Page 57 of The Duke and the Unwanted Bride

She also had to admit that this was a big step for Frederick, one he likely wouldn’t have taken was it not for Hannah’s pestering and persistence for the sake of Amelia. Frederick was manythings, but fun certainly wasn’t one of them, and today could only be described as just that: fun.

They had traveled an hour north to be here today, a smaller county that sat just outside of Thorne. One of his tenants was hosting a fair, and upon hearing of said fair, Amelia had begged and pleaded that they attend. Frederick had denied her, of course, for he did not think it was proper to mix this way with his tenants and common folk. But after three days of Hannah badgering him, he finally gave in.

The fair itself was similar to the few that Hannah had been lucky enough to attend in her childhood. Mostly, it was a hodgepodge of tents and awnings erected to form a small village of sorts, each stall selling a variety of trinkets and garments and foodstuffs and homemade wares. But there were also games, visual entertainment such as jugglers and fire breathers and musicians, plenty of options for drinking and eating, and, of course, people.

So many people. Hundreds of them, by Hannah’s count. Most of whom were certainly not members of the peerage. They laughed and ran and shouted and joked and gathered in groups, moving to and fro without a care in the world, enjoying the beautiful day, for they had little else to do but frolic and socialize with friends and family.

This was certainly not Hannah’s usual crowd. And dressed as she was, in a gown made of rich, colorful fabric paired with plenty of jewelry, she knew that she stood out like a sore thumb. Frederick, too.

Even now, having lost Frederick for a few minutes as he chased after Amelia, it was easy enough to spot him as she navigated the stalls. Bigger than most, he wore a clean suit that likely cost more than most made in a month. And his stiff back and general sense of awkwardness stood out like a beacon amid the crowd.

When Hannah did eventually see him, she thought to call out, only to notice him speaking with a villager. Amelia was there too, holding his hand, but she was distracted as she looked around eagerly, her eyes wide with wonder. The conversation Frederick was having with the villager, however, looked serious… and the scowl on his face, one that deepened by the second, told her it must be.

She came to a halt a few feet away and watched them converse, focusing on Frederick’s body language. He was angry, that was clear. But not at the man with whom he was speaking.

There was nothing noticeable about the villager, who was dressed as a farmer and looking very much not like the type of person Frederick would usually speak with. But Frederick steamed and scowled and sneered as the farmer continued to talk, and the way his foot began to tap on the ground was a sign that Hannah knew all too well.

Once the farmer finished speaking, Frederick shook his hand in thanks and then turned around to leave, only to spot Hannah watching him. She attempted to drop the angery façade, acting as if nothing was the matter.

“There you are,” she said with a smile as she walked over to them.

“Hannah!” Amelia cried. “Did you see the man breathing fire? Fire! Like a dragon!”

“I didn’t.” Hannah chuckled as she eyed Frederick curiously. “You will have to show me.”

“He’s just over there!” Amelia pointed through the crowd.

“In fact, Amelia, how about you go there now, and I will find you in a moment. I wish to speak with your father quickly.”

Frederick opened his mouth to argue but caught sight of the look on Hannah’s face—one that told him he needed not bother. This past week had seen many changes happen between them, one of which was their power dynamic. Oh sure, Frederick was still in charge and dominant in the ways that mattered, but on the odd occasion, such as now, he seemed to understand that keeping his wife happy was a priority.

“Go on then.” He released Amelia’s hand. “But do not go too far,” he then warned her. “And I will be watching.”

“Alright!” Amelia took off in the direction of the fire-breather.

Frederick grimaced as he watched her go, clearly wishing to go after her. But then he turned back and saw Hannah watching him with that raised questioning eyebrow.

“Do I need to ask?” she said simply, taking his hand and stroking it so that he knew this conversation wouldn’t turn into an argument. “Or are you going to tell me?”

“I was rather hoping I would not need to.”

“You should have been more careful, then.”

He curled his upper lip in derision. “That was Malcolm Hastings, one of my tenants—the man putting this thing on.”

“And I take it he wasn’t asking how your day was? Or thanking you for stopping by?”

Hannah noticed he kept looking around them in a way he hadn’t earlier, taking note of the people passing by. Worry flickered in his eyes as he looked at them. Even embarrassment, as strange as that was.

“Frederick…” She forced him to look back at her. “What is the matter?”

“It’s your aunt,” Frederick sneered. “Apparently, those rumors that she has been spreading have begun to take hold. Malcolm was kind enough to warn me of a particular one he heard about my ex-wife.”

“Oh…” Hannah hesitated, for she knew that his ex-wife had died giving birth to Amelia. And she also knew that it was a particularly sore point with him. “What… what did he say?”

“That I killed her,” he said, his teeth bared in anger. “At least that is what he heard. He knows it is false, of course, and he has promised to tell anyone repeating that filth as much. But still…” He cast his eyes about the crowd again, and this time, Hannah understood why.

She followed his eyes, noting now that he was looking at those who passed by who also happened to be staring at them for a little too long. Hannah had seen a few do so earlier, but she had assumed it was because of who they were and the oddity of their presence here. But with this freshly added context, she could not help but notice the way those people whispered behind their hands as they looked at them, the gasps and fear in their eyes.

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