Page 35 of The Duke and the Unwanted Bride

Hannah turned around and started walking across the garden, her hips swaying, a motion that one might have assumed meant that she was enjoying herself. But surely, that could not be the case?

Frederick stayed back as he watched her go, again finding himself struck by how congenial she was. Oh sure, she had promised that she would be amiable when Amelia was around, but he had not taken her at her word simply because every time they spoke, their conversation devolved into bickering.

More than that, the fact that she wastryinggave him hope. He wanted this marriage to work—at least on the terms that he had set. And if Hannah could keep things this friendly, while avoiding the temptation to tease and trap him, there was no reason it could not.

“Amelia!” Frederick called then as he hurried after them both. “Come out, now, please!”

Hannah was already by the tree, and she glanced up and motioned for him to wait. Then, she crouched down and spoke with his daughter, trying to coax her out of her hiding place.

Frederick frowned as he slowly approached, feeling something else swelling inside of him. Pride? Relief? Hope? There was just something about his new wife trying so hard with his daughter that had him smiling properly for the first time in weeks.

“… I know that your father loves you,” Hannah was saying in a hushed whisper. “And trust me, it is far more than he could ever love me.” She saw him coming and winked. “But there is no reason that you and I cannot be friends. I would very much like a friend.”

“R-really?” he heard Amelia ask from behind the tree.

“Of course,” Hannah replied with a big smile. “Would you like to be my friend?”

“Maybe…”

“Only maybe?” Hannah pouted. “How about this? Let us be special friends, then. What that means is that if you ever need to speak to somebody about things you cannot tell your father or even Miss Tempelton, I will be there to listen. I won’t say anything. I won’t judge. I will be a friend only. How does that sound?”

“Things I cannot tell Father? Like what?”

“I have no idea.” Hannah laughed softly. “But come out, Amelia. I promise that if you get to know me, you will see that I am not so bad as that…” Again, she looked at Frederick, sticking her tongue out playfully this time. “You might even end up liking me, as crazy as that sounds.”

“That does sound crazy…” Frederick heard his daughter giggle.

“That’s because I am crazy.” Hannah laughed and extended her hand. “I would have to be to marry your father, right?” She let out another laugh, one that Amelia shared this time.

And then, slowly, Frederick saw Amelia extend her hand from behind the tree, allowing Hannah to take it.

He was smiling so broadly that his cheeks hurt. It was such a simple thing, yet it spoke volumes. A step so far in the right direction that he wanted to cry out, only refraining from doing so because he did not want to scare his daughter.

But he could see also how proud Hannah was of herself. As her hands wrapped around Amelia’s, she looked at him, her eyes twinkling with satisfaction and triumph, a sense that she was almost as happy with herself as he was.

Until that moment, Frederick had been decidedly unsure about Hannah. He had only seen her when she was at her most hostile, but he had a rare few glimpses of her softer side. Mostly, she was antagonistic toward him because of something he had done or said. But this right here, watching her now with his daughter,Frederick began to consider the very real possibility that this marriage might be even more than?—

“No!” Amelia cried suddenly.

She jumped to her feet, ran out from behind the tree, and shoved Hannah with two hands.

“Oh!” Hannah yelped, stumbling backward, her arms flailing as she tried to regain her balance.

“Amelia!” Frederick roared.

“We don’t want you here!” Amelia shoved her again, this time with enough force that it made Hannah trip, spin about, and fall face-first into a flower bed.

“Amelia!” Frederick cried out, caught between scolding his daughter and rescuing his wife.

In that split second, Amelia sprinted past him, heading for the house. He could hear her crying too, and the sound broke his heart. He did not want to be angry with her. And he certainly did not want to upset her. But he’d need to talk to her, for this could not go on.

“Never mind me!” Hannah cried from the flowerbed as she tried to push herself back up.

“Oh!” Frederick’s eyes went wide, and he rushed toward her. “I am so sorry!”

Without thinking, he bent down, wrapped his arms around her waist, and scooped her up out of the flowerbed.

“Oh!” Hannah gasped as he lifted her and then lowered her to her feet in front of him. She was covered from head to toe in pollen and petals.

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