Oxford, England

October, 1818

Andrew was surprised to hear someone call his name in the middle of the crowded train station. Confused, he looked around and, to his even greater surprise, saw Sarah hurrying toward him. He raised his eyebrows.

"What are you doing here?" she asked breathlessly.

"I think I should be the one asking you that. Why have you followed me all the way from London to Oxford, cousin?"

"Did you come to give her the divorce papers?"

Andrew laughed. "Don't pretend you don't know." He resumed walking and heard Sarah's footsteps following him. "I owe it to her to give her the papers myself instead of posting them." He glanced back. "And I would appreciate if you did not follow me any further."

"You're just making excuses to see her again."

He rounded on her. "Of course I want to see her one last time. Why don't you go running back to my mother and tell her that?"

Sarah looked hurt. "Andrew, I want to talk to you."

"Well I don't want to even look at you right now." He had reached the carriage that was waiting for him outside the train station.

Sarah grabbed his arm. "Please, Andrew. I know I have no right to ask anything of you, but please listen to me."

Andrew freed his arm from her grasp and sighed. "Come on then."

When they entered his Oxford house a few minutes later, the servants seemed to be expecting them, though Andrew had not informed them that he would be arriving. He suspected Sarah was behind that and wondered what she had finally decided to tell him. Sarah made sure the bedroom door was locked and that the servants were sent away before finally turning to Andrew.

"You might want to sit down."

Andrew folded his arms, glaring at her. "You are in no position to tell me what to do right now, cousin. I think you lost that right quite some time ago."

Without warning, Sarah's eyes filled with tears and she collapsed onto the bed. "Forgive me, Andrew." She began to sob. Caught off guard, and despite his anger, Andrew could not help feeling concerned for his cousin.

"Sarah, calm down." He tried to soften his voice. She continued to sob. Andrew sat down next to her and awkwardly slipped an arm around her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. "What is it, Sarah?"

"You are going to despise me," Sarah said between sobs, trying to compose herself again.

"I could never despise you, Sarah." Despite their strained relationship the past few months and his deep sense of betrayal, he knew deep down that Sarah was just another victim of his mother's vicious plans.

"Oh, but you will."

Andrew sighed. "Let's hear it then. What's bothering you so much?"

Sarah took a deep breath. "Andrew...your father is alive."

Andrew stared at her as her words registered in his mind. His first instinct was to tell her to stop joking, that this was not the right time for her tricks, that she was out of her mind. But something inside him, a gut feeling or intuition, stopped him. Shock, fear, and disbelief stirred inside him, each threatening to overtake the others, but he remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

"Your mother faked his death. Some-someone poisoned Uncle Ronald's food, but—"

"You mean my mother?" Andrew's voice was cold and deadly.

Sarah looked at him in fear and then nodded. "But not enough to kill him. Just enough to make him fatally ill. He is under care now in Bedfordshire, away from all that is going on in London and cut off from all news."

"But why?"

"She thought if it had appeared he'd died, you would take over as Duke of Grafton and the shock and grief of losing your father would make you leave Nancy." She looked at him uncertainly. "I was very proud of you for still marrying her."

"And the medical documents?" Andrew thought he might know the answer.

"William's mother, Duchess Norfolk—your father's cousin—got those documents from her husband. Her husband's brother is a doctor."

Andrew nodded. He had known that much. "So Duke Norfolk was involved in faking the death of Duke Grafton? How ironic."

"He didn't have a choice. You know how your mother can be. She threatened William's mother constantly."

"With what, pray?"

"With the fact that William and Laura have something going on between them."

"And that's something Duchess Norfolk should fear people finding out?" Andrew shot at her.

"Apparently. Andrew, the way you and I see things is different than the way our parents see things. Duchess Norfolk wanted to avoid any inconvenience for her family, since Laura is to be betrothed to William's cousin. Laura's mother is also a close friend of Duchess Norfolk." Andrew opened his mouth to retort, but Sarah hurriedly continued. "I don't understand either, Andrew. Please be patient."

Anger continued to well up inside him, but he wanted to hear the rest of the story. "So my father apparently died, I still married a poor girl, and then what?"

"When your mother saw that you would not change your mind, she decided to use other means to get you away from her. She had people follow her everywhere and then used the fact that she is in danger to keep you in check."

"I've figured that part out."

Sarah caught hold of his shoulders and shook him. "But why are you giving in?" she said desperately.

