Ella's formerly warm brown eyes had grown weak and dark circles were under her eyes from lack of good sleep. Since she returned two days ago, she had done nothing but cry herself to sleep countless times. Her father had been right all along, women weren't as smart as men. No matter how hard she tried to become smarter, all it took Robert was a novel and a few sweet words to get between her legs. What she had feared the most had happened. She had brought disgrace to her family. Her mother would never look at her the same way again.

Gerrard had ruined her life and now she didn't know where to go from here. She knew it was unusual that he had been silent all this while. Who would've known he was planning the ultimate terminator for her?

This newspaper was more damage than any injury had ever done.

Since she came back, she locked herself in her room and refused to see anyone. She hadn't eaten since then and the thought of it made her stomach rumble. Her body was tired and she believed all her energy was lost in the tears she had shed for the past two days. Who would've known Robert was just using her?

Dressed in a white night dress, she curled up in her bed as her stomach begged for food. Sooner or later she knew she would have to go out. At first, she had come back with the anger of being blindsided by who her biological parents were. But with this news that was all over London, screaming at her adoptive parents would be selfish of her. All they did was provide for her and she repaid them by bringing shame to the family.

There was a knock on the door. "Go away I don't want to see anyone."

You're hungry.

And she didn't care.

You do.

For Godsake! She knew that was true. But she needed some time alone to process where her life would be headed to. Surely she wouldn't be able to get married because of this. It wasn't like she intended to in the first place. And at this moment, she wasn't sure she wanted to make the moon lamp anymore. Robert could take it and shove it where the sun didn't shine.

The knock came again. "I said I didn't want to see anyone!"

"Ellie, it's me!" Juliet said, knocking once more.

"Jules." Ella rolled off her bed, landing on the floor with a thud. Dear God. She hadn't left the bed for so long that she couldn't feel her legs. Using the wooden bed frame to rise, she progressed to the door, the soft morning light grazing past her dishevelled brown hair.

Opening the door, she saw her friend in an oversized day dress. She was probably trying to hide the baby bump. Juliet's blue eyes were weighed with compassion and Ella fell right into her arms without hesitation. She was her comfort zone. The only person she could pour her heart out to.

"I came as soon as your mother told me you were back," Juliet said, entering the room. Ella made sure she locked the door again before she sat on her four-poster bed. Juliet inspected her friend's face and frowned. "You look a mess."

"I haven't left the room in two days."

"Yes, your mother told me. She's worried."

"I feel bad, Jules."

"I understand, love," Juliet said and draped her arm around her friend. "That's why I'm here. I saw the news. I can't believe Robert would do such a thing."

Ella's heart was in shambles. "I thought so too. But it appears a

Leopard never changes its spots. I've brought disgrace to my family."

"No, no, don't say such a thing."

Ella remembered that the newspaper left out one piece of information. And that was because Gerrard didn't know about it. She was the last child of the Captain but he didn't have a single idea because of Mrs Tucker's plan. She only told him about Helen and Arthur who she learnt from Robert, were quite brave lads like her. It appeared bravery ran in the blood.

She was going to tell her friend about everything that has been happening, including Gerrard. There wasn't any need to hide it from Juliet anymore. Ella needed someone to help her shoulder her overwhelming problems.

"There's something you need to know, Jules."

"What is it?"

****

Robert's carriage stopped before the Starklington manor. It had been a while since he was here. Well, he should make up his mind that whatever he was about to encounter now wasn't a friendly reunion. It was going to be a bash. A bloody pelting of insults that he wouldn't even be able to dodge.

Hoping out of the vehicle, he held unto the lapels of his frock coat and approached the large double door. A footman pushed it open and he walked in, his footsteps echoing down the lobby.

"My Lord, your father would see you in his office," The butler said approaching the lamb that was about to be sacrificed- Robert. He hadn't been in his father's office for over twenty years. The last time he visited was when he was four years old. He could remember pushing down the large door and trying to get his father's attention. But the Duke had called a maid and asked her to take him away.

It didn't take him long to arrive at the Duke's office. He knocked twice on the door before he pushed it open. The room had a large window behind the chair his father sat on. Streaks of afternoon light phased in, striking the back of his seat and flooding the room with a sharp glow. Seated before his father was his mother who was holding on tightly to her parasol.

Bloody hell.

He gulped. Never in his life had his mother and father come together to discipline him or show their disappointment -which was exactly what this meeting was for. That was because most time his mother was arguing with his father and trying to get him to spend time with Robert. The Duchess straightened her blue gown and cleared her throat.

Once the door behind the Marquess shut, his heart raced picked. "Mother, Father."

"Ah, it's him," The Duke said, smiling. A smile Robert knew was invented since the history of counterfeits. "Just when I thought you couldn't get worse, you did."

The tip of his mother's parasol thud against the floor continuously, forming a rhythm. It was almost like the drums of his grave were being sounded. She gestured for him to come closer and he took two steps forward, still keeping a reasonable distance between them.

Why?

Well, because he was scared of that bloody parasol. Not even his father whose eyes were glaring at him. Aye, he knew it. He wasn't good enough; the Duke didn't have to toss it in his face. He knew he messed up.

"Robert, I had done my research on Ella Featherington and I discovered she wasn't the vile woman the newspaper depicted her to be. But you," his mother said, pointing the parasol at him and making him take a step back. "You let her work for you; dressed a man! Please tell me it's not true."

Robert breathed in deeply. "It's true mother."

"You've done everything now. Sleep with women. Now you're sleeping with a woman dressed as a man. Next thing we'll hear you were arrested for humping a man," The Duke said massaging his temples. "Why do you keep disappointing us, Robert?"

Those words sunk into the depths of his conscience and shattered him to bits. All this was happening because of the moon lamp. The same moon lamp that he thought would make him good enough for his father. But still, his father still so him as a disappointment. Where was he going wrong?

"So how are you going to solve this?" The Duke asked. "The Stark name is almost in the dust like I had warned. And now, if we're not careful, we won't be able to get someone to marry Grace."

That wouldn't be a problem. That was why she had Arthur. Who it now turned out, was the son of one of the most powerful men in the country. Surely the Duke wouldn't have a problem handing over his daughter to such a family of affluence.

"I've begun procedures to help confiscate the spread of the newspaper. And the police would soon post that the news was fake and since it wasn't published by our local newspaper, it can't be believed to be true."

"Well they can't hide the photo in that paper," The Duchess said. "You've ruined that poor girl's life. Girls would still line up to marry you. But for Ella, no man would ever dare think of marrying her because you've defiled her. She would die an old maid."

What had Robert done? Things were getting out of hand and it was affecting everyone around him. He had to find the publisher of the newspaper, and fast.

"I need to leave now," Robert said. "It's been a pleasure talking to you "

"Wish I could say otherwise." The Duke shook his head in disapproval and went back to looking at the file on his desk.

The thing Robert feared the most was about to happen. He may never get loved by his father.

******