Page 2 of The Duke and the Unwanted Bride

“She knows damn well what?—”

“Phineas…” Lady Ramsbury took his hand. “Behave.”

It went exactly as Hannah had predicted. That is to say, not very well.

Her aunt Teresa greeted Lady Ramsbury with a warm hug. She then did the same for Hannah, kissing her on the cheek and gushing about what a wonderful lady she had grown into. And then she turned her gaze to her brother, cocked an eyebrow, and clicked her tongue.

“Phineas,” she drawled, her tone mocking. “You look… healthy.”

Lord Ramsbury’s eyes bulged. “And what does that mean?!”

“Nothing, nothing…” She slapped him on the arm. “Where I come from, healthy is a compliment.”

“It did not sound like one.”

“Honestly…” A sigh and a shake of the head. “One would think that I called you fat, for how you are carrying on. But did I? No. I opted to be polite, something you might wish to learn.” She looked at him flatly. “Even if you have put on some weight since the last time I saw you.”

Lord Ramsbury’s face turned bright red. “I would watch who you call fat, Sister. The layers of that dress are not fooling anyone.”

“Nice try,” she responded coolly. “I will have you know that I have slimmed down considerably this last month.” She ran her hands down her sides, as if to show off her slimmer figure. “It is not every day that one’s daughter is married, and it behooves me to look my best.”

“Your best?” Lord Ramsbury barked. “I have seen you at your best, and believe me when I say that this is far from?—”

“Speaking of daughters,” Lady Ramsbury hurried to interject. “Where are Charlotte and Beatrice?” She looked toward the manor.

“Inside,” Teresa said, wearing a smug smile on account of how easy it was to upset her brother. “The last I saw of the two, they were looking after their children. Gosh, the rate that they arepopping them out, it’s a wonder they haven’t had more since they arrived.” She tittered.

“Phineas…” Lady Ramsbury took her husband’s hand. “Shall we go and greet to our daughters? And grandchildren?”

Lord Ramsbury was still shaking, still red in the face, still struggling to control himself. But at his wife’s touch, he allowed himself to breathe, tearing his eyes away from his sister’s cool facade. “Yes… I think that is for the best.”

“Supper is in an hour,” Teresa announced. “And please remind your daughters of that. I do not accept tardiness.”

“Come now.” Lady Ramsbury pulled her husband along. “Breaths, dear. Deep breaths.”

Hannah watched them go, trying her best not to laugh at her father’s antics, knowing that this was only the beginning, and it was sure to be a long night—not to mention a long week. Speaking of which…

“Aunty Teresa,” Hannah asked, “is Selina here?”

“Of course, she is, dear. Upstairs in her room, getting ready.”

“Wonderful. I shall just…” She swept past her aunt.

“And be sure to tell her to be ready!” Teresa called after her. “I do not care if she is the one getting married. Supper begins in one hour! We wait for no one!”

Hannah chuckled to herself as she made for the manor. Between her aunt’s theatrics, her father’s tantrums, the chaos of her two sisters and their children, and Selina’s wedding preparations, Hannah relished the chance not to be the topic of conversation instigated by her parents for once.

At the age of one-and-twenty, rarely a day went by when they were not pressuring her to do as was proper and find a man to court, have him marry her as quickly as possible, and then start producing children. The youngest daughter of three, she was quickly becoming the disappointment in her family because—and as she had told them time and again—she had no interest in such things.

Oh sure, she had once, but certain… events, not to mention social perceptions, had changed all of that, and now she was finally beginning to accept her lot in life.

The third-born child. She who could do as she pleased because the other two had taken care of the family’s reputation and solidified it. Perhaps not the most enduring legacy, but one that was to be her own.

Yes, a night in which Hannah could go about unseen, enjoy the drama that she would for once not be a part of and, of course, celebrate her cousin’s marriage as was the entire purpose of this little supper, to begin with.

Surely, nothing could go wrong…

“… shall we make a bet?” Hannah giggled from the foot of her cousin’s bed. “That before the night is through, my father drops at least one glass on the floor?”

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