Marrying her Best-Friend (The Seymour Siblings Book 3)

by Fiona Miers

  She finally had the courage to tell Carson that she had loved him for such a long time, and those feelings had become truly uncontrollable and undeniable. She repeated the words in her head, as she had done for years, attempting to find the perfect moment to say them to Carson.

  She stopped suddenly, realising that there was no such thing as a perfect moment to do something. She had wasted so many years waiting for the perfect moment that she had almost lost Carson entirely.

  A bolt of lightning illuminated the skies momentarily as she quietly opened the door and stepped inside Ferngrove Manor. All was quiet and she decided that even if Carson was not there, she would certainly wait for him.

  As she was halfway down the hallway, she heard noises coming from the study and she hastily walked down the hallway. As she reached the door of the study, loosening her shawl, feeling rather anxious, she stopped abruptly as she saw Miss Adrienne standing beside the bookshelves. Her heart sank into her shoes, but she kept her composure.

  “Miss Adrienne,” Lizzie greeted.

  “Lizzie,” Miss Adrienne answered stiffly. “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to speak with Carson. Is he here?”

  “No, he is not. And I suggest that you leave before he returns,” Miss Adrienne answered with a malicious tone.

  “Why is that?” Lizzie asked as she placed her shawl over the backrest of Carson’s favourite leather chair.

  She wasn’t leaving just because Adrienne told her to.

  “He does not wish to see you, or have you visit the estate ever again. You have ruined his life more than once and neither he nor I will allow you to do it again,” Miss Adrienne spat at her.

  Lizzie narrowed her eyes at the older woman. “What do you mean? I have never ruined his life. I only wish the best for him.”

  “So you say, my lady,” Miss Adrienne uttered and stepped away from the bookshelves. “I have seen my brother heartbroken over you too many times, seeing you being courted by other men, throwing it in his face. The affair with Lord Dorset was the final nail in the coffin for him. He tried to remain stoic and keep to himself, but you insisted upon seeing him, calling upon him for assistance. Using him as you saw fit, only to benefit yourself. Even when he was betrothed to Miss Violet, you sought out a way to alienate their relationship, knowing that you had the power to influence him without his knowledge.”

  “No, that was not my intention,” Lizzie defended and placed her hand against her chest. “I care very much for your brother, Miss Adrienne, and I would never intentionally hurt him, or cause him any pain.”

  “If you truly cared for him, you would leave him be. He deserves better,” Miss Adrienne stated firmly.

  A tear ran down Lizzie’s cheek and she lowered her gaze. She turned away but Adrienne hadn’t finished.

  “You are ruining him, Lizzie and any chance of him finding happiness. You have him in a stranglehold. And you do it so eloquently that he does not even realise it. He will do anything to please you, to ensure your safety and happiness, even if it is at the risk of his own.”

  “I didn’t realise that was what I was doing,” Lizzie answered sadly as she turned back around, another tear running down her cheek.

  “Love can make us do foolish and selfish things, my lady,” Miss Adrienne muttered and slowly approached her. “But it is sometimes necessary for us to rectify those mistakes, even if it means letting that person go.”

  Lizzie pursed her lips and nodded slowly. “Would you please tell Carson that I am deeply sorry?”

  “I will do that,” Miss Adrienne nodded simply.

  Lizzie turned away and rushed back down the hallway, to the door she had entered the manor through. She opened the door and gasped as the rain poured heavily outside.

  She didn’t care. She needed to get away from the horrible words and the guilt that now clawed at her. Was she really the woman that Adrienne painted? Had she poisoned Carson’s love for her and used it to hold him prisoner?

  She rushed outside and the rain drenched her instantly, soaking her dress and making the cold material cling to her skin. Her tears mixed with the rain and as she staggered through the garden, she didn’t know where her tears ended, and the rain began.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The rain poured heavily, rattling the window of the library where Carson stood quietly. There had been significant progress with the renovations, but they were not yet done. However, the fresh smell of new wood was delightful. He looked forward to seeing the completed product and knew that his father would be proud of him for restoring it to the best of his ability.

