Page 122 of Stolen By the Heartless Duke

Hector looked away. The tenderness between them felt almost sacred. He thought of all the years he had spent believingstrength meant carrying burdens alone. Jane had reached precisely the opposite conclusion.

Colin slowly stepped back. “What of Mother?”

Jane dabbed carefully beneath one eye. “I shall tell her.”

“It will break her heart.”

Jane agreed, “It may.”

“And if she cannot understand?”

Jane’s smile softened. “Then I shall remind her who she is.”

He frowned. “Our mother loves her children more than she loves titles.”

A shadow of relief crossed Colin’s face. “And Father? What would he think of me?”

Jane’s eyes glistened again. “Our father spent every day teaching us to be kind. He never once taught us to sacrifice happiness for appearances.”

Colin covered his face with one hand. “I wanted to be the son he deserved.”

“You already were.”

“I failed,” Colin said.

“No.”

“I abandoned everything.”

“You survived.”

“I ran.”

“To protect the man you love.” Her voice never wavered. “I think Father would have admired your courage.”

Silence answered her. Hector watched Colin crumble. He shed the grief he seemed to have been storing up like a second skin, relief flooding in. Years of fear seemed to melt from the man’s shoulders.

He looked younger. Hector caught a glimpse of the cheerful young lord everyone had described before duty claimed him.

Then Colin looked toward Hector. “So...” A tired smile appeared. “I imagine this is the part where Your Grace tells us we are both fools.”

Hector met his gaze. “I considered it.”

Evan sighed. “I deserve worse.”

“No.”

Both men looked at him. Hector folded his hands behind his back. “I deserved an explanation.”

“You did.”

“I deserved honesty.”

“Yes.”

Hector said, “You should have trusted me.”

Evan lowered his head. “I know.”