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There was a hint of unease crawling up Juliet’s spine, but she told herself to calm down and listen to what Hector had to say.

“All right,” she urged him to continue.

“The truth is…I married you because of my sister.”

That was not what I had expected.

“I do not understand.”

Hector nodded. “Before she…Well, Lydia told me she had a dear friend who was locked in a convent with no hope of ever leaving, and she was extremely worried that you would not survive.”

Juliet drew in quiet but sharp breath.

“She said she did not want to abandon you as your father had,” Hector continued. “She made me promise to marry and care for you. I went to your father and made it seem like a transaction, and he was all too willing to agree to it as it translated into an increase in his fortune.

“And…that is why it had to be you. I had no prior plans of getting married, and Lydia knew that, but she loved you too much not to do something about your situation. Now that I have gotten to know you better, I am glad I did. I am thankful that my sister had you to love and care for her in my absence all those years ago.”

Juliet did not realize she had been crying until he gently brushed away the tears rolling down her face. She fell into his embrace when he opened his arms, and she buried her face in his chest.

All this time, she had felt so incredibly alone and abandoned, believing that no one cared about her or thought of her as more than a thing to benefit from. Yet all this time, she had been on her friend’s mind, even in her last moments.

Hector had not even met her; he did not have to do as his sister asked. Still, he went ahead and fulfilled his sister’s wish. It was remarkable how their love for the same person had brought them together.

“There is something I must show you,” she said suddenly, pulling away slightly.

“All right,” Hector replied, rising to her feet and helping her up.

She led him to her room, heading straight for her wardrobe. On one of the top shelves was an ornate jewelry box that had belonged to her mother. It had been the only thing she had managed to keep, somehow hiding it away from everyone at the convent.

Juliet opened it and held it out to Hector, smiling at him as he stared down into it.

“Letters?”

She nodded. “Every single one she sent to me. It did not matter how she felt or what she was doing. She had always written to me once a month for eleven years, and I always wrote back until she stopped sending letters. That is when I knew, even before the news of her death arrived at the nunnery. To think that she had been thinking of me all that time…”

Her voice trailed off for a moment as she choked back her tears.

She exhaled. “I heard that you were with her, then. Thank you for making sure she was not alone.”

Hector took the box of letters and placed it on Juliet’s vanity and embraced her again.

“Thank you for making sure she wasn’t alone when I couldn’t be there.”

“I do not understand.”

The man before him, Barry Stevens, one of Hector’s solicitors, shifted uncomfortably, clearly unhappy about being the bearer of unwelcome news.

“Your Grace, a situation has arisen among some of your tenants. A number of them are delaying the payment of their rent, and many are filing all sorts of unnecessary complaints which are costing us time and money to deal with.”

“So?” Hector frowned, confused. “We have had people who have been a little late on their rent payment. This was never really an issue previously. If they need an extension, surely some sort of deal can be …”

“No, Your Grace, you do not understand. We have never had this many people withhold rent before. Some of them are refusingto pay for no reason whatsoever. And…I have more unwelcome news, Your Grace.”

“Oh, it gets worse? Are you not just a trove of delights today, Mr. Stevens,” Hector intoned sarcastically.

Barry winced, then spoke. “Many of your associates are refusing to work with you moving forward, Your Grace. We have reason to believe that it is because of the rumors surrounding your marriage and the Duchess’ past.”

This was becoming irritating. Hector had told Juliet not to worry about the gossip because he’d believed it would fade away given enough time. The Ton sometimes had a laughably short attention span, and it never took them too long to move forward and into the latest scandal.