Chapter 6 - The Night We Thought We Had Lost Our Child
The carriage arrived before midnight.
Rain battered the road.
Sebastian held Clara's hand the entire journey.
She was frightened.
But she would not let herself think the worst.
Not yet.
The physician met them at the London residence.
He examined her.
Then looked at Sebastian.
“The bleeding is minor.”
Clara closed her eyes.
“The baby?”
Dr. Bell smiled.
“Still there.”
Sebastian exhaled.
The relief nearly broke him.
Clara laughed through tears.
“I thought…”
“I know.”
The physician advised rest.
No travel.
No stress.
No confrontation.
Clara looked at Sebastian.
“You heard him.”
“I did.”
“I mean it.”
“Yes.”
For several weeks, they remained in London.
Julian had disappeared.
Lady Wexham was awaiting trial.
Dr. Prescott had agreed to give evidence.
The danger seemed to be fading.
Then the letters began.
One every morning.
All written in different handwriting.
Your mother should have stayed silent.
Your child will inherit nothing.
You should have remained barren.
The last one contained no words.
Only a lock of hair.
Clara stared at it.
“That isn't mine.”
“No.”
Sebastian's face became hard.
“Whose is it?”
A maid appeared in the doorway.
She was shaking.
“Your Grace.”
“What?”
“There is a young girl outside.”
“What girl?”
“She says she knows the Duchess.”
Clara went pale.
The girl was about fourteen.
She wore a threadbare coat.
She introduced herself as Eleanor Price.
“My mother worked for Lady Wexham.”
“What do you want?”
“I have something for you.”
She handed Clara a packet.
Inside was a diary.
Clara opened it.
Lady Wexham's private diary.
There were pages documenting payments.
Meetings.
Names.
And one final entry.
Julian is not the architect.
He believes he is.
But the person moving him has much greater authority.
Clara looked at Sebastian.
“Who?”
The answer appeared on the next page.
The Duke himself.
Sebastian froze.
“What?”
Clara kept reading.
The handwriting described a plan in which Sebastian would appear innocent while quietly controlling every part of the conspiracy.
She looked at him.
“Is this real?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“It is not.”
“I knew you were hiding things.”
“So did I.”
“But this?”
Sebastian took the diary.
He read.
Then his expression changed.
“This is my father's handwriting.”
Clara stared.
“Your father died before all this.”
“Yes.”
“Then he planned it before his death.”
Sebastian's mind raced.
His father had anticipated everything.
The marriage.
The trust.
The diagnosis.
The inheritance.
Even Clara's discovery.
But why?
Then Sebastian remembered the first letter.
I can no longer participate in this deception.
Dr. Prescott had dated it two years ago.
His father had still been alive.
“What if my father wanted me to find the truth?”
Clara looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because he knew Julian would continue.”
“What would your father gain?”
“Nothing.”
Sebastian looked at the diary.
“Unless this was his attempt to destroy the people around him before he died.”
Clara frowned.
“Then why hurt me?”
“He didn't.”
“Your father did.”
Sebastian shook his head.
“No.”
He pointed to a line.
The doctor will tell her she cannot have children. When Sebastian marries her, he will investigate. By the time he learns the truth, those responsible will have exposed themselves.
Clara stared.
“He expected you to investigate.”
“Yes.”
“And he knew you would love me.”
Sebastian was silent.
Clara closed the diary.
“Your father manipulated our lives even after death.”
“Yes.”
She sat down.
“I hate him.”
“I know.”
“No.”
She looked at Sebastian.
“I don't hate him because of what he did to me.”
“Then why?”
“Because he made you believe you had to become like him to survive.”
Sebastian looked down.
The truth struck deeply.
His entire life had been shaped by a father who had taught him that power required secrecy.
Clara reached for his hand.
“You don't have to be him.”
Sebastian looked up.
“I know.”
Then the door burst open.
Nora rushed inside.
“The police found Julian.”
“Where?”
“At the docks.”
Sebastian stood.
“Is he alive?”
“Yes.”
“Then this ends tonight.”
They went to the docks.
Julian was surrounded by police.
He looked exhausted.
Broken.
But when he saw Clara, he laughed.
“You think you won.”
Clara stopped.
“What do you mean?”
Julian looked at Sebastian.
“You still don't know.”
“Know what?”
“Your father's final secret.”
Sebastian's expression hardened.
“What secret?”
Julian's smile vanished.
“He didn't create the trust to protect Clara.”
Silence.
“He created it because he knew Sebastian would someday betray him.”
Sebastian stared.
“I never betrayed him.”
Julian laughed.
“You chose love.”
He looked at Clara.
“That was the betrayal.”
For the first time, Julian seemed almost sad.
“Your father believed that one day Sebastian would become exactly what he was.”
“And you?”
“I believed it too.”
Clara asked,
“What happened?”
Julian looked at Sebastian.
“He was wrong.”
May you like
Then Julian turned toward the officers.
“I am ready to testify.”
