A Scandal By Any Other Name-Chapter 133 - Hundred And Thirty Three

Rowan stroked her hair, pacifying her.

"I’m just a disgraced orphan who is looking for justice for my family," Delaney sobbed into his shirt. Her words were muffled by the fabric, but he heard every single one of them.

The pain in her voice physically hurt his heart.

"Why does the world have to be so cruel to me?" Delaney wept, her tears soaking his shirt. "I did nothing wrong. I never wronged anyone. So why do I have to suffer so much like this?"

It was the tragic, unfair question that she had carried in her soul for years.

Rowan tightened his arms around her. He rested his cheek against the top of her head. He hated the world for being so cruel to her. He hated Lord Hawksley and the uncle who had used her as a trade.

Rowan comforted her. His voice was a deep, soothing vibration against her ear.

"It’s okay," Rowan murmured softly. "You are safe now, Del. It is okay."

He continued to stroke her hair, his touch incredibly gentle.

"I have known for a while now," Rowan said quietly into the quiet room. "Even Aunt Margery knows."

Delaney froze.

Her crying stopped abruptly. She stood perfectly still in his embrace. Her mind tried to process the impossible words he had just spoken.

She slowly pulled away from his hug. She did not step back completely, but she put enough distance between them so she could see his face.

She sniffed, a small, entirely unladylike sound. Then, she looked up at him. Her hazel eyes were red-rimmed and wide with absolute shock.

"You knew?" Delaney asked, her voice a breathless whisper.

Rowan nodded his head. He looked down at her with nothing but pure, unconditional affection. He raised his hands and gently cupped her face. Using his large, warm thumbs, he began cleaning the tears from her eyes, wiping the wet streaks away from her cheeks with incredible care.

Delaney was entirely confused. Her mind was spinning in circles. If he knew she was a disgraced noblewoman, a woman carrying a terrible scandal, why had he kept her in his home? Why had he kissed her?

"Why did you still bother with me?" Delaney asked, her voice trembling with vulnerability.

Rowan smiled. It was a beautiful, tender smile that reached the very depths of his eyes.

"Because your background isn’t necessary to me," Rowan replied simply.

His words were steady and completely honest. He did not care about the whispers of society. He cared about the woman standing in front of him.

"You are innocent in a fight between adults," Rowan continued, his voice turning firm. "You were a child when that carriage accident happened. You bear no guilt for the sins of greedy men."

He gently pushed a loose strand of dark hair behind her ear. He kept his hands cupping her face, holding her gaze so she would not look away from the truth in his eyes.

"Don’t worry your little head about things like that anymore," Rowan commanded softly, taking the heavy burden off her shoulders and placing it squarely onto his own. "I will help you investigate your father’s case. We will find the truth, and we will reopen the Oakridge’s case with solid evidence and we will win."

Delaney’s eyes widened. A fresh wave of panic flared in her chest. She knew how powerful her enemies were. She had tried for years to find someone to help her, but the doors of justice were always closed to the poor and the disgraced.

"You don’t understand," Delaney warned him quickly, her hands reaching up to grip his wrists. "Someone is backing Lord Hawksley. Someone very powerful. Money can’t work. I have tried to save money, I have tried to pay investigators, but they are all afraid."

Rowan smiled again. This time, it was not a gentle, comforting smile. It was a sharp, brilliant, incredibly confident smile. It was the smile of the Golden Duke, a man who possessed more power than most nobles in the entire country.

"If Hawksley is using the name of a high ranking noble," Rowan said, his voice dropping into a smooth, deadly promise, "then I’ll use my title. Duke."

He let the word hang in the air.

"Which is the highest ranking title," Rowan reminded her quietly. There was no arrogance in his statement, only hard, undeniable fact. A Baron, an Earl, a Marquess—they all stood below him.

"If that isn’t enough," He continued, his brown eyes flashing with a fierce, unyielding light, "I will use my name and honors. For fighting in the war and receiving honors directly from the Queen."

He had bled for his country. The Crown owed him a debt of gratitude. He would call in every single favor he possessed.

"If that still isn’t enough," Rowan said, stepping closer to her, "I will use my family name and their past glories. The Hamilton name commands respect in every courtroom in this land."

He dropped his hands from her face and wrapped his arms around her again.

"All these should be enough to get you the justice you deserve," Rowan declared firmly.

He hugged her again. It was a deep, possessing embrace. He held her close, letting her feel the solid, undeniable strength of his body. He was offering her an entire fortress. He was offering her his life, his title, and his honor, just to see her smile.

"Just don’t cry," He whispered into her hair. His voice softened, revealing exactly how much her tears hurt him. "You are the strongest woman I have known, Delaney. You survived alone for years. You are intelligent, brilliant and brave and you must have been tired. Allow me share this burden with you."

He kissed the top of her head.

"And I will do anything in my power to take away any scandal surrounding you," Rowan vowed softly in the quiet study. "To make sure you don’t cry again."

Delaney blinked into his shirt. The soft cotton brushed against her cheek. She was surrounded by his warmth, his scent, and his absolute protection.

She stood perfectly still in his arms, her heart swelling with an emotion so large she thought it might break her ribs. The terrible fear that had chased her for years was entirely gone, completely banished by the man holding her.

She thought to herself, her mind filled with a quiet, beautiful wonder.

"What is going on?" she wondered silently. "Why is he doing so much for me?"

A man does not offer his title, his honors, and his family name to a simple employee. A man only offered those things to a woman he loved completely.

"It can’t be." She thought to herself. "I must be overthinking things."

Delaney closed her eyes, drowning in the state of her denial before finally allowing herself to rest. She wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him just as tightly as he held her.