There was too much at stake for him, unlike herself, and she would be damned if he let her get in between him and his life. It was too much for her to ask of him.

She listened to the retreating footsteps of his mother, and the moment the door closed behind her, Odette pushed herself out from under the bed.

Standing in a flurry of movement, she moved her hair from her face and found Theophilus, unmoving, standing in the middle of the room.

Emotion made her nose burn, and she could feel how muddled her cheeks were, likely splotched with red. “You mustn’t do it. I won’t let you!”

He turned to face her, expression tight with confusion. “Odette—”

“I will go to Dover, but you can’t come with me. It would be an injustice to you and your family.”