Page 8 of Seduced by an Irresistible Lady

“Did you hear a word I said?” the Duchess said, her eyes hardening.

“I did, Mother. You know my views on the issue of marriage. I am not totally against it, but I am yet to meet a man that deserves such from me,” she replied.

“You haven’t because you do not give any chance for them to spark up a topic with you, or to even compliment you. That was why I was surprised that you took the doctor’s flattery so well. I think we need to get rid of your father’s books. We’ll move them out of your reach in the least. We’ll keep them for your brothers when they get older,” the Duchess said.

Those boys do not care much for books.

“Men do not want a woman who can challenge them. I am not out to challenge men, but they want a woman who will agree with all they say, right or wrong,” Helena said.

“I don’t much care what you think, Helena. I do know you are my first daughter. I have two more behind you,” her mother said, looking at Miss Jacqueline.

“I need you to find a man with great social standing. If he is a man of peer, even better,” her mother concluded.

Helena was tired of getting into arguments with her parents over marriage.

I’ll marry when it’s time.

“So where is Father?” Helena asked her mother. She looked directly into her mother’s eyes. She wanted to detect any hidden truths in them.

Miss Jacqueline lay back down on the bed.

“He’s inside his chamber, as always. Why do you ask?” the Baroness asked.

Helena shook her head. She shifted closer to the edge of the bed to allow her sister space to spread herself.

“Nothing, I just noticed I haven’t been seeing a lot of him lately,” Helena replied.

The Baroness smiled.

“He is your father, Helena. If you want to see him, all you have to do is go to his chamber. He has been really busy with affairs of the barony, a lot of official assignments he has to plot out,” the Baroness replied.

Her mother dropped her eyes as she said the last statement. Helena knew she was hiding something.

Justina was right.

Helena stretched and used her left hand to pick up the bottle of a dark looking potion the doctor had brought for Miss Jacqueline. She opened it and gestured for Miss Jacqueline to sit up. Miss Jacqueline hesitated, but only for a brief moment. Helena smiled.

She decided it was useless arguing with me on this.

Helena moved closer to her sister and poured a bit of the liquid into her open mouth. She stopped, put the cover back, and dropped it on the table. Meanwhile the faces her sister was making told her the liquid must have been very distasteful. She stood up and turned to leave.

“Distasteful?” she said, looking back at her sister.

“As bitter as bile,” her sister said while making funny faces.

Helena laughed as she walked out. She heard her mother stand up after her. Helena walked outside the room and stayed just outside the door, waiting for her mother.

When the door opened to let her mother out, she waited till her mother closed the door to her sister’s room. She stood in front of her mother.

“So now really, what is wrong with Father?” Helena asked her mother.

The Baroness smiled, the smile breaking into a small laugh.

“I knew you knew more than you were letting on when you asked,” the Baroness said.

“Is he sick?”

“He is not feeling too well. He told me not to tell any of you this, but I am guessing you heard this through Justina. I need you to keep this a secret. He will get better,” her mother said.