AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She seemed to shrink in on herself. “I have changed, Isaac and I know you have done so as well. What about basic forgiveness and the milk of human kindness, as the Bard would say? We were young, Isaac and foolish mistakes happen when one in young.”
He took in a deep breath. “Forgive me, Miss Follet but I think it best for you to leave. Coming here was a mistake.”
Her eyes flashed with anger before it dulled. “You have found another, I take it?”
Not wanting to give her any more leeway to drag out the conversation, Isaac said, “I’ll have the carriage called for you.”
As he turned to the door, Helena said,“I have missed you, Isaac. I hope thatyou can find it in your heart to give me another chance.”
Bracing his hand one the doorjamb, Isaac stiffened. What was she aiming for? Surely, she could not thinkthat coming to his home and trying to play on their old familiarity would get her back into his good graces?
“How did you find me?” he asked over his shoulder.
“A mutual friend,” Helena replied quietly.
Twisting to look at her, Isaac felt conflicted. Hershoulders were slumped, her eyes were down, and she looked utterly dejected. A flash of pity ran through him as he knew that Helena had not come to him to get rebuffed. Her pride had told her that he would come running back to her if she so much as crooked a finger at him.
It is not her fault that she was spoiled, so I cannot hold it against her.
“From now on, Miss Follett, I would appreciate prior notice of your arrival,” Isaac said. He felt it a bit cruel and unchristian like to utterly ban her from his home, but with his tone and the stiffness in his posture, she should realize that he was not as welcoming to her as she had wanted him to be. “Have a good day and safe travels home.”
Nodding curtly, he stepped out just as—devil and damn it—Louisa was coming to them with a tray of tea in her hands. The door was open, and he could feel Helena’s eyes squarely on the back of his head. From one look at her, he could see worry for him marking her face. He wanted to comfort her—Godknew he wanted to but could not offer her a smidgen of the consideration he wanted to show her in front their guest.
Isaac only nodded.“Miss Stone, when our guestleave would you please meet me in my study. I have something to…discuss with you.”
He headed off to his room, every emotion inside his soul suddenly spun topsy-turvy.Isaac knew he needed some quiet to go through the last few moments in detail and separate what Helena had said with what she hadnotsaid.
Closing the door behind him, Isaac went tohis desk and sunk heavily onto the seat there. Framing his face with both hands, he felt his leg begin to bounce under the table. Helena Follet was in his house, asking him to give her another chance.
For what? For her to take the last shreds of what she had not broken the first time and destroy that too?
But why now? Why had she arrived during the time when he was finally starting to heal from her wicked acts? What had happened to the two years prior? The desolate creature he had been then would have taken Helena back in a heartbeat. He would have groveled, begged, and paid half his fortune to have her look at him back then, the way she was looking at him now.
But no—not now when he was staring to leave all the old, ugly, caustic emotions behind. He was not going to even consider what she wanted from him much less do anything about it. He peeled his hands from his face. Not once in their conversation had Helena taken blame for what she had done. No. She had made it look as if her action were his and the Frenchman’s faults.
What more can I do about that? She is a vain woman and I know it well.
He stood from his seat and strode to the large, mullioned windows that were positioned to face the front of his estate and the drive. Silently he watched as a carriage come to the forefront and Helena and her maid entered it.
Swallowing over a tight throat, Isaac felt the iron in his spine vanish. He hated how it was with her; how one look at her beautiful face had brought on so many memories, some of them good but the majority of them were dreadful.
The soft closingof his door had him pivoting on his heel, and a jab of heated guilt ran through his heart at seeing the downcast look on Louisa’s face.
“Louisa—”
“That was her,” she said. “Wasn’t it? The lady who brokeyour heart.”
“Yes,” he said tightly. “She was.”
She looked down on her apron and picked at it. “She’s very beautiful.”
Spurred on, Isaac took her in his arms, and kissed her temple. “Yes, she is beautiful, Louisa, but such loveliness only runsskin-deep. She betrayed me without any compassion or thought to me. She might be wonderful to look at it, but true beauty comes from withing and I assure you, she has little of that.”
After resting on his chest for a moment, Louisa pulled away, but kept her eyes down on the floor. “Why did she come? What does she want with you?”
“She wants me to court her again,” Isaac admitted.
“Will you?” Louisa’s tone was on the verge of shattering and Isaac knew he had to do something.