"Because I cannot have Nancy live in danger for the rest of her life. She deserves better than that, and I care too much about her to let her marriage to me hold her back." Andrew gently pried Sarah's hands off his shoulders. "My mother put forward a deal that if I left Nancy, she would let her continue her life as though I had never been a part of it. It hurts me unimaginably to think about that, but at least Nancy will be able to lead a normal life without fear."

"But she is the only woman who has ever succeeded in making you happy, Andrew. I have known you my whole life. Do not give up on her, I beg you."

"What am I supposed to do then? Let her live in danger forever? Selfishly tie her down to myself? Hold her back from living her life?"

Sarah shook her head. "Protect her. Don't let anything happen to her, like you always said you wouldn't."

"Maybe leaving her is the best way to protect her."

"I think you are missing a very important point here." Nancy gave him a piercing look. "You can sue your mother for her part in faking the death of Duke Grafton and making everyone believe you are the duke now."

Andrew frowned as he thought over her words. "Do you know where my father is in Bedfordshire?"

Sarah nodded.

"One more thing. How did my mother manage to buy you?"

Sarah smiled, but it was humorless. "She said she would finish what she'd started with Uncle Ronald if I did not help. She wanted me on her side because she thinks I have a huge influence on you and you would be more willing to listen to her if I appeared to be supporting her."

"Well, that had the opposite effect." Andrew's mind was racing. "Why are you telling me all of this now? The threat to kill my father still holds, I presume."

"Because you are so close to throwing away the happy life Nancy could give you, and I do not want that for you. My biggest wish, to this day, is that I had the life I'd imagined before my marriage. Andrew, love is the only thing that can give meaning to life, and that is why my life seems to lack any purpose at all."

Andrew nodded slowly. "Don't turn your back on me again."

"I never did." Sarah smiled, and they simultaneously moved forward to hug each other.

"I can forgive you, Andrew. I can forgive my mother too. But don't think you can go to Nancy and have her take you back with open arms. She is stronger than that."

William and Andrew sat in the large living room in William's house.

"Well, I was hoping you could help me with that." Andrew looked at William hopefully.

William frowned. "How exactly can I help you with that?"

"She listens to you. If you explain to her the whole situation—"

"Mate, I'll tell her the whole situation, but you owe her an explanation too. She is the one who suffered the most because of all this. Besides, she is not unreasonable. It may take some time, but she'll understand."

Andrew knew he was right. "How is she doing?"

"She has been better, but she's getting on. She'll be fine either way. It's you I was more worried about; knowing you, I'm sure you would not be able to get on with life without her."

Andrew knew his friend was teasing him, but there was truth behind his words—more truth than he would ever admit.

He gave William a day to tell Nancy the story and then waited another day for her to digest everything. The day after that, he waited for Nancy outside the Oxford campus. He knew she was probably in the library and would leave after dark. Usually he made sure William would accompany her home, no matter what time she left, but today he would not need William. A shiver ran down his spine when he saw her walk through the gateway, lost in thought. His heart was beating fast, but he knew he must remain calm. Nancy did not notice him until he stepped forward and blocked her way.

"Nancy." He tried to keep his voice steady.

She looked up, surprised. "Andrew." Her voice was barely more than a whisper. "What are you doing here? Are you all right?"

Andrew vaguely registered that she was still concerned about him despite how much he had hurt her. Without a word, he wrapped her in his arms and held her tight. She stood still for a moment before tentatively returning the hug. Then she buried her head in the crook of his neck, and he wished he could hold her like that forever. He could feel her breathing, could smell the sweet scent of her hair. It was a long moment before he finally pulled away. He took her small hands in his larger ones.

"Forgive me, Nancy." His voice was hoarse.

She looked up at him, and Andrew could not decipher what she was thinking. Her face was neutral and expressionless. She finally spoke up. "I don't want to be the cause of any more trouble for you or your family."

"Nancy—"

"I think we both have been through enough. It would be better for both of us if you went through with your plan of leaving me." She freed her hands from his grasp.

"Give me a chance to explain," Andrew pleaded, but she shook her head.

"William told me everything already. Your mother thinks I'm only with you for your money. Your father was almost killed so that we would be kept apart. Don't you think our relationship has caused enough trouble already?"

"No."

"Well I think it has. I forgive you. Good-bye, Andrew."

She swept past him, and he did not follow.

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