Chapter 41: The Doubled Edge Of Betrayal 

The Old Grove, Leighton, England (1763)...

  Still finding himself enraged, Alain reached the grounds of his family estate not wishing for company of any sort as he balled his fists wishing he had done more than just punch Casimir in the face for his twisted little stunt. He had made it a point to keep himself free and clear of whores unlike his brother and the agreement to visit the tavern had not included that awful place. Casimir had done it this time and the fear of Noreen somehow finding out that he'd betrayed her was eating away at him and panic began to set in. He had not intended to make his way to the old grove where they used to meet but ended up there just the same as shame filled him for having been with other women when she'd been here awaiting his return. Alain had been prepared to grovel and swear to never again look upon another woman if he had to, but he knew the blow from a betrayal was the most severe.

After a few moments of heavy contemplation, Alain simply sat alone along a fallen log and attempted to get over his heartbreak and the nagging headache that didn't seem to go away. He didn't figure that he must have been quite a sight his hair unkempt and his clothes disheveled, he was a bit taller than when he last visited this place and of course older given his latest birthday.

Noreen had been the only thing keeping him going during that storm. Her beautiful face was what he longed to see most when he returned to England and now he wasn't sure where they stood as far as their relationship had gone. She didn't disclose nearly enough information about herself beforehand and he'd been so caught up in the newness of being close to someone and the fledgling intimacy between them that he had not bothered to ask for more.

As Alain continued to sit among the flowers and the trees he'd come to paint more often than not, he had not noticed that Noreen McCray had been on the verge of tears when she saw him alive and well at last from a distance as she began her approach. She wasn't too sure about coming back to this place. There had been hardly any word from The Laurel since she set sail but she was fortunate to have overheard of its arrival a day ago and took a chance to see for herself if her lover had returned whole once more.

More hot tears streamed down her cheeks as she neared him, he looked quite the sight as if he'd just recently crawled out of the ocean himself. Alain nearly leaped off the log when he had taken notice of her rushing to her side and momentarily forgetting about the weight of betrayal that he had been carrying beforehand.

Alain scooped the smiling Noreen up into his waiting arms like he had so many times before almost desperate to be near her as he kissed her lips and she seemingly allowed it polite in her manner as opposed to the way she'd been when they were alone before. He feared that she might have sensed his folly and as a result sat her down in a bid to converse with her.

Noreen treated him to a small smile that he returned as he dutifully kissed her hand.

"Noreen..." he began only to be cut off by her hand being held up to stop him.

"Alain...there is something you must know," she said in a decidedly serious tone. "I have news and it's about our association...while I am pleased that you have returned in one piece and have had a chance to see the world I regret that I must inform you that we can see each other no more."

Alain was in shock. So much so that it was like her words had sucked all of the air from his lungs.

"W-What is the meaning of this...?" he attempted trying his best to make sense of what was happening to them.

"I am to be wed in a few days," said Noreen her face covered in tears.

"W-What?" he asked completely caught off guard.

"My father arranged it when I was a girl...I never knew the name of my betrothed until n,w," she said as more tears streamed down her cheeks.

Alain felt the stirrings of rage fill him as once more he found himself hearing about an arranged marriage but this one was for his lady to wed another.

"Give me the name of this man and I shall challenge him for your ha,d," said Alain with a very serious expression filed across his handsome young face.

Noreen had never seen him like this.

"Alain?" she began feeling worried for him. "Alain, you mustn't."

"Why shouldn't I!?" he asked feeling the rage and heartbreak all at once. "Why shouldn't I be able to challenge for the hand of the woman I love."

Noreen sighed touching his face as she willed herself to let him go.

"Alain...what could you possibly do against an accomplished duelist like Casimir DuChene?" she said.

The words hit him full force as all life seemed to drain from his face and his skin paled. His hands trembled and his breaths slowed, while his legs grew weak and he found himself falling. Noreen had done his best to catch him before he hit his head as the name of his brother passed from her lips and into his ears over and over again.

",o," he said at last finding his voice again in the wake of the most terrible news he had ever received in his life. "It can't be..."

Noreen had felt so badly for him as the realization must have hit him full-on that they would never again be together.

"Not Casimir....please not Casimir...anyone but him..." said Alain finding the pain to be quite unbearable as the thought of Casimir DuChene, his brother being wed to Noreen, his Noreen.

Alain found that although he had survived the storm at sea, his life as he knew it was over with the revelation that his brother was to be wed to the woman he loved.

"Don't do this." he pleaded as Noreen began to pull away from him. "Noreen please don't..."

She was struggling with the reality of her situation herself knowing all too well how much this was hurting him. She had initially hoped her find another to love him while he'd been away across the ocean but it wasn't so. Slowly she stepped away from him willing herself to leave him in that moment as there was little she could do for him at this time.

"I'm so sorry,y," she said as tears streamed down her cheeks. "And for whatever it is worth to you, you were the sweetest man I've ever known...I can never repay your kindness and so I shall do the only kind thing I can think of as of this moment."

"I love, you," Alain replied as his heartbreak intensified he got to his feet and reached for her, catching her about the waist as he pulled her to him.

Never before had he known such agony as it was as if his very heart was being ripped from his chest he couldn't let her go. Not to Casimir, not to the card who believed women and young inexperienced lads were sexual playthings.

"I know," replied Noreen as she turned and attempted to walk away only for Alain to pull her into one last desperate kiss.

Noreen broke free of him forcing herself not to look back at her heartbroken lover as more tears cascaded down her cheeks like rivers of unending sorrow. She had not meant to hurt Alain, but she had and the damage was done.

Once she had gone Alain collapsed onto the ground amid the flower beds where they once laid together beneath the old grove and rolled onto his back as he felt agony akin to dying when she left him.

The trees swayed in the distance as he resolved himself to just stay put not at all wishing to see anyone as the tears began to stream down his cheeks of their own accord.

Due to the will of her family, Noreen was set to marry Casimir DuChene.

As the hours passed and he thought about the coming engagement party, he could only imagine what she would say when she found out they had been brothers.