A Scandal By Any Other Name-Chapter 147 - Hundred And Forty Seven

The heavy wooden door of the carriage slammed shut, sealing Rowan and Delaney inside the small cabin. Outside, the driver was already climbing onto his high box, preparing the horses for the long journey back to London.

Inside the carriage, the air was thick with tension. It was so thick and heavy that it was difficult to breathe.

Rowan sat on the velvet cushions opposite Delaney. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and buried his face in his large hands. He was a man completely consumed by frustration. He ran his fingers roughly through his blonde hair, ruining his usually perfect appearance. His broad shoulders were tense, tight like coiled springs. He had been so close. The key to saving his family, his estate, and his entire future had been standing right in front of him, and he had lost her.

Delaney sat perfectly still. She looked at Rowan sitting across from her. Her hazel eyes were not filled with comfort or pity. They were filled with a deep, sharp disappointment.

Delaney scolded Rowan. Her voice was quiet, but it cut through the silence of the carriage like a sharp knife.

"Why did you do that?" Delaney asked.

Rowan dropped his hands from his face. He looked up at her, his eyes flashing with a mixture of raw stress and defensive anger. He did not want to be scolded. He was carrying the weight of the entire Hamilton name on his shoulders. The Hamilton ball was only a few days away. If he did not break the contract by then, he would be forced to marry a woman he did not love and tie his noble family to a blackmailer.

"I was desperate," Rowan replied. His voice was rough, defensive, and completely honest. He gestured toward the window, toward the small cottage they had just left behind. "Did you see her reaction? From the look on her face and her body movement, she knows exactly what happened three years ago. Whatever she says would be enough to break the contract with her as a witness. She is the only proof we have!"

His frustration was evident. He was a protector who was running out of time. He was looking at the situation like a general on a battlefield. He needed a weapon to defeat Lord Farrington, and Miss Flora was that weapon. He had simply tried to grab it.

But Delaney looked at him hopelessly. She shook her head slowly, her heart aching for the blind spot his noble title gave him.

"Have you thought about what is at stake for her?" Delaney asked softly.

Rowan frowned, his defensive anger faltering slightly at the deep sadness in her tone.

"Do you know if Lord Farrington has her family?" Delaney pressed, leaning forward slightly. "Did you not stop to think how she stayed alive for three years? Someone like Lord Farrington does not simply let a servant walk away with a secret that could destroy his daughter’s reputation. He either kills them, or he controls them."

Rowan’s jaw clenched. He stared at her, the harsh reality of her words slowly piercing through his cloud of panic.

"You are a Duke, Rowan," Delaney explained, her voice softening, though the truth remained sharp. "To you, Lord Farrington is an annoyance. He is a man who plays dirty tricks with legal contracts. But to a maid? To a simple woman living alone in a cottage? A man like Lord Farrington is a death sentence."

She looked down at her gloved hands, remembering her own years of hiding from Lord Hawksley and her uncle. She knew exactly what it felt like to jump at every shadow, terrified that a wealthy man’s thugs had finally found her.

"You are gradually becoming selfish," Delaney said, meeting his eyes again.

Rowan flinched. The word hit him directly in the chest. He was a man who prided himself on his honor and his duty to others. To be called selfish by the woman he loved was a terrible blow.

"I know you are thinking of you and your family," Delaney continued, quickly validating his fears. She knew he was not an evil man. He was simply a desperate one. "You want to save the Hamilton estate. I understand that completely. But in your rush to save them, you are exempting her feelings and what is at stake for her."

She gestured toward the window again.

"You used your size, your loud voice, and your authority to back a terrified woman into a corner," Delaney said firmly. "You demanded she risk her life to save your money. You did not offer her safety first. You only demanded answers."

Rowan opened his mouth. He wanted to speak. A heavy, painful wave of guilt crashed over him. He realized exactly what he had done. He had let his arrogance take over. He had forgotten that true nobility meant protecting the weak, not bullying them for information.

He reached a hand out toward her. "Delaney, I..."

He wanted to explain that the fear of losing her, the fear of being forced into a marriage that would take him away from her, was driving him mad.

But Delaney cut him off before he could make excuses.

"Everything isn’t about you, Rowan," Delaney said quietly, her hazel eyes holding his gaze with absolute firmness. "Other people matter."

The carriage was silent.

Rowan slowly lowered his hand. He rested it on his knee. He did not argue back. He did not try to defend his actions anymore. He simply sat there, absorbing the hard, necessary truth of her words. He had been right to seek the maid, but he had executed his plan incredibly poorly. He had let his fear turn him into a bully, and Delaney had been brave enough to hold a mirror up to his face.

Outside, the driver finally clicked his tongue and cracked the whip.

The carriage began to move. The wooden wheels turned slowly at first, then picked up speed as they rolled away from the quiet coastal village and began the long journey back to London.

Inside the cabin, the heavy silence remained. But it was no longer a tense, angry silence. It was a thoughtful one. Delaney leaned back against the cushions, hoping that her small, scribbled note would be enough to give Miss Flora the courage to seek them out.