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“What... what do you mean to do?” he asked her, his chin now wobbling. “Know that I will do anything that I must – whatever you ask of me. Please, Diana. Give me a second chance.”

“Not a second chance,” she said. “A hundredth, it feels like. And for that reason, I ask the only thing that I can – what I must. And not just for me, but the two of us.”

He did not speak. Brow furrowed. Face tight. Chin wobbling as the tears threatened to pour. He needed her to see how much this hurt, how wronged he felt. He needed her to understand that he had changed.

And maybe she did? Alas, she was through taking risks with him. She was through putting herself in harm’s way.

“I wish for an annulment.”

“No....” He took a step back as if she had stabbed him through the heart.

“The details of which will be organized by me. All you need do is sign the papers when they come.”

“Diana...” He tried to meet her eyes, but she refused to give them. He sensed that deep down she was hurting as much as he was. And that only made it all the worse.

“As for tonight, I shall be retiring to my mother’s home. I shall organize tomorrow for my things to be collected.”

“Please...” He forced himself to go to her, pushing through the invisible barrier until he was right before her. “Don’t do this. There is no need – I have changed. I... I... I love --”

“Do this for me, please,” she said. “Do not fight it.”

“Is this really what you want?” Magnus reached for her hand and took it. He held it to his chest. His body shook, as did Diana’s. But he met her eyes so she could see the pain; a pain that was matched in her eyes also. “Tell me this is what you want. Look at me and say it.”

“I want this,” she spoke through the tears. “And nothing you can say will change my mind.” She pulled her hand free and took a step back. And then another.

“Diana, wait...”

“No, Magnus. I am through waiting.” She put her head down and strode toward the door. He spun about to watch her go, knowing he should go after her, unable to move his feet because his body refused to listen. “And Magnus...” She reached the doorway and turned back.

“Yes?” He perked up, as if she might suddenly change her mind.

“The girls, give them my love. And please,please...” She sniffed and wiped her nose. “Look after them, for me. They need your love, all of it. Do not deny them.” A final look of sadness and Diana bowed her head and walked through the door and out of Magnus’ life.

As for Magnus? It might have been nice to say that he chased after her. That he grabbed a hold of her shoulders, looked into her eyes, and confessed finally that he loved her. That he fought for her! That he refused to take no for an answer. Alas, that simply wasn’t the case.

Feelings of helplessness that Magnus knew well descended over him. Feelings of powerlessness, hopelessness, having zero agency was the stuff of nightmares, now turned to reality. He fell to his knees, the pain in his chest exploding out of his mouth like a torrent.

For the first time in his life, Magnus had let his guard down and found it in himself to love another. And for the first time in his life, he was experiencing the pain that so often came with that. Heartbreak. Heartbreak so wretched that from it, Magnus knew he would never be the same again.

ChapterTwenty-Five

“Evelyn, will you please ask my daughter what she is still doing here?” Diana’s mother said, looking down the table at Evelyn as she purposefully avoided so much as glancing at Diana.

“Mother,” Diana sighed. “There is no need to --”

“Evelyn, will you please ask my daughter what she is still doing here?” her mother spoke over Diana.

Evelyn shook her head. “I suspect that she is here to break her fast, as we both are.”

“Mother, can we please talk about this like --”

“Evelyn, will you please tell my daughter that she is not welcome to break her fast with us,” her mother spoke over her again as she continued to look at Evelyn. “Only those who live here are welcome at this table, and the last time I checked, Diana has a home of her own.”

“Aunt Teresa, is this really necessary?”

“A home which I toiled and broke my back to see her welcome into,” her mother continued hotly. “A home which any woman in her position would kill to be welcome – a home that I now see was above her, despite how much blood and sweat I poured into convincing certain dukes of the contrary.”

“You did no such thing,” Diana snapped, fed up with her mother’s behavior. “So do not pretend that you did. My marriage to His Grace was organized on his account, and had nothing to do with you, so please do not act otherwise.”