Theodore had been subtle with his movements and words around Lucy but what she said back there had struck a nerve in him. He knew he had broken her heart and he was trying to mend it now, but Lucy's reaction was uncalled for.
"You left Ethan to come speak to me. People are going to wonder if something is going on, you wouldn't want people speaking," said Lucy, ready to leave but Theodore came to stand in her way. They stared at each other intensely.
"If you didn't want people to think like that, you shouldn't have spoken what you said there?" asked Theodore, his eyes unwaveringly looking at her.
Lucy didn't lose her ground and replied, "I don't think I said anything that was untrue. You were the one who told me you slept with many women." Not to mention, he had indirectly called her immature, thought Lucy in her mind.
A small smile appeared on Theodore's face. "Isn't it unfair, princess. You got married and started to live your life, and you expect me to not do anything remote to it?" he raised his eyebrows at her.
It wasn't that Lucy wasn't aware of what she did because the words had slipped from her mouth and right now she was too prideful to apologize for what she had said.
"It was...you can ignore it. It was nothing," said Lucy.
"But it clearly seems like you want to say something to me. I don't understand your actions," stated Theodore. "In the middle of the night you come to my room to aid my wounds and now you are back to being cold."
"I wonder why that is," was the quick retort that came from Lucy. She hadn't expected Theodore to come after her and she felt her heart tremble at that thought.
When Theodore caught sight of a servant who was walking in the nearby corridors, he caught hold of Lucy's hand and pulled her to the nearest room that was not occupied by anyone. "What do you think you are doing?!" Lucy asked, alarmed.
Theodore shut the door close and Lucy stared at him. "I thought we should speak," he suggested.
Lucy crossed her hands. She would have retorted but that would only prove his point on how immature she was and she wasn't going to let that happen.
"If there is something you would like to discuss, we can sit down in the study or drawing room. What is it? I have other things to do," demanded Lucy, lifting her chin up as she looked at the walls. But her eyes moved to the corner to take a look at Theodore who was looking at her and she looked away from him.
It had been a few days since Lucy had found out about her husband's infidelity in their marriage and Theodore knew she had started to detach herself before that point with Samuel. It was the reason why he didn't want to wait around anymore, especially now with Ethan who was here, he didn't want to let Lucy slip through his fingers once again.
"Are you angry at me for hitting Samuel?" questioned Theodore and Lucy frowned.
"Why would I be. You hit him because he hit you. And I know you didn't mind hitting him," replied Lucy.
"I thought I would answer your question," said Theodore and this caught her attention. Slowly, she turned to face him. A small frown came to settle on her forehead because she didn't remember asking him any question now. "It is a question that you asked years ago. I don't want to let you go."
Hearing this, Lucy gulped and then stared hard at him, "You are quite late, Advisor Theodore. Like you said before it has been many years and in those years, people move on," she gritted her teeth and turned to reach for the door.
But Theodore placed his hand on the door so that she wouldn't leave. "Can you truly say that you don't feel a pinch of what you felt before?"
Lucy stared at the wooden door. Her heart thudding loudly, "What are you trying to get to? Maybe you do have a bad memory, but it was you who didn't want me. It was you who didn't listen to a word and instead told me to marry Samuel. You don't have to pity me now."
"Who spoke anything about pity," replied Theodore.
"If that is all you wanted to speak, I should take my leave now," said Lucy, pulling the door knob and the door slightly opened before it was shut close.
Theodore could hear every beat of Lucy's heart and even though her lips denied how she felt about him, he knew the truth. "I want to mend my errors with you. I know you never loved Samuel and your relationship had started to dissipate from a few years. I apologise for not informing you about what I knew."
Lucy shook her head. She whispered, "I hate you, Theodore."
"I know. I am glad you do," he replied, his head moved closer to hers. He was glad that she held something about him.
Her hand shook, her eyes about to start filling up with tears as the emotions she had blocked within herself all these years started to come out. "You hurt me when I needed you. It isn't that easy," she said, closing her eyes.
"I had my reasons," Lucy heard Theodore's words.
Lucy nodded her head, "I know. I know you had your reasons, but you could have told it to me back then. But it doesn't matter anymore now." Staying close to Theodore was harmful to her heart. She had to quickly run away from here before she would be caught in the web.
Theodore placed his other hand on the other side of Lucy, trapping her between his hands and in front of the door.
Lucy might have been angry at Theodore but she was still weak to his actions and the barrier she had placed between them had started to crumble. "Looks like you don't care about your head anymore."
To this, Theodore replied, "What's there to care about when I don't have my heart with me."