《The Improper Companion》Chapter 20

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"Yes, what happened, your grace?" Fiona rushed to his mother's side.

"Look at her pretending like this wasn't all her fault. She shouldn't have left your mother alone for her romantic tête-à-tête in the first place," Sophia whispered from beside him. He felt his palms fist up of their own accord.

"I had just exited my room when I felt someone bump into me. It was unexpected and I lost my balance," his mother replied to them both.

"I'll go find something for the pain," Fiona said briskly and left the chamber.

"I shall return in a moment, mother," Nate kissed her forehead and followed Fiona, shutting the door on his way out.

"Miss Butterworth," he called. She turned around immediately. "You are dismissed," he said shortly, wishing they weren't surrounded by his curious guests.

"What do you mean?" she looked confused.

"I mean that my mother no longer requires your services."

"Nate..." she came forward, her hand stretched out.

"You shall address him as your grace. Only his equals are allowed to call him by his name name," Sophia said, appearing at his side. Nate said nothing.

Fiona looked like he'd slapped her but Nate didn't budge.

He'd trusted her with his mother's safety and this is how she'd repaid him. She'd abandoned his mother in hopes of finding a brighter future as Winston's countess.

Then she'd already made her choice, so this was all just a formality anyway.

"May I at least know on what grounds you've decided to dismiss me?" she whispered shakily, her hands clenched by her sides.

"Not that I owe you any explanation but you chose a romantic interlude with your lover over your duty to my mother. She fell because you weren't there to take care of her."

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"What are you talking—"

"Oh don't make a fool of yourself anymore than you already have, Miss Butterworth. I had really started to like you. But I suppose your lack of breeding was bound to show someday," Sophia said snidely.

Fiona was shooting daggers at Sophia and Nate just wanted her gone from his sight.

He couldn't believe he'd actually given such a selfish woman his heart.

"At least allow me to care for her grace until she recovers. And then I will leave," she said stonily.

"I'll have the best of England's physicians if need be," Nate said and turned around.

"And if it's your wages you're worried about, they will be delivered to you by tomorrow morn," Sophia said to Fiona. Nate turned around immediately. There was no need to insult her this way, after all...

But she was gone, running down the stairs even as she swiped at her face with the back of her arm.

Every instinct in his body told him to chase her. But he had other things on his mind—like seeing to his mother's comfort.

******************

Nate couldn't sleep that night. All he could think of was Fiona's face when Sophia had said those things to her and he hadn't stopped her. He was beginning to feel like a real ass.

But then he'd have this image of Fiona in a passionate embrace with her beau while his mother lay on the floor—helpless and in pain.

So he alternated between anger and guilt.

God he really wished he didn't love her. It just hurt so much thinking about the last month. He'd never thought that he could feel so strongly about a person...

Meanwhile, Fiona was crying herself sick.

Oh but she hated him. He had to be the most despicable, cold hearted, unreasonable, wicked man alive with an equally wicked fiancé to go with.

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They were perfect for each other. The untouchable Lady Sophia and her untouchable stupid Duke, she punctuated the thought with another punch to her pillow.

She hated him. She hated the fact that the first and probably the last man she'd even loved this way had to be such an ass.

She'd been in love for God's sake! Yes, it was doomed from the start and she was often sad but still—why did he have to go and ruin it like this?

Or maybe this wasn't such a bad thing. He'd certainly made hating him a lot more easier.

But the point was moot. She wasn't going to see him and the duchess ever again. He'd made sure of that.

Her heart twisted painfully in her chest.

Well, she wasn't going to get out of this unscathed.

******************

"Why haven't I seen Fiona after last night?!" his mother was bellowing at a maid when he entered her chamber the next morning.

"Mother," he interrupted and signalled the maid to leave—who looked beyond relieved as she swept a quick curtsy and dashed out.

"I trust you're feeling better?" he asked pulling a chair next to her.

"I won't feel better until I know where Fiona is, son."

"You won't see her again, mother. I dismissed her," he sighed heavily, the pain from his wound was still fresh.

"You dismissed her? Are you daft?" his mother exploded.

"It's not so bad—"

"Nathaniel, she was the best thing that ever happened to me after your father's death."

"I'm sure there are dozens of other companions who are way better at their jobs than Miss Butterworth was," he said placatingly.

"She's not just a companion to me, Nathaniel," his mother said quietly. "May I at least know why you did this?"

"Isn't is obvious? She wasn't doing her job. Look what happened last night because of her mistake."

"What are you saying? She was only fetching my cane because I'd forgotten it somewhere. She'd specifically asked me to stay where I was while she got it because I haven't been very steady on my feet. And I did stay there. It's just that someone came onto to me suddenly—which was strange and I fell."

"She wasn't fetching you anything. She was meeting Winston—to tell him yes," Nate said dumbly.

"I can't believe you dismissed her in a fit if jealousy," his mother groaned.

"Jealousy? What are you talking about?"

"I know you love her so you can quit pretending otherwise," she snapped. "And all this poppycock about Winston is exactly that—poppycock. Why don't you ask him yourself? As you should've before attacking that poor girl."

Nate didn't even have time to be shocked that his mother knew everything because he was already out of his chair—headed to find Winston.

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