A Scandalous Affair (Completed)

Chapter 9. 1856

Nicholas turned around to look at Amelia, and noticing that tears had started streaming down her cheeks, immediately brought her into his arms. He felt her body shake, could feel her pain exploding from her body and into his. He held her tightly, massaging her back with gentle circles. He knew she needed to tell him exactly what kind of relationship she had with Robert. But he was going to wait until she was ready to tell him. He wasn't going to force it out of her.
After several minutes, Amelia's sobbing subsided, and she came away from him with puffy red eyes. "My sincerest apologies your grace."
Nicholas gently wiped her tears away. "There's no need to apologize Amelia. You can tell me very much or very little about your half brother."
Amelia took a breath as they moved towards the garden. "Well, as you could clearly see, Robert and I look nothing alike in appearance. He does have blonde hair like I do, but it's much darker. And his gray eyes are from his mother, our father had hazel eyes."
Nicholas nodded. "I did notice that. Why does he hate you so much?"
Amelia looked down at her fingertips which were intertwined in her lap. "Because I took all of our fathers attention away from him. Robert became jealous, which made my father, Gregory, very angry with him. My father told Robert that I was his sister, and that he should be nice to me. But Robert didn't pay me any attention."
Nicholas. "And what about his mother?"
Amelia. "His mother left after she and my father had their marriage annulled. She decided that being Viscountess Morgan was too much for her to handle. When my father married my mother, Robert became even more jealous. That jealousy was amplified when I was born."
Nicholas guided her to a bench near a water fountain, helping her sit down before taking a seat next to her. He took her hand, running his thumb softly across her knuckles. "So the two of you didn't have a happy childhood together as siblings?"
Amelia shook her head, looking down. "No, not at all. As we became older, the only thing Robert needed from me was money. My mother was the daughter of the Earl of Manchester, so she had quite the dowry upon her marriage to my father. She had a number of lovely pieces of jewelry that would have been mine, if Robert hadn't taken them from her and sold them behind her and my father's back."
Nicholas stared at her, his eyes going wide. "How long ago was this?"
Amelia. "Five years ago. Robert was 19 years old at the time, and I was 14 years old. My mother was gravely ill, dying of an unexpected fever. The only piece of jewelry that was left was the necklace that I am wearing, and she told me to keep it safe and away from Robert. My father died within weeks of my mother, succumbing to a heart attack. Since then, Robert has thrown himself into gambling drinking and women."
Nicholas. "And when did he decide to have you married off to George Tristan?"
Amelia. "One year ago, Robert was in dire straits. He was 50,000 pounds into gambling debt, and I couldn't afford that. So he threw me into the arms of Baron Tristan, and upon our marriage he received 50,000 pounds from George. Unfortunately, it turned out that the 50,000 pounds was actually 55,000 pounds in debt, which Robert still needed to pay everything off. So I asked George for another 5000 pounds, and I gave it to him."
Nicholas was still stroking her knuckles. "And he continues to ask for your mother's necklace."
Amelia. "Yes. But I am not giving it to him, it's the only thing I have left of my mother. She told me to never give it to Robert, or anyone for that matter."
Nicholas squeezed her hand. "And I believe you should honor your mothers wish and keep it safe. It looks beautiful on you, and brings out your eyes."
Amelia became bright pink, smiling softly at him. "Thank you for your kind compliments your grace. Sadly I wasn't very lucky in my first marriage to have the luxury of being complemented."
Nicolas became tense, anger boiling inside him. "Do you mean to tell me that George Tristan never paid you any compliment during your year of marriage?"
Amelia shook her head. "Not one. In fact, on our wedding night, he took one look at my body and ridiculed me."
Nicholas felt his mouth drop. "What? Why? You're beautiful, exquisite. What the hell did he have to say?"
Amelia couldn't meet his eyes. "George told me that my body wasn't good enough for a gentleman. He told me that my curves were too large, that I wasn't slim and slender enough to be attractive. He told me that I was ugly and wouldn't make any gentleman happy. Then he turned and left me alone in our chamber, going to be with Margaret no doubt. I was abandoned on our wedding night."
Nicholas felt sick as he took Amelia back into his arms, holding her tightly as she started crying again. The nerve of that bloody fucking bastard, he thought. How dare George Tristan say such things about his wife on their wedding night! How dare he abandon her! He held her against him, his hands rubbing up and down her back with gentle circles. He realized then that Amelia was an innocent. And he also knew, deep in his heart, that he was never ever going to say such nasty things to her.
Amelia's voice was broken, which cut through the Duke of Richmond's heart like a knife. "I just want someone to love me for who I am, not for my appearance."