Page 126 of Bound By the Duke

In fact, to hell with her list. She had initially created it because she wanted to please her parents. But now, she wanted nothing more than to please herself. To do things she believed would benefit her.

And right now, that was understanding Percival’s pain.

“This decision was made by me, and it is final.” Aurelia straightened in her chair, her shoulders squared with resolve.

“You cannot mean that.” Her mother’s voice rose. “You speak in haste, child. With foolish emotion. Think of your family. Think of?—”

“My family,” Aurelia cut in sharply, “is already here. Sitting beside me.”

She paused, then slowly turned her head toward Percival. She glanced briefly at her siblings and gave them a smile. The kind of smile that was broken yet happy to be free.

“If you wish to visit us, you may,” Aurelia continued, looking back at her mother. “But you will not insult my husband or dictate what I must do with my life. Not anymore.”

The silence that followed was thick and tense. Even Lord Scovell had stopped eating, watching her. When his wife fell silent, too stunned to speak, he took over.

“Dear Aurelia, are you sure you will not regret this?” he asked gently.

“No, Father.” Aurelia turned to look at him. “And while I try to fix my life, I hope you and Mother shift your focus to the twins. To their happiness. To whattheywant, not whatyouwant.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Please don’t repeat the mistake you made with me. Parents should never force love on their children. It could ruin lives…”

She paused when she sensed the slight tremor in Percival’s fingers and gave him a tight squeeze.

They were in this together. They would find their happiness together. They would be set free from the past together.

Lady Scovell inhaled sharply, as though Aurelia had slapped her.

Aurelia briefly felt a pang of guilt, but she shoved it away. For once, she was not a girl desperate for approval, desperate to meet every standard her mother set for her. She was a duchess. A wife. And she would protect what she loved.

Lady Scovell’s lips parted. Her eyes flicked to Aurelia once more, and at last, her expression shifted. The hard line of her mouth softened, and then a small, rueful smile appeared.

“I only want the best for you,” she said, her voice quieter now. “I have only ever wanted what was best for my children. Someday you will see that.”

Aurelia exhaled slowly as relief washed over her. She knew her decision had yet to be accepted by her mother but the woman wouldn’t push.

For the first time in years, she felt a weight lift from her shoulders. She wasn’t performing. She wasn’t bending herself into the mold her mother asked for.

She was finally free. Free to love Percival, free to be happy on her own terms.

She glanced sideways at her husband, who still held her hand tightly. At that moment, her heart whispered what her lips dared not yet repeat aloud.

This is enough. This is everything.

CHAPTER 39

Her heart fluttered when the carriage screeched to a halt. She looked out the window with eagerness.

Home.

Not just walls, not just the sprawling grounds. No, Whitmore Estate had become far more intimate than that.

It was shared laughter, the warmth of little arms around her neck, the steady heat of Percival’s gaze on her.

It washers.

She had missed it desperately. The absence of it had been unbearable, like an invisible hand tightening around her ribs with each passing day.

She was glad to be back now, and she couldn’t wait to go inside.

But before she could so much as lift a leg, strong arms scooped her up from her seat.