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And so, she had simply waited and prayed for her husband to return with good news.

Now, she was here, bearing nothing but the little food that was left over from her journey.

“I am sorry. I did not have the means to help, so I did not want to send back sad news or false promises. Honestly, I was not able to bring much with me, but we can use the little I have to make things somewhat better,” Juliet replied.

She quickly returned to the carriage to get her things, surprised when she noticed an extra bag packed alongside her belongings.

“What is that?” she asked the coachman, confused.

He glanced at the bag and nodded in acknowledgement.

“Mrs. Harris was worried that you were going so far from home, Your Grace, so she had the maids pack some extra supplies to ensure that you would fare well,” he explained.

Extra supplies?Quickly,Juliet opened the bag, shocked to find not only food but some blankets as well.

“She said they had recently replaced some of the estate’s blankets, and since the old ones were going to be given out anyway, they may as well go to people who truly need them.”

Juliet blinked back tears. For all her opposition to Juliet’s wants, Mrs. Harris still listened to her. She knew how important the girls of St. Catherine’s were to the Duchess, and she had gone out of her way to prepare something for Juliet to help the girls gain some footing until Juliet had formulated a plan. Juliet had tried not to take anything from Islington Hall because she hadn’t wanted to owe Hector more than she already did, but someone else had provided her with the things she’d needed anyway.

“Thank you,” she said in quiet gratitude to Estella.

She turned to Beatrice, urging her along quickly.

“Let us take this inside and prepare the girls something to eat. Then we shall clear some parts to ensure that there are safe areas for us to rest.”

It did not matter what had happened or what she could do. Juliet was here now and determined to do what she could to ensure that these girls survived.

“You still have not found out who is responsible?”

Barry reluctantly shook his head. “The source is still quite unclear because many people are coming forth to claim they know more about you and the Duchess. With so many variations and so many tales…”

“It is almost impossible to track down who started this mess, especially if there were already rumors right after we were married, long before the scandal sheet was published,” Hector finished, rubbing his temple in hopes of easing his growing headache.

It had been two weeks since Juliet had left, and although he had buried himself in his work, it didn’t help him keep his thoughts off his wife.

Hector had not realized how deeply Juliet had interwoven herself into his life until he raised his head one evening and wondered if he should take a break from work to have dinner with her.

Then he remembered that she had left, and the dismay that unfurled in his chest shook him to his soul.

He was not only trying to save them from financial ruin but also doing all he could to clear her name. However, the oddswere stacked heavily against him, and just when he thought it was over, just when he had started to believe that he had finally gotten a handle on the situation, it had all fallen apart once again.

Hector felt disappointed in himself, and every day that passed served as further proof that she deserved someone much better and more competent than he was.

“Your Grace, please,” Estella had begged him a few nights ago. “You have barely eaten or slept in days. The Duchess would not want to see you like this.”

He had laughed, hollow and enraged, as he said, “She did not want to see me at all, regardless of whatever state I was in, and that is why she left, in case you were not aware.”

He had returned to his old drinking habits, not necessarily finding comfort at the bottom of a bottle but still gaining some moments of peace when the drink took its effect.

Juliet haunted his dreams: her warm embrace and her sweet lips brushing over his as she whispered words of encouragement to him. Each morning that he awoke alone, he cursed his existence.

He tossed the rest of the drink back in a single mouthful, grimacing as the drink singed the back of his throat.

Because what use was he now? He had failed his mother and had failed Juliet.

He had let down his sister. He did not realize how ill Lydia had become until it was much too late to halt the progress of the disease. He couldn’t uphold his promise to take care of her friend and couldn’t even treat her properly, even though he cared for her deeply.

He had failed as duke and would eventually lose everything he had to his name.