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“Are you certain you want to do this?” he asked tenderly. “You know we don’t have to. We do not owe that woman anything.”
“I know we don’t,” she smiled, “but I want to put all this behind us. I want to start a new life with you without anyone interfering in it.”
“I want the same,” he spoke back, lifting her hand to his lips and giving it a worshipful kiss. “You don’t know how much I am looking forward to that. But I want you to know that I don’t need this conversation with her in order to be able to let go of everything. I am here because you want me to be. But in all honesty, you are all I need. Yours is the only approval I need now and forever more.”
“That is all I ever wanted to hear from you,” she replied. “Perhaps you are right. I have given this woman far too much relevance in our relationship when I should not have done such a thing. I don’t care about her opinion, nor do I care if the entiretonshuns us both.”
“You know that won’t be good for your sister,” he reminded her. “She is need of a good man to wed.”
“This way, it will be even easier to find a good man,” Amelia suddenly said.
“How?” Arthur asked, curiously.
“Because those people who cannot think for themselves will be easily led by the opinion of others,” Amelia explained. “They will shun us as well. But those whose soul sees the true goodness in another person, those are the people who are not easily led astray by whatthe tonthinks. Those people we want to have by our side.”
“I knew you were smart,” Arthur gushed, “but sometimes, your manner of thinking amazes me. You are wise beyond your years.”
Amelia smiled back, and just as she was about to suggest going back without being seen by Lady Susan, the woman in question appeared in the doorway. Amelia took this as a sign that theydidneed to have this conversation.
As soon as Lady Susan laid her eyes on Arthur, she stopped immediately. She wasn’t frightened, but she obviously felt uneasy in his presence. It was a whole different matter when they were at a ball surrounded by lots of people. She was much braver then, willing to even approach him herself, so she could plant her venomous words. But now, when there were only the three of them, she felt outnumbered. Still, she agreed to see them. Amelia appreciated that and decided to be kind.
“Thank you for seeing us, Lady Susan,” Amelia greeted her politely.
“Well, it’s not like I have much choice,” Lady Susan replied not unkindly, but it was obvious that she wished to be anywhere but there with them. Amelia could understand her, but now that they were here, together, it was crucial that Amelia and Arthur got their message across.
“I assure you that what we have to tell you is a matter of the utmost importance,” Amelia said, turning to Arthur, who simply nodded. He had silently allowed her to lead this conversation although Amelia felt that he should have been the one since he was much more involved. However, she started, and perhaps, he would add something of his own if he felt the time was right.
“I am listening,” Lady Susan told them although she did not make herself comfortable by taking a seat. Instead, she remained standing where she was at a safe distance from them.
“We spoke with your fiancé yesterday,” Amelia commenced, sharing their revelation. Lady Susan’s eyes expressed interest even more now that Jacob Malcourt was involved. “Our conversation was very… enlightening to say the least.”
Amelia promised herself she would be quick, but she was having too much fun revealing the truth slowly, painstakingly almost. She immediately remembered all the things Lady Susan had said, things that were not true, things she herself couldn’t be certain of, and yet, she still continued to spread those malicious lies that were completely unfounded.
“In what way?” Lady Susan inquired, trying to sound dignified and above it all, but Amelia knew that deep down, she was being eaten up alive by what they were about to uncover.
“You were wrong.” Amelia could not keep it in any longer. “You were wrong about everything, and instead of unearthing the truth about the man you claimed you loved, you buried him even deeper.”
Lady Susan’s gaze raced towards Arthur. She was trying to find understanding in his eyes, some sort of camaraderie, but Amelia knew better than anyone else that the love he felt for this woman before was not love at all. It was something pale and inadequate compared to what they had now. She had no fear that there was even an ounce of emotion for this woman left in him.
“You and your fiancé let Arthur live in the conviction that it was his carelessness that caused the fire and killed his parents,” Amelia announced.
“Wasn’t it?” Lady Susan asked, almost gasping.
“No,” Amelia shook her head, slowly accentuating every single word that she spoke. “It was not. Your fiancé has confessed to everything. Arthur extinguished the candle before he left. Jacob Malcourt snuck into Arthur’s home and lit the candle again. The rest, of course, we all know.”
Lady Susan seemed incredulous. She couldn’t believe it. She wasn’t allowing herself to believe a single word of what she just heard.
“But… why would he do such a thing?” she demanded.
“Because he was obsessed with you,” Arthur finally interjected. Amelia allowed him. This part of the conversation belonged to him. Still holding his hand, she listened to him speak although even now, after everything that had happened, there was no evil in his voice. There was no malice. He held nothing against anyone.
When it all happened, he closed himself off from the rest of the world, preferring to steer clear of them instead of fighting them. Amelia knew that vain struggle when one was fighting a battle one could not win. She had to admit, a long time ago, that she also fell in this trap of believing what others told her to believe. Never again would she make such a mistake. Never again. And for this not to happen ever again, she needed to right all the wrongs that were on their path. She wasn’t searching forthe ton’sapproval of either her or Arthur. What shediddemand was respect. That was all.
“He had been obsessed with you throughout the entire time we were courting,” Arthur continued. “I paid no heed because I thought him a gentleman. I thought that he would recognize the line that ought never to be crossed by a good man. But he isn’t a good man. He is exactly the opposite, and such men deserve the punishment they get.”
Lady Susan’s face turned pale. “So… I have believed a lie all this time?” Her voice trembled with that heavy realization that she almost ruined someone’s life for nothing. It was a tough pill to swallow, but now was the time for accepting a difficult reality.
After all, whether Lady Susan accepted it or not was irrelevant. Jacob Malcourt was taken by the constables, and he would be put on trial for the deaths of Arthur’s parents. That was the only way in which justice could be appeased. As for Lady Susan, her role in the crime was nonexistent. However, her role in ruining Arthur’s social life was crucial. She needed to be aware of what she had done. She needed to stop spreading lies.
