Lady Parker

Strong

A month has passed, and John has yet to return to London. Every time he was set to leave, another word from his father arrived, keeping him away longer. Thea was still at the Palace her father did not let her return to the house without John there. She was psychically recovered from losing the baby, but emotionally she was suffering too much. Thea was unsure what lies John's father was feeding him and needed him by her side.

"We must help her father. She will die like that, and why on earth has John not returned yet after all those letters you sent him? I will take her to my Estate in Cambridge. It will do her some good. People will call at the house so she can accompany me to the balls there. A change of scenery will do her wonders." The Duke scratched his head. Hugh had been ranting for hours.

"She is not our responsibility anymore, Hugh. We cannot just take somebody else's wife without their permission. We already took her from his family home without telling him anything. We must help them, Hugh, not make things worse between them. John is in a dark place right now. He had warmed up to Thea, and I am sure he will return to his senses and tend to his wife. We need to leave him be. He cannot help your sister if he has demons of his own. It will do her more harm than good. For now, we help her as much as we can. She is safe here with us. No one will dare to touch her under my roof." Philip called Green and told him to send word to Sebastian to dine with them that evening. He needed the King's help now more than ever.

John could not take it any longer, all those letters from home. His mind did not stop thinking about why Thea hid the news from him, his son. Lord Belford thought that by keeping John in York, Thea would think John deserted her and afraid she would not say anything to her father. He knew she was clever but too young to understand how a marriage works. Against his father's wishes, John told the men to prepare the carriage.

When John arrived at the Palace, he knew Thea was taken there by Hugh. "I am pleased you have arrived, Jonathan, all in one piece." Hugh was in the study with Philip, and the Duke gave his son a stern look. The young Duke should shut his mouth and let him conduct their affairs. Hugh nodded and left them alone.

"Your Grace, I came to take my wife home." The Duke noticed John was too cold towards him. "Yes, of course. As I said in my letters, we did not wish to trouble your family further and here was closer to Sir David if she needed anything. She is in a delicate place, Jonathan. Thea is fully recovered physically but not emotionally. We all understood you needed this time apart from her, and now you must tend to her."

John was looking outside the window and watching her. Thea was there in the garden, staring at the lake. The Duke put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him, and he moved from his touch like he was going to poison him. "Your wife needs you, Jonathan. And you need her now. She will comfort you as much you must comfort her. Only then will you both move on from this predicament and be able to try again."

With much bitterness, John started to talk. "This whole marriage was a mistake! She was not ready to be a wife and respect a husband as a good wife should. She never respected me as a husband. She hides things from me. She did it repeatedly, and I had to learn from other people's mouths each time. I was trying my best to be a good husband. To look for everything that could possibly make her happy and cover all those wrongdoings that I did to her and the empty space the London society left behind and what she did? She took my affection for granted, spat on my face with Earl Crawford, and then did it again, hiding she was carrying my heir."

The Duke was there only listening to him. He knew John needed it. "Hugh wants your permission to take her to his Estate in Cambridge, or perhaps Charlie and I could take her to Bath. The medicinal waters there might do her some good, and you will have more time alone. Maybe it was not enough. You have transformed all the warmth you built for her to hate, and it will not do you two any good."