Page 12 of Married to the Ruthless Duke

Helen fought to maintain a straight face, even though she was boiling inside with rage.

“You know what happens between a man and woman can be very exciting, especially?—”

“You don’t need to explain Father. I think I know enough not to get myself ruined. I have married friends, remember?” she said, giving him a reassuring smile.

He heaved a heavy sigh and gave her an apologetic look.

“It is at times like this that I miss your mother,” he said with a sad smile. “She would have been best placed to educate you on what to expect in the marriage bed and on proper etiquette, but…” He sobered. “Do I have your word that you will be on your best behavior during your meeting with the Duke tomorrow?”

“Of course, Father. I will just be myself,” she said, smiling at her father. “When have I ever not been on my best behavior?”

He raised an eyebrow at her, then shook his head, leaving the dining area with a look of uncertainty that had her laughing. He really did know her so well to know that her promise to be herself was a promise that chaos was going to erupt soon.

Now that she thought about it, she was looking forward to the meeting tomorrow. The Duke was definitely about to get more than he bargained for. A plan was forming in her head that made her grin with evil intent. After what she had planned, he wouldn’t waste time dissolving the stupid contract.

She made her way above the stairs, passing by Margaret’s room to check in on her. There were tendrils of light seeping beneath the edges of the door. Apparently, Margaret was still awake.

Helen hesitated at the door, debating whether to check in on Margaret or leave her alone and return to her room. A soft sniffle coming from the room made the decision for her. It seemed that her sister was crying.

“Maggie?” she called, knocking on the door. “Are you still awake?”

There was silence, then Helen tried again.

“Are you well?”

Even as she asked, Helen mentally kicked herself.

Of course, she is not well. Who would be when she is being repeatedly degraded for something that is not purely of her making?

“I am well, Helen,” Margaret replied. “I am well, so you can go to bed.”

Helen opened her sister’s door and slipped in, since the thickness of her sister’s voice let her know she had been crying for a while. Helen found Margaret in bed still in the clothes she had been wearing at dinner.

When Margaret looked up, her eyes were bloodshot, and her face was puffy. It was obvious she had been crying for a long time.

Helen made her way over, sat at the edge of the bed, and then patted her sister’s hand, which sent her into another fit of tears. She waited patiently till the last of the sobs, handing her sister a kerchief.

“I am well now,” Margaret told her, but Helen just nodded, sitting still beside her.

They sat in silence for a while, but Helen decided not to push. When Margaret was ready, she would open up to her.

They were silent for so long that Helen almost gave up on Margaret speaking to her, but she was quite content to sit with her sister in silence if that was the emotional support she needed.

“You know,” Margaret began with a voice that sounded like it came from somewhere far away, “if someone had told me a few years ago that I would still be here, living with Papa, unmarried and unhappy, I would have laughed it off as a cruel joke. The picture I had then was that by the time I had seen three-and-twenty years on this earth, I would have been married to my betrothed, and I would have had one or two children, living happily while running my own household, with the love of my life by my side. But then Fate is a cruel taskmaster, no?”

Helen rubbed her shoulder in consolation. Of course, she understood firsthand just how fickle fate could be.

Two years ago, Margaret had been madly in love with a lord she had been secretly courting and was looking forward to their happy life together, until disaster struck. When Margaret discovered that love was not all it took to have a happy life, that the opinions of Society could make or destroy a relationship, regardless of one’s intentions.

Margaret was so sure she was going to be walking down the aisle, since her betrothed had already informed her papa of his intentions to wed her after a long time. It had taken a lot of convincing, but her papa had finally agreed. He was set to announce their engagement during a ball that was going to be held in his family’s home. Margaret had been delirious with joy that she would get to spend the rest of her life with a man she so loved… or so she thought.

The tragic day began as all other days began, normal with clear skies and no hint of rain in sight. There was no inkling that it was going to be the worst day of her life. She had prepared carefully, donning a jade-green dress that had just arrived from the modiste. The dress was made to complete perfection in her opinion, accentuating her green eyes and skin so much that she shone. They’d all rushed to his family’s home, and she had been bursting with excitement that was so obvious that everyone had commented that she was basically radiating with it.

She tried to distract herself by making conversations with her friends, but her whole body was giddy with anticipation for the moment when George would announce their engagement and announce to the whole world that he was officially off the marriage mart and that he was ready to begin his journey towards marriage with her by his side.

By the time the second dance was coming to an end, she could not stand still, her eyes searching the room frantically for signs of George, since it was time for him to make the announcement. She could not find him in the crowd, but she became aware of a disturbance in the crowd that began at the entrance of the ballroom and soon spread out to the people beside her as everyone craned their necks while moving towards the balcony to see for themselves the cause of the disturbance.

The increase in the noise level was starting to make Margaret feel uncomfortable, as she was getting a sick feeling in her gut. Something was definitely not right. She fought her way through the crowd till she got to the balcony, and there she received what proved to be the worst shock in her entire two decades of existence.

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