The Baron and his Lady

Forty: The Given Forgiveness

Master bedroom
Lucian's pov

"Is there anything else you'd like to do, brother?"

Claus stared at me with longing, our time to finally part again is getting near.

"There is something I wish to confess. It is about Yra."

My eyes widened, ever since my beloved died he never spoke her name again. I knew he did not like Yra because she was a peasant but Claus had been mum about it.

"Whatever is it?" I asked him.

"She did not elope with another man. That is something Letecia made you believe."

I scoffed, "I already know she did not, she died, hadn't she? If she did eloped with someone else she may have lived."

Claus sighed, "She loved you Galbraith, truly she did."

"And how do you know this?"

"I was there the day she died."

My heart stopped. I knew it did. What was Claus talking about? He was not at the manor that day but he usually was away, mostly with the servants or at the town. Surely, his dislike for Yra was not enough to have led him to kill her?

"Did you—"

"No, I did not kill her." He interrupted, "But I led her to her death."

My throat was suddenly dry. I had to lean against the table to keep myself from swooning. "Explain Claus."

"That day she went missing from the town was the day she recieved a missive believed to be from you. Her family couldn't find her anywhere, they thought you have taken her away. Some of her things had gone missing and it was evident she finally eloped with you.

"And she did not leave them letters to explain her disappearance. She was willing to throw everything away for you and as you were."

"But I never penned her a missive. How did she end up in the Green River?"

"Because the missive told her to go to Alpine Forest and wait for you."

I stared at Claus. He spoke the words heavily and I was dreading what was coming next. "And it was you who was waiting for her." I spat.

His head nodded, slowly, "I did not mean her harm, brother. I was merely there to bribe her with money so she could start a new life somewhere."

Knowing Yra, she probably would've declined it. She may be poor but she did not dream for riches and finery. I knew that. Claus took my silence as a passive fancy and went on.

"She refused to take the money, so I offered her more and she was then upset. She figured it was not you who penned the missive but me. She grabbed her things and started walking away.

"I chased her, making other worldly offers to change her mind. We walked all the way to the Green River and she finally lost it. She had been hiding a dagger in her sleeves and she used it to keep me away. I feared that she would harm herself so I told her the truth."

"And what was the truth Claus?"

He flexed his hands, the memory was making him uncomfortable, "That Letecia held her family at the tip of her sword. She paid bandits to capture them, if Yra had returned her family would be harmed. But if she would take the money and never return her family lives."

My jaw clenched with anger. The witch caused all this. If she had not been dead I would've killed her over and over again. I could picture Yra's lovely face torn with grief, she loved her family dearly. And if her happiness would cost her to lose them, I knew she would've been willing to leave me.