Page 8 of The Duke and the Unwanted Bride

“Do not blame me!”

“The apple does not fall far from the tree!”

“Oh no!” Hannah looked from the Duke to the closed door as the voices came closer. “Oh no, no, no!”

She could see it happening in slow motion, knowing that there was nothing she could do. Alone with this man. Practically naked, standing before him the way she was! Her father and aunt’s voices getting nearer and nearer by the second. She barely had time to cry out before the door to the room swung open and her father and aunt walked inside.

“Hannah!” her father cried when he saw her there, her dress half ripped from her body, and the Duke’s hands all over her. “What are you—Your Grace!” he stammered when he spotted the Duke.

“What is this?!” Teresa exclaimed as she barged in after him. “Hannah! Your Grace! What is going on here?!”

“Father! Aunt Teresa! This is not what it looks like!”

“I should hope not!” Teresa cried out. “Your Grace! What is the meaning of this?!”

Strangely, the Duke of Thorne did not look nearly as put out as he should have. Calm and collected, he simply stepped away from Hannah and turned to address her father and aunt.

“I assure you, this is not what it looks like.”

“And again I ask, what does it look like?!”

His expression darkened. “A misunderstanding. Lady Hannah came into this room without knowing that it was already occupied by me, and by the time I announced my presence, she had removed her dress. Nothing untoward happened, nor was it intended.”

“Not from what I saw!” Lord Ramsbury shouted in rage. “You… you had your hands all over her!”

“I most certainly did not.”

“Mother, what is going on?” Selina strode into the room, looked around, saw Hannah and the Duke, and her mouth dropped open. “What is… I do not… Your Grace… Hannah!”

“Selina!” Hannah cried. She took a step forward, but that nearly made her dress slip down to her waist again. “It is not what it looks like!” she shouted for what felt like the tenth time. “Please!”

Selina looked at a loss for words, her chin trembling, her face stricken as she looked from Hannah to the Duke. “I… this was not…”

“Selina! Please, you must believe me!”

“This is an outrage!” Teresa stomped her foot. “And you, Your Grace! Never in all my life have I been so ashamed!”

The Duke groaned and rubbed his eyes, still not looking nearly as put out as the situation demanded. “And as I said, it is not what it looks like. You simply refuse to listen.”

“Phineas!” Lady Ramsbury’s voice carried into the room. “What is all this screaming?”

“Oh no…” Hannah shrank back, clutching desperately at her dress as her mother entered the room.

“Hannah!”

“Mother!”

“What is going on?”

“Is it not obvious?” Teresa snarled. “Your daughter has seduced His Grace!”

“D-do not blame my daughter!” Lord Ramsbury snapped, rounding on his sister. “It is His Grace who has erred! Clearly, he came upon Hannah while she was changing clothes and… and… and sought to seduce her!”

“Now, see here!” the Duke tried to speak up.

“You were jealous!” Teresa pointed an accusatory finger at her brother. “Jealous of the man I found for my daughter. What happened, Phineas? Did you tell her to come in here dressed the way she is? Did you conspire to?—”

“How dare you!

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