Page 65 of To Follow her Heart

“Miss Sybil Derby, my lord,” Temple said, before returning his attention to the liberal distribution of the champagne.

Sybil held her hands out to Luke and hurried towards him. “Oh, congratulations, Mr Baxter,” she said, her face alight with a smile the like of which Luke had never seen from her. “I’m so, so happy for you. May I felicitate your bride?”

“You’d better,” Luke said, laughing. “Though brace yourself, she thinks you ought to be in line for a sainthood, and she’s drunk a lot of champagne already.”

Sybil laughed and Luke felt his heart clench. He would help this woman as he’d promised, her and all the women of the Trevick line who’d been crushed and caged for far too long.

As he’d predicted, Kitty embraced Sybil like a long-lost sister and Sybil, quite unused to such displays of open affection, blushed and stammered. Soon enough, she unwound under Kitty’s obvious desire to befriend her. She was bewitched by Kitty, as everyone was bewitched by her mixture of vibrant exuberance and quiet determination that all the world should be as happy as she was.

“How is your father?” Luke asked, once the two women had settled, regarding each other with pleasure and what he thought likely to become a deep friendship.

Sybil’s face clouded, and he saw guilt in her eyes. “Promise you’ll not be cross with me, Mr Baxter,” she said, making his eyebrows go up.

“Cross with you?” he repeated, perplexed. “The only thing I shall be cross about is if you will persist in this Mr Baxter nonsense. You are my cousin and my dear friend. My name is Luke, I would like you to use it.”

Sybil let out a breath and smiled, though it was rather a sad expression.

“Luke,” she said softly. “I… I’m afraid I told you a lie. The attack that my father suffered the night before you left… it was followed swiftly by another, far, far more serious. He… he lives still, but not in any state that resembles the man he was. He cannot speak, cannot feed himself, he… is all but helpless.”

Luke stared at her. “But why…?”

“Because I would not let him ruin any more of your life,” she said, lifting her chin and gazing at him with such defiance he was truly shocked. “Or mine,” she added. “I will care for him, as I am his daughter and it is my Christian duty. I will not mourn the loss of him, however. I have spent much of my life grieving for the kind of father I longed for. I’ll not spend another moment on him. Oh, I’ll wear black,” she said, her face darkening. “I’m not brave enough to buck convention, but I will not pretend an affection I do not feel, and I forbid you to feel guilty for any of it, Luke.”

“But….” Luke began, feeling the weight of guilt all the same. Good God, he’d hit the man just days earlier. They’d argued, and….

“But nothing.” Sybil’s voice was strong and her grip on his arm stronger still as she gave him a little shake. “He stole your life, and mine, and my sisters. He bullied us and used us, and he made my poor mother wretched. You stood up to him, Luke, and I am proud of you for it.”

“She’s right, Luke,” Kitty said, taking his hand. He looked down into her dark eyes and felt the world steady about him, solid ground beneath his feet once more. “He was an unhappy man who lived for ambition. He manipulated everyone for his own ends, you more than anyone. You owe him nothing.”

Luke wasn’t entirely sure that was true. Yes, he’d hated the man, hated what he’d done to his life, but he owed him the fact that he was equipped for his role as Trevick. Not, perhaps, in the way Mr Derby hoped to prepare him, but Luke had still learned much of what it meant to be a man, a leader, from seeing all the ways he was not willing to do it.

“There’s something else, Luke,” Sybil said, her voice soft.

Luke turned back to her as she smiled at him.

“Trevick is dead. We heard this morning.”

Luke stared at her, disbelieving. Though the man had been ill for many years, it still didn’t seem possible. Luke had believed him too spiteful and wicked to do something as human as die.

“He’s been bedridden for over a year,” Sybil said, surprising him further. “Father would let no one know of it. I think he thought if you heard the news it might give you hope, make you more inclined to defy him.” She gave a bitter laugh. “All these years, he’s been torn between wanting his brother to live to keep their control of you, and wishing him dead and coveting the title, and now he’s Trevick, and he doesn’t know it because his mind is gone.”

“I don’t know what to say,” Luke said, shaking his head.

“Don’t say anything,” Sybil replied, giving him a smile of such tranquillity he could not help but return it. “I don’t think Father will be with us a great deal longer. The doctor thinks six months, perhaps a year. Soon enough you will be Trevick, and we need you, Luke. There is so much that needs your attention, so many things they have neglected, and too many of us who have no notion of how to live without being told what to do. We will need you soon, but not yet. So have fun, my dearest cousin. The news is not yet public so enjoy tomorrow’s ball, and don’t even think of wearing black. Enjoy life and live it to the full, for you will have responsibilities soon enough.”

Luke turned to look at Kitty, suddenly realising what he’d done to her. She would be his countess, and those responsibilities would be hers too.

“It’s all right,” she said, clasping his hand within hers. “Don’t look so terrified. I would have happily swept spiders out of a crumbling heap in Ireland, but I’ll go to Trevick and sweep away the bullies and the toadies with you instead.”

Luke laughed, and he heard the echo of it as Sybil laughed too, delighted with her.

“I can see why you have loved her so faithfully all these years, Luke,” she said, watching Kitty with obvious admiration. “And I cannot wait for us to all be together at Trevick, but… for now, be happy.”

Luke and Kitty watched her go. Luke squeezed his wife’s fingers and smiled.

“I think we can manage that,” he said.

Chapter 18