I pull her face to my chest and stroke her back. Gradually, she calms down.
“Wait—you said shewascrazy?”
“Yes. She’s dead, and that’s a good thing, because by now I’d probably be in prison. I think I would have killed her with my own hands.”
“What happened?”
“We only know part of the story. The police were waiting for you to wake up so you could explain. The shopkeeper said you argued inside the grocery store. And then?”
“I think she followed me. I was feeling confident driving and was going slowly until her car appeared in the rearview mirror. She was going very fast, and I got scared, but until the last moment, I didn’t know it was her and was certain the driver would stop when she saw me.”
“But she didn’t.”
“No. The first impact scared me, but I managed to control the car. When she hit me again, I lost control. I don’t remember much, but at that moment I recalled the palace guard’s safety protocol. As a member of the Royal Family, we always face risk of attack, so we receive training from a young age to get out of avehicle as quickly as possible in the event of an accident. That’s what I did.”
My nerves jolt as I imagine the scene.
I pull her even closer to me, and we remain silent for a few minutes, simply feeling each other, and I thank the universe that she is whole.
“Tell me how she died,” she asks.
“Elizabeth apparently got out of her car to check whether you were . . .well, she didn’t see you escape, and she approached the burning vehicle. It exploded shortly afterward, killing her instantly.”
She pulls back to look at me, her eyes reflecting pure terror. “How could she hate me that much? I barely saw her twice! If you’d had a romantic relationship, I’d understand, but as far as I know, it was nothing more than a business transaction.”
“I wasn’t joking when I said she was crazy.”
“What?”
“Athol, in his research on potential brides, missed this. She had been hospitalized in an institution as a teenager due to mental instability. Added to that is the fact that her family is bankrupt. She probably saw me as a chance at a life of wealth.”
“And when you chose me, I became the target of her hatred.”
“I’m sorry, Jazmina.”
“It wasn’t your fault, Rodrick. It’s a horrible situation, and this may make me a bad person, but I’m relieved that it wasn’t our son or daughter who was the focus of so much hatred; it was because she was mentally unstable.”
“I’m not saying we’ll be free of prejudice, duchess, only that we won’t let it guide our lives.”
“I don’t care what they think. I care about our love and our family. I chased my dreams. I went against my culture and my people. I won’t let myself be defeated.”
Chapter 53
London
One Month Later
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Athol asks, seated across from my desk. He hasn’t practiced much as a lawyer lately, and he’s decided to retire for good.
Jazmina, concerned about his health and knowing that he no longer has any living relatives, invited him to live on our lands in Kindubh, where we gather on weekends. He was reluctant at first—he’s been a loner his entire life—but my wife is not the type to give up at the first obstacle, and she told my former guardian that it would be good for our son or daughter to have a grandfather nearby.
That was the magic phrase. He agreed immediately, and although he isn’t one for smiles, I could tell he was happy about the invitation.
Jazmina personally made sure that the guesthouse on the grounds of my main castle—not the one in the Highlands—was suited to his tastes and needs, and his move should takeplace before our wedding ceremony—this time, in the Scottish tradition.
“No,” I finally reply, “but I have to. If my father were alive, he would want Gilroy to receive a portion of my inheritance. In any case, it currently represents a negligible amount compared to everything I’ve amassed on my own.”
“Does this decision have anything to do with Jazmina or the baby you have on the way?”