The Duke who caught my eye

Chapter 12

"He was immediately rushed to the physician's place, he was there for almost a day before the Earl took him home. He stayed in bed for close to three months, but he said he didn't regret it. He'd found Annie and every time the physician came to check on him, Annie would tag along with her father. I was never much of a romantic, but even I could see the sparks fly between them."

"What happened after Lord Crane healed?"

"He dragged me to the physician's place again. This time he went there with the excuse of thanking the man for setting his bones right. And since that wasn't enough for him to visit regularly, he said that I had developed an interest in the medical sciences and required guidance."

"I was the son of a Duke, the poor man couldn't say no. So we'd go there everyday and that's how I fell in love with medicine and Crane fell in love with Annie."

"And then?"

"The Earl found out about what was happening, but he thought it was just an infatuation and let it be. In our twenty first year, the Earl died. Crane was desolate. But he still had Annie in his life. All those years, they'd corresponded. The other boys, including me would chase skirts and make merry. But not Crane."

"He married Annie after the mourning period. Many people gossiped about how Annie had trapped him, but anyone who saw them together could see that they were crazy about each other. Besides, Annie was a strong woman and such things didn't bother her in the least."

"She conceived Isabelle in the second year of their marriage. She'd had miscarriages before that. Both her father and I warned her that it was risky and even Crane told her that he didn't need an heir. But she was so goddamned stubborn."

He took a deep breath.

Tears were streaming down Clara's face.

"Was she close to you?" she asked.

He nodded, unable to speak.

Clara scooted closer to him and put her arms around him. At first it seemed like he was just going to sit that way. But then his arms came around her in an iron grip. He put his face over her shoulder.

And then it started.

He was sobbing. It wasn't just tears streaming down his face, he was sobbing like a man with years of grief bottled up in him. Clara cried with him.

How could she not? She loved him.

They wept for the loss of Annie and Crane, they wept for their lost love. They wept for Isabelle, for she could never witness the bond her parents shared.

Clara was happy that her husband was crying, not because he was in pain. But because he was finally letting it all out. All the pain, all the regret...knowing him, he'd probably held it in all these years. Her heart ached for him. It seemed like Lord Crane and Annie were the only family he'd had.

After a while, his sobs had subsided.

He sat back and they just stared at each other, unable to comprehend what had just transpired between them. At some point, it had felt like their souls had connected. It had felt like they were one.

She felt like she should talk about his parents as well. She didn't know if it was appropriate considering how vulnerable he was, but if she wanted them to have a good and honest marriage, she'd have to risk it.