"He was immediately rushed to the physician's place, he was there for almost a day before the Earl took him home. He stayed in bed for close to three months, but he said he didn't regret it. He'd found Annie and every time the physician came to check on him, Annie would tag along with her father. I was never much of a romantic, but even I could see the sparks fly between them."

"What happened after Lord Crane healed?"

"He dragged me to the physician's place again. This time he went there with the excuse of thanking the man for setting his bones right. And since that wasn't enough for him to visit regularly, he said that I had developed an interest in the medical sciences and required guidance."

"I was the son of a Duke, the poor man couldn't say no. So we'd go there everyday and that's how I fell in love with medicine and Crane fell in love with Annie."

"And then?"

"The Earl found out about what was happening, but he thought it was just an infatuation and let it be. In our twenty first year, the Earl died. Crane was desolate. But he still had Annie in his life. All those years, they'd corresponded. The other boys, including me would chase skirts and make merry. But not Crane."

"He married Annie after the mourning period. Many people gossiped about how Annie had trapped him, but anyone who saw them together could see that they were crazy about each other. Besides, Annie was a strong woman and such things didn't bother her in the least."

"She conceived Isabelle in the second year of their marriage. She'd had miscarriages before that. Both her father and I warned her that it was risky and even Crane told her that he didn't need an heir. But she was so goddamned stubborn."

He took a deep breath.

Tears were streaming down Clara's face.

"Was she close to you?" she asked.

He nodded, unable to speak.

Clara scooted closer to him and put her arms around him. At first it seemed like he was just going to sit that way. But then his arms came around her in an iron grip. He put his face over her shoulder.

And then it started.

He was sobbing. It wasn't just tears streaming down his face, he was sobbing like a man with years of grief bottled up in him. Clara cried with him.

How could she not? She loved him.

They wept for the loss of Annie and Crane, they wept for their lost love. They wept for Isabelle, for she could never witness the bond her parents shared.

Clara was happy that her husband was crying, not because he was in pain. But because he was finally letting it all out. All the pain, all the regret...knowing him, he'd probably held it in all these years. Her heart ached for him. It seemed like Lord Crane and Annie were the only family he'd had.

After a while, his sobs had subsided.

He sat back and they just stared at each other, unable to comprehend what had just transpired between them. At some point, it had felt like their souls had connected. It had felt like they were one.

She felt like she should talk about his parents as well. She didn't know if it was appropriate considering how vulnerable he was, but if she wanted them to have a good and honest marriage, she'd have to risk it.

"I know why you ran away from home," she said softly.

For a second, it seemed like he hadn't heard her. His face was devoid of any expression.

And then he moved his head as if to nod. That was it.

He was reminding her of Thomas just then.

He stood up and left the room.

Fool that she was, she went after him. Thinking she could stop him.

"Wait," she called out, but he paid her no heed.

She saw Thomas looking at the scene with his brows raised.

She ignored him.

She couldn't find her husband. She looked all around the estate.

Finally, mercifully, she found him in the stables, with an almost empty bottle of whiskey in his hand.

Wonderful.

He turned around then.

"What do you want?" He spat.

That was a blow.

"I want you to forget about your painful past. I want you to be happy, am I asking for too much?"

"You knew I wasn't comfortable with talking about my past. Yet you snooped around. You invaded my privacy. Why can't you just let it be? You think you can just chase away my demons?"

"Leo, I did it because I love you."

She didn't know why she said it.

He walked towards her, she walked backwards. He stalked her until her back hit the wall. His alcohol laden breath surrounded them.

He just gave a cruel laugh that pierced her very  being.

"What do you know even about love? You and your stupid romantic ideas.."

"Do you love me?"

"No," he said without any hesitation.

She gasped.

"You want to know why?"

She didn't say anything, she just stood there with her fists clenched by her sides, the tears in her eyes threatening to fall.

"It's because I don't trust you. I don't trust any woman. That's the only thing I learnt from my mother..never trust a woman, never fall in love with her. My dad was madly in love with the woman and look what happened to him."

"I'm not your mother," she said through clenched teeth.

"Of course not. But you're all alike. I've seen what you have with John. You might deny it all you like, but I know what you're like. You'll turn into her in no time."

He could've slapped her and it would've hurt less.

"Just go away. I can't bear to look at your innocent facade."

Clara did go.

She ran, she ran like the devil was after her. And she didn't look back, she couldn't.

She didn't know what she'd done to deserve this, but she couldn't live like this anymore.

She went to her room and packed all her clothes.

She couldn't decide if she should take Isabelle with her or not. She didn't want to leave her here with that monster.

He needs her, the part of her that loved him whispered.

So she went to the nursery to tell her goodbye.

"I'm going to London for a while, princess."

"Take me with you, Clawa!"

"I can't, I'll be back soon."

She kissed her forehead and left.

Thankfully, Thomas had already arranged a carriage for her.

"Take care, my lady. And forgive the Duke. We are waiting for you, this house needs your light."

His eyes were suspiciously moist.

She just nodded once, at a loss of words.

After the carriage door closed, Clara couldn't hold in her tears anymore.

She wailed and cried, unable to hold in the acute pain she felt. It was like her heart had broken into a million tiny pieces and all those little shards were piercing her. It was almost physical, the hurt.

Why did she have to give her heart to the one man who had no heart to give in return?

She cried because she didn't know if she would ever see Isabelle again.

Her cries stopped after a while and she fell asleep, tired, physically, mentally and emotionally.