The Price of Innocence (The Legacy Series) (33 page)

He pulled abruptly away, winked, and saw tears well in her eyes. Had she lied to him about her love for Philippe Moreau? Perhaps it was all a ruse, so she didn’t have to hear his words that he wished to let her go. As he stood looking at her, he knew it mattered not. It was over.

“I’ll take my leave now.”

Robert turned and strode from the room and out of Suzette’s life. Duty and honor were now his mistress, and he despised the thought of life without Suzette.

When Suzette heard the door close behind him, she thought she felt movement in her womb, though she knew it was far too early. Perhaps it was her imagination, but she couldn’t help but wonder if the baby inside grieved that its father had walked out of his or her life.

Suzette sat down on the settee, buried her head in her hands, and sobbed. Philippe entered the room and came to her side. He gathered her in his arms to comfort his soon-to-be wife.

“He was going to let you go out of love, Suzette. He’s an honorable man who realized you deserved more than he could give.” He stroked her hair and reassured her decision. “And you, my love, have done right thing by keeping his child as your own and providing the baby a family it deserves.”

Perhaps she had done the right thing—perhaps not. Suzette only knew that the love of her life had left, and all that remained was an empty gaping hole of remorse in her heart. Without the hope of holding one day in her arms a part of Robert himself, she would have gladly joined her father in death to escape the morbid pain of loss.

Chapter Twenty-Four

  The week that followed was undoubtedly the worst of Robert’s life. He had in essence lost the woman he truly loved. For the first time in his life, he learned what it meant to sacrifice himself for another human being to give them dignity and happiness.

It was true that he had rescued Suzette, which in itself he considered a noble deed. However, it was to his shame, that his good deed had been sullied by his selfish desire to keep her as his mistress without having an ounce of remorse for his actions.

Robert returned to Surrey and his wife, and put away for the moment his wayward conduct to pursue his marriage and obligation to family. Jacquelyn, he discovered, was the most dreadful woman he could have ever married. He found her high strung, moody, needy, and, most of all, frigid in bed. They had copulated often enough that she should have conceived by now, but instead her womb remained empty.

He had only tried to produce an heir for the sake of his father, whose health had turned worse as the months passed. By the beginning of winter, he finally succumbed to a failing heart and died with his family around his bedside. His dream of holding a grandson had never arrived. Instead, the Duke’s last glance into his son’s eyes begged Robert to claim his rightful place as head of the family.

The funeral was held on a cold winter’s morning. His body was laid to rest in the family plot on their vast estate. Thankfully, the ground had not yet frozen, and the hole was easily dug by the land caretakers. His mother, sister, and Jacquelyn all stood by on a windy day wrapped in black hats, scarves, and coats, listening to the vicar recite the burial rites.

When it was all said and done, Robert leaned down and took a handful of dirt in his gloved hand and let the earth slip through his fingers on top of the coffin. His wife, mother, and sister did the same, and they walked back to the estate to mourn their loss.

Robert knew upon the burial of his father that his old life had died too. The revelry of his youth no longer lived. Only responsibilities to the title of Duke, which he now bore, remained. He was saddled with a wife he did not love, and his emptiness of heart was difficult to bear. His mother, now the Dowager Duchess Holland, needed to be cared for in her elder years, and his sister Marguerite would soon marry the unlikeable Lord Chambers.

The only comfort he gleaned were the fond memories of Suzette and their carefree loveable times together whether in or out of bed. Though the loss was painful to recall, it was the only thing Robert had that he could call his own when it came to an ounce of contentment.

As he looked back upon the woman he lost, he realized without a doubt that he would have been happily married to her the rest of his life. However, he had not the strength to do as he willed. Rather, he succumbed to duty, the way things had always been done, and obeyed what he was told to do in order to honor his dying father.

It was far too late now. Suzette had returned to France and married another. Both of their lives had charted a different course, and he would never see her again. However, in all of his grief, he felt consolation that perhaps Suzette had finally found the happiness she deserved.

* * *

Six Months Later

“Madame, you must push!” the physician sighed in desperation.

“I am pushing!” Suzette’s voice echoed off the walls of the bedchamber as she grunted to push out the life that so pained her at that moment. She flopped back upon the bed, and the nursemaid dabbed her sweating forehead with a cold towel.

“Next contraction, Madame, you must push harder.”

Suzette glared at the doctor, taking deep breaths anticipating the next stabbing pain that would throw her into oblivion.

It had been six months since she left London and returned to Paris. She wed Philippe as soon as they found suitable housing, and then she spent the majority of her long pregnancy in bed by order of her physician.

As the months passed, Suzette’s belly grew, along with a returning affection that had been buried in the corner of her broken heart. Philippe’s unconditional love and acceptance of a child that was not his profoundly touched her soul. As a result, they rekindled affections, which she believed pleased her deceased father. Philippe, without judgment or condemnation, freely forgave her for the past, though Suzette struggled with forgiving herself and with the lingering, strong love for her English lord.

Time healed her hurt but memories persisted as Robert’s child grew in her womb. She agreed with Philippe that it was best not to tell Robert about the baby. It would serve no purpose and open wounds that could create problems. If they returned to France, he would never know.