  His thoughts journeyed to his mother, who was now in Aberystwyth, and he wondered how she was. Was she happy? Had she remarried, and had a family?

  Carson also wondered whether she thought of him and Adrienne at all. He had considered writing her a lengthy and emotional letter, explaining how he had not been aware of the situation, and that he didn’t despise her for abandoning them. He’d been told the wrong story.

  He had tried writing that very letter, but he had not found the words to start. How would he address her? Mother? Her Royal Highness, the Princess of Wales? Or had she become Queen?

  Carson was perplexed and filled with confusion.

  As the rain quieted down, he heard voices down the hallway, but he couldn’t distinguish who they belonged to. After he heard footsteps in the hallway, and a door slam loudly, he made his way towards his study, where he knew Adrienne was attempting to make space for the books that belonged in the library but had been placed inside the study in the meanwhile.

  Adrienne seemed distracted, and a strange expression was present on her face.

  “Adrienne, is everything all right?” Carson inquired.

  She seemed taken by surprise with his sudden entrance, but she nodded and crossed her arms. “Everything is perfectly fine.”

  “Did you have a visitor?”

  “It was no one important.”

  “You are rather pale, sister. Are you certain everything is well?” Carson narrowed his eyes as he slowly approached his sister. “Who was here?”

  “As I mentioned, it was no one important,” Adrienne shrugged and turned away.

  Something was clearly the matter with Miss Adrienne, but Carson could not put his finger on it. There was most definitely something amiss.

  A familiar scent filled his nose and he glanced down. Draped over the backrest he noticed the shawl. He recognized the soft fabric with the lace trim immediately and reached his hand out to touch it. “Where did this come from?”

  Adrienne glanced at him over her shoulder but shrugged. “Perhaps it was one of the maidservants who left it here.”

  “I do not appreciate your lies, Adrienne.”

  “What lies have I told you now, Carson?” Adrienne sighed.

  “This is not one of the maidservants’ shawls. They do not own anything of the sort,” Carson stated.

  “Do our maids not have the same sense of style as we do? That is rather insulting of you,” Adrienne muttered.

  “This belongs to Lizzie,” Carson said and held up the shawl.

  “Does it?”

  “Why is it here?”

  “I do not know, Carson. Perhaps she left it here when she was here the last time.”

  “She was here earlier, was she not?” Carson asked and pointed his finger at Miss Adrienne. “Do not dare lie to me.”

  Adrienne sighed and nodded. “She was.”

  “Why did you not inform me she was here?” Carson demanded to know.

  “I didn’t wish to disturb you.”

  “Stop lying to me, Adrienne!” he yelled, frustration tearing at him now. His sister obviously hadn’t learned anything from their previous conversations.

  “You know exactly why I didn’t wish for her to speak with you. She will manipulate you as she has done your entire friendship,” Adrienne stated and crossed her arms. “I will not allow her to influence you any longer.”

  “How on ear
th did she manipulate me? You have tried to make me feel guilty for not doing what Father would approve of. Then you have the audacity to throw Mother’s situation before me and convince me that marrying Miss Violet was the best thing for me and the family. But it was all nonsense. You are the only manipulative person here. Not Lizzie. She has spent our entire friendship wanting me to be happy. She protected me, she consoled me, and she was there for me when I needed someone. She didn’t expect anything in return and that is why, according to you, I keep defending her. Lizzie made me feel that I belonged in this world. She never treated me as though I was a simple man with no title, or whose family was not of high nobility as hers was. Titles mattered not to Lizzie, and they never will.”

  “How can you be so certain? Those tales circulating of her—”

  Carson held up his hand. “That is precisely the same nonsense as those tales that had circulated about Mother after she left. I swear to no longer believe a single word coming from anyone’s mouths any longer. Only those I trust. Not even you, Adrienne.”

