"No," Alistair agreed, his voice cold. "But it might prevent him from ever doing something like this again. It might finally teach him that his actions have real, lasting consequences."
Evelyn shook her head, a tear slipping down her cheek. "And what if the consequence is that we lose him forever? What if he never recovers from this, Alistair? Could you live with that on your conscience?"
For a moment, something flickered in Alistair's eyes – a hint of doubt, perhaps, or a glimmer of the love he still held for his son. But it was quickly shuttered away, replaced by the stern mask of the family patriarch.
"We've already lost him, Evelyn," he said, his voice heavy with finality. "The son we thought we had... he died the moment he committed that atrocity. What's left is just a shell, and we need to accept that."
Evelyn felt as if all the air had been sucked from her lungs. She stared at her husband, this man she had stood beside for decades, and wondered how they had come to this point.
"I won't accept it," she said quietly, her voice trembling with emotion. "I can't. He's still our son, Alistair. And I will not stand by and watch him destroy himself."
Alistair's expression hardened once more. "Then what do you propose to do, Evelyn? Defy my wishes? Go against everything this family stands for?"
Evelyn straightened her spine, meeting her husband's gaze with a steely resolve. "If I must, yes. I will not lose my son, Alistair. Not to his own demons, and not to your unyielding pride."
For a long moment, husband and wife stared at each other, the air between them crackling with tension. Then, without another word, Evelyn turned on her heel and strode out of the study, leaving Alistair alone with his thoughts.
As she made her way back through the corridors of Shaw Manor, Evelyn's mind raced. She knew that defying Alistair would not be easy. He held all the power in their world – financial, social, legal. But she was a mother fighting for her child, and that gave her a strength she had never known she possessed.
She would find a way to help James, with or without Alistair's support. She would bring in doctors, therapists, and anyone who might be able to reach her son and pull him back from the brink. And if that meant risking her own standing in society, her own comfort and security, then so be it.
As she reached her private chambers, Evelyn paused her hand on the doorknob. She thought of James, alone in that sparse room, lost in the depths of his guilt and trauma. She thought of the girl whose life he had irrevocably altered, and of the ripples of pain and anguish that spread out from that one terrible act.
There were no easy answers, no quick fixes to be found. But Evelyn knew, with a certainty that ran bone-deep, that abandoning James to his fate was not the solution. Whatever it took, whatever sacrifices she had to make, she would find a way to save her son – not just from the consequences of his actions, but from the darkness within himself that had led him to this point.
Lady Evelyn entered her private chambers, her mind still reeling from the heated exchange with Alistair. The opulent room, with its silk tapestries and ornate furnishings, suddenly felt suffocating. She moved to the window, throwing it open to let in a rush of cool air. As she stood there, allowing the breeze to calm her tumultuous thoughts, a plan began to form.
With newfound determination, Evelyn strode to her vanity. She opened an intricately carved jewellery box, her fingers brushing past priceless heirlooms until they settled on a particular piece - a stunning sapphire and diamond necklace that had been a wedding gift from Alistair. It represented not just monetary value, but the weight of her position in society, the very life she had led for decades.
Clutching the necklace, Evelyn rang for a servant. When the young maid appeared, she instructed, "Find Thomas and send him to me at once. It's a matter of utmost urgency."
As she waited, Evelyn paced the room, rehearsing what she would say. She knew this wouldn't be easy. Thomas had every reason to despise her, to refuse her request. But she had to try.
A soft knock at the door announced Thomas's arrival. "Come in," Evelyn called, straightening her posture and schooling her features into a semblance of calm.
Thomas entered his weathered face with a mask of wary neutrality. But Evelyn could see the barely concealed disdain in his eyes, the tension in his stance. This was a man who had lost all respect for her, and she couldn't blame him.
"You sent for me, my lady?" Thomas's voice was polite but cold.
Evelyn took a deep breath. "Yes, Thomas. Thank you for coming so quickly. I... I have a request to make of you."
Thomas remained silent, waiting. The lack of his usual deference was palpable.
"I need you to take me to Henry's house," Evelyn said, her voice barely above a whisper.
The effect of her words was immediate. Thomas's eyes widened in shock, then narrowed with anger. "Begging your pardon, my lady, but why on earth would you want to go there? Haven't you and your family done enough damage already?"
Evelyn flinched at the harshness of his tone but pressed on. "I understand your anger, Thomas. I know I've lost your respect, and rightfully so. My inaction that day... my refusal to help you and Henry... it's a failure that will haunt me for the rest of my days."
Thomas's jaw clenched, his hands balling into fists at his sides. "With all due respect, my lady, your regrets mean little now. That poor girl's life is ruined. Her family is devastated. And you want to, what? Pay them a social call?"
"No, Thomas," Evelyn said, her voice cracking with emotion. "I want to apologize. To beg their forgiveness, though I know I don't deserve it. And... and to ask for a chance at redemption. For James."
At the mention of James's name, Thomas exploded. "Redemption? For that monster? Why can't you leave them alone? Haven't they suffered enough at the hands of your family?"
Evelyn stood her ground, even as Thomas's words cut her to the core. "I know how it must sound, Thomas. But please, try to understand. I'm not seeking to excuse what James did. What he did was unforgivable. But he's... he's my son. And right now, he's wasting away, lost in his own guilt and trauma."
Thomas scoffed. "Guilt and trauma? What about the guilt and trauma he inflicted on that innocent girl? On her family? Where's their chance at healing?"
"You're right," Evelyn admitted, her shoulders sagging. "You're absolutely right. What James did... there's no excusing it. No way to make it right. But I have to try, Thomas. I have to try to find a way forward, for all of us."
She held out the sapphire necklace, its gems catching the light. "This necklace is worth a small fortune. I want to give it to them, as a start towards making amends. It's not nearly enough, I know that. But it's something tangible, something that might help ease their financial burdens at least."
Thomas eyed the necklace warily. "And what's the catch, my lady? What do you expect in return for this... generosity?"
The effect of her words was immediate. Thomas's eyes widened in shock, then narrowed with anger. "Begging your pardon, my lady, but why on earth would you want to go there? Haven't you and your family done enough damage already?"
Evelyn flinched at the harshness of his tone but pressed on. "I understand your anger, Thomas. I know I've lost your respect, and rightfully so. My inaction that day... my refusal to help you and Henry... it's a failure that will haunt me for the rest of my days."
Thomas's jaw clenched, his hands balling into fists at his sides. "With all due respect, my lady, your regrets mean little now. That poor girl's life is ruined. Her family is devastated. And you want to, what? Pay them a social call?"
"No, Thomas," Evelyn said, her voice cracking with emotion. "I want to apologize. To beg their forgiveness, though I know I don't deserve it. And... and to ask for a chance at redemption. For James."
At the mention of James's name, Thomas exploded. "Redemption? For that monster? Why can't you leave them alone? Haven't they suffered enough at the hands of your family?"
Evelyn stood her ground, even as Thomas's words cut her to the core. "I know how it must sound, Thomas. But please, try to understand. I'm not seeking to excuse what James did. What he did was unforgivable. But he's... he's my son. And right now, he's wasting away, lost in his own guilt and trauma."