Though Suzette felt great affection for Philippe, her love for Robert never waned. He was, after all, her knight in shining armor that had rescued her from a life of prostitution. Robert would always retain a special place in her heart. How could he not? He had been her first to take her virginity, and now she was about to bear their child.

Philippe, on the other hand, had no qualms about accepting the baby as his own, as long as his beloved Suzette was his wife and by his side. He impatiently paced the floor outside of her bedchamber, distraught over her cries, and waiting for the moment of birth that would change their lives.

The next contraction, more severe than the last, took hold of Suzette. A loud, deep moan escaped Suzette’s lungs, and the doctor crouched between her legs, waiting for the arrival of a newborn babe.

“Madame, push! The head is crowning . . . now push!”

Suzette grunted and screamed, and then a sudden release of life slipped into the hands of the waiting physician and the cry of a baby was heard.

“You have a son, Madame—a fine son.”

Suzette broke out in laughter and tears. “Let me see!”

The physician cut the cord and then lifted the child, cradling the newborn’s head with one hand and his tiny bottom in the other. The baby cried with such ferocity that Philippe burst through the door to see the child.

“It’s a boy, Philippe.” Suzette’s face glowed.

The nursemaid quickly cleaned the baby while the doctor finished with the birth matter and Suzette. She watched Philippe’s kind eyes as he walked to the table. A smile spread across his face.

“He looks like you, Suzette.”

When Suzette was ready, she sat up in bed with her arms outstretched toward her husband. Philippe took the child, swaddled in a blanket, and brought it to his wife.

At first glance, she saw in his face the resemblance of his father. She looked at Philippe, but all he saw was the resemblance of his mother. Suzette smiled and lifted her eyes toward her husband.

“Are you sure, Philippe? It is a boy. Are you sure you wish to do this?”

“I promised, and I shall keep it, if that is what you wish, darling.”

Suzette looked down upon the baby, now quietly resting in her arms, trying to focus his young eyes upon his mother’s glowing face.

“Hello, Robert Philippe Moreau,” she said. Suzette kissed his red cheek. “Welcome to your new home.”

The End

Author’s Notes

  The brothel depicted in this fictional work resembles the Chabanais, located at 12 Rue Chabanais, in Paris, France. It opened its doors to patrons in 1878 and closed in 1946. Additional information regarding the brothel, its real mistress, unique rooms, and clientele can be obtained by visiting the author’s website at:
http://vickihopkins.com

The Bureau des Mouers (Bureau of Public Morals) was established by the French government in 1802 to regulate prostitution in France and closed its doors in 1903. It was responsible for registering prostitutes, including physical examinations of workers, and routine inspections of brothels. Legalized brothels in France closed in 1946.

The Legacy Series – Book Two

  Book one,
The Price of Innocence
, was an enjoyable story to write, but it’s far from over. Book Two,
The Price of Deception
, continues the tale of your favorite characters five years after the birth of little Robert. It’s a thrilling continuation, in the second of a series of three books.

Book two begins with Duke Holland’s chance encounter with Philippe and a young five-year old boy while on holiday in Paris. Still nursing regrets from the past, he is further devastated after being told that Suzette has died. Philippe plays a dangerous game to keep his rival from knowing the truth about his wife and the young boy who bears the resemblance of his father.

The story unfolds as a tangled web of deceit ensnares all the characters, when they strive to hold onto what they love or strive to regain what they’ve lost. Robert searches for truth. Philippe struggles to keep his livelihood. Suzette worries about her son being discovered. Duchess Jacquelyn Spencer-Holland evolves into a troubled woman.

Of course, it wouldn’t be romance, unless Suzette and Robert came together. What remains between the petite French Mademoiselle and her handsome English lover? Will they reunite and resurrect their lost love? Will it be enough to bring them back together in spite of the insurmountable obstacles that have kept them apart?

Find out in
The Price of Deception
, now available in eBook and paperback.

Coming 2012 – Book Three

 
The Price of Love
, the third in the series, picks up 14 years later in Vienna, Austria. Follow the exciting conclusion of the Holland family saga, scheduled for release in 2012.

To follow the progress and read interesting historical background information from
The Price of Innocence
and
The Price of Deception
, sign up for
The Legacy Series Books
blog at
http://legacyseriesbooks.wordpress.com

About the Author

  Vicki Hopkins is an author and frequent blogger, who makes her mark in the world by
“penning heartfelt emotional journeys.”

In July 2010, Vicki released her exciting Phantom of the Opera sequel entitled, “
The Phantom of Valletta
.” The book has been well received in the Phantom community and from readers on the isle of Malta, where it was featured in
The Malta Sunday Times
in August of 2010.

For more information on Vicki’s other historical novel, visit the book website at:

The Phantom of Valletta

You can find updates on Vicki’s future releases on her author website at
Vicki Hopkins, Author
.

Besides writing novels, she also writes two very popular blogs. One entitled, “
Lessons From the Phantom of the Opera
,” which was turned into an eBook and paperback. Vicki also writes another popular single blog entitled, “
Just One Single
,” for those divorced, widowed or never married.

Contact Author

  Email:
[email protected]

Twitter:
http://twitter.com/VHopkins_Author

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1586493271#!/pages/Vicki-Hopkins-Author/287168905516