  “But I am your sister,” she declared, both hands going to her hips.

  Carson shook his head. “That is immaterial. Being blood does not excuse you from repeatedly lying to me and deceiving me.”

  “But I told you about Mother and—”

  “You manipulated me. That is the point, Adrienne. You broke my trust the moment you lied to me. You knew how devastated I was after Mother left. I was convinced that it was because of me that she had made that choice. That I was not the son she’d wished for. I blamed myself for a long while. One afternoon, Lizzie and I sat in the garden and she clearly saw that something was wrong. I told her what was weighing on my heart and she told me that people will come and go in a person’s life, but it is their prerogative if they leave. It has nothing to do with the people whom they leave behind, and that I should not allow it to affect me. I was not the person at fault. She was right. She has always been right,” Carson explained. “When the tales started with regards to Lizzie and Lord Dorset, I didn’t believe them, as I knew she was not that kind of woman. She has too much self-respect to allow a man such as Lord Dorset to defile her.”

  Adrienne narrowed her eyes at him. “You do not honestly believe that she is still pure and untouched, Carson?”

  I do.

  “The only thing that matters to me is that her heart is pure and her mind untouched. I am not pure and untouched, and neither are you, sister dear. But you would not think of yourself as a whore, or me as a rake, would you?”

  “No, but—”

  “Exactly, sister. You judge people before you even allow yourself to know them, or know their circumstances. You have never truly liked Lizzie. Why is that?” Carson asked.

  Adrienne hesitated for a moment and drew in a breath.

  “Tell me now,” Carson demanded.

  “Mother truly adored her, and she had told me this many times while she watched you and Lizzie together. She believed that you two would marry, to which she willingly gave her blessing. She even said that she would make a fine princess one day if that were to happen. I hated that she considered Lizzie important enough to be named as a princess and didn’t once refer to me as being worthy. She considered some other girl more important than her own daughter,” Adrienne answered bitterly. “From that day, I despised Lizzie, and I’ve done everything in my power to prevent Mother’s wish from coming true.”

  Carson’s stomach dropped and part of his heart broke at the same time. All this time he had thought his sister knew best. Had his best interests at heart. How wrong could a single person be?

  “You are a vile and despicable woman,” Carson hissed. “Mother was certainly right. You do not deserve the title of princess.”

  Adrienne’s eyes filled with tears and she lowered her gaze. “I am sorry, Carson.”

  “I don’t believe you, and I don’t wish to hear your apologies, Adrienne. You made me lose the one person who meant the absolute world to me. The one person whom I would do anything for.”

  “You are in love with her.”

  “Yes, I am,” Carson answered with confidence. “I am in love with Lizzie, and nothing on this earth can change my feelings for her. Of course, I would not expect you to understand how it feels to truly love someone. The only person you have ever truly loved was yourself.”

  Adrienne bit her quivering bottom lip. “Your words hurt me, Carson.”

  “Good. They were meant to,” Carson retorted and whirled around, hastily leaving the study.

  Carson rushed to the front door, and as he opened it, the rain poured down hard outside. His eye caught movement to his left and he noticed Lizzie in the far distance, making her way back to her house.

  “Lizzie!” he called out, running after her, but the heavy rain drowned out his voice.

  Carson continued to run after her, his hair sticking to his face. When he reached the hole in the wall, he climbed through it easily. Thank goodness, he and Edward had cleared the ivy and vines away. It was much easier to go through now.

  As he stepped onto the grass lawn of Woodlock Manor, he glanced around. Lizzie had changed directions and was now running towards the stables.

  “Lizzie!” he called out again and continued to run.

  He followed her to the stables and rushed inside. A shiver ran down his spine, He was completely drenched.

  “Lizzie?” he called out to her, gently this time.

  After a few moments of silence, Lizzie appeared from the shadows, also drenched to the bone. Her eyes were red, and her breathing was ragged.

