Page 85 of The Duke and the Temporary Bride

“Speak with who?”

“Leopold,” she huffed. “And you can speak with your husband.”

“Mother…” Selina groaned. “I do not think?—”

“Please do not ruin this, Selina!” Lady Langham hissed. “After everything you have put me through, and everything you have been through yourself, surely you can see the benefit of what your husband is trying to do? He is saving you the embarrassment. That is all this is. He is doing this foryou.”

Selina opened her mouth to tell her mother that she could not be more wrong. Oh, how she wished to ruin this party by setting it ablaze. She didn’t care what people thought. She didn’t care about her reputation! That was Benedict! And seeing as he didn’t care about her, why should she care about him?

The only thing stopping her was her mother. And Selina reminded herself that this marriage was as much for her as it was for her sisters.

Just get through tonight. Once I do, I can put this marriage behind me, where it belongs.

“Here he comes,” Lady Langham said suddenly. She stood tall and plastered a pleasant smile on her face. “I shall speak with Leopold, and you shall speak to your husband.”

She swept through the crowd before Selina could say anything, and Benedict was on her before she could even think what she might want to say to him if anything at all.

“Ah, there she is!” he announced loudly. Far too loudly. “My gorgeous wife.” He slipped a hand around her waist and pulled her in for a kiss on the cheek.

The kiss brought back memories of the wrong kind. Selina was reminded of the kiss they had shared at the Mayfield Ball, how real it had felt, how it had told her without the need for words that she and Benedict were falling for one another in ways they had tried to ignore.

This kiss was lifeless. It was devoid of passion. It was like kissing a statue, and Selina had to force herself not to pull away because she knew that most of the guests were watching.

“How are you, beautiful wife?” Benedict asked, with a huge smile once he released her. “Is everything going well?”

She looked over his shoulder, where she saw her mother whispering to Leopold. Her uncle wore a scowl on his face, looking properly chastised and utterly demoralized. Now would be the time to warn Benedict of what her mother suspected, only Selina could not bring herself to do it.

“I said, how are you, beautiful wife?” he repeated.

“Well enough,” she replied with a forced smile. “I was just wondering when supper is due to start.”

“Any moment,” he said as he tugged her to his side. “And I must say…” He dropped his voice so only she could hear. “Thank you for behaving tonight. Everything is going even better than I had hoped.”

To that, she gave no answer. Truly, it did not matter what she said because her husband would not care about it either way. All she had to do was get through supper… An easy enough task, even if she was dreading it to her very core.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

“Atoast!” Benedict tapped his glass with his knife as he rose to his feet. “If you will all do me the tremendous favor of giving me your attention for a few short moments.”

He stood at the head of the table, a position which allowed him to see down its entire length so that he might speak directly to each guest. As there were so many of them, the table had been moved to the grand hall, which was barely large enough to accommodate so many people.

To his immediate right sat Selina, and to his immediate left sat his brother. He made sure to smile at them both, a show of thanks for how well-behaved they had been tonight.

Not that he needed to have worried, he now realized. This was for them as much as it was for him, and surely by now, they both understood that implicitly.

“I want to start by thanking you all for coming,” he began, making sure to raise his voice so that it carried down the length of the table. “For some, it was an easy journey here. For others, it was a far longer journey, and the fact that you made it means the world to me. That is not to discourage those who live nearby,” he joked. “And again, I feel blessed that each of you has seen fit to grace me and my lovely wife with your presence”

Benedict smiled at Selina, who did not return his smile. She looked morose, which had his jaw clenching as he resisted the urge to widen his eyes at her in warning. Not now. Not when so many people were watching them.

“As to why we are here…” He held his glass out to his brother, who looked equally as bored as Selina. “After many months abroad, my younger brother has finally returned. We missed you, Edmund. More than you are willing to believe,” he joked, which had a few others laughing. “It occurred to me earlier that this was the longest that you and I have ever spent apart.” He grinned. “Which in itself is reason enough to celebrate.”

A joke that made those down the table laugh.

Edmund did not laugh. He forced a smile and raised his glass, shifting awkwardly as he took a sip and bowed his head in thanks.

Again, Benedict had to suppress the urge to give him a warning glare because of all those watching.

“But you were gone for good reason,” he continued. “As many of you have surely heard, my brother was searching for a wife abroad. An unsuccessful venture, sadly, but a worthy one. It was for that reason that I was not saddened when he missed my wedding, for I knew he wished me well, as I now wish him well. Edmund…” He raised his glass higher, signaling for the table to do the same. “Welcome back, and may your quest for love and happiness be as fruitful as mine has turned out to be. Hear hear!”

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