  “What are you doing here?” Lizzie whispered.

  “I came to speak to you.”

  “Why? To ask me to stay away from you, and never to set foot at Ferngrove Manor again?” Lizzie answered, her voice breaking from the sadness obvious in her tone.

  “Why would I wish for you to stay away from me?” Carson asked with a furrowed brow.

  Lizzie wiped her cheek with her sleeve, although it didn’t dry her skin in the least, and shrugged her shoulders. “Adrienne informed me that was what you wanted.”

  “Please, Lizzie, you must not believe a single word my sister said,” Carson said and approached Lizzie. “I cannot imagine wanting you to never come near me. You are much too important to me.”

  She lifted her head and met his gaze directly. “I am?”

  “Of course,” Carson answered and took both her hands in his. “You are the most important person to me in the entire world.”

  Lizzie coughed softly, clearing her throat. “But I constantly hurt you by being selfish.”

  “Is that another one of Adrienne’s attempts to make you feel as though you are the one at fault?” Carson asked.

  Lizzie shook her head. “I do not understand.”

  Carson sighed. “My sister was jealous that my mother considered you more of a daughter to her than Adrienne. This is why she has been treating you in the manner she has, this entire time.”

  “Really?” Lizzie whispered.

  “I am truly sorry for my sister’s behaviour. I cannot begin to describe the sorrow it has caused my heart,” Carson said.

  Lizzie smiled as she slid her hands out of Carson’s and placed one hand against his chest, and the other she pressed lightly against his cheek. “You do not need to apologize for the wrongdoings and jealousy of your sister, Carson. You are not your sister. You have always treated me with respect and cared for me when I had no one else. You stood by me during the darkest times of my life, and you defended me without fail.”

  “It was the least I could do, and I would gladly do it all again for you,” Carson gazed down into her light eyes, his heart pounding in his chest, his body filling with desire.

  A desire he could no longer contain.

  And he had no reason any longer to even try.

  Chapter Seventeen

  A lump formed in Lizzie’s throat as she stared up at Carson. He was so close to her. She ran her fingers through his damp, tousle
d hair, her heart skipping a beat.

  Carson brought his own hands up and cradled her face, the touch chilly but so welcome. “You are beautiful, Lizzie, and I do apologise for waiting so long.”

  “Waiting so long for what?” Lizzie breathed.

  “To do this,” Carson whispered in return.

  He leaned in closer and their lips met in a tender and loving moment, his hands still cradling her face. Love and desire exploded within her, her heart pounding in her chest.

  Lizzie ran her fingers along Carson’s torso, her hands searching for the hem of his shirt tucked into his trousers. His skin was warm against her cold, shivering fingers, and he drew in a breath against her lips.

  “Sorry,” Lizzie whispered.

  “Allow me to warm you up, my lady,” Carson whispered, his eyes sparkling with charm and mischief.

  He scooped her up into his arms and moved to a more comfortable place in the stables. Carson lay Lizzie on the soft hay in the corner of an empty, and her heart continued to pound in her chest. Carson’s lips met hers once more as he lay beside her, his hands lovingly touching her body.

  Lizzie had waited her entire life to feel his hands touch her in such a manner, and even now, as it happened, she wanted to pinch herself in case it wasn’t real.

  Would she wake at any moment and find herself alone in her bedchamber?

  The rain continued to drum against the windows, but the horses in the stables were all peaceful and resting, not taking notice of the passion that had started to build between the two lovers who had finally found one another.

  Carson loosened the lace ribbon in the front of Lizzie’s dress and slid her sleeves down her shoulders and arms. Her skin was still cold to the touch, but within moments, it began to warm up.

  Lizzie’s hands moved to the front of his trousers and she managed to loosen them quickly, much to her surprise, and relief. It was dimly lit in the stables, which made the entire atmosphere both dreamlike, and difficult to see.