Page 24 of Taken By the Beastly Duke

His hair was more grey than it's vibrant mahogany color, he stood by his desk his shoulders more slouched than before, the hand that poured his whisky shook with a slight tremor and his motions were significantly slower.

Sadly her strong father was becoming weaker with age and it was unfair to him to have to deal with the possibility of a scandal at this age.

She tried to imagine how he had felt standing in the ballroom while his counterparts whispered about the scandalous behavior of his beloved daughter. Now she thought about it. She might have thought to save her sister but she just might have ruined her prospects with such a big scandal.

Because while her baron might claim to love her, the truth was that members of the ton married for recognition and wealth and most would not want to be associated with a scandalous family especially when the family in question also lacked the attraction of a fat dowry.

Now that her mind was no longer under the influence of the charm of a certain duke. She could see the situation with a clarity she had lacked hours before.

It seemed in her quest to solve the problem, she just might have made it worse by allowing her emotions take over. She didn't regret the kiss of course. She would do almost anything to do that again. She only felt guilt at the possibility that she might have hurt her family.

Standing up she walked over to her father. Stilling his hand when he made to pour himself another glass of whisky. He looked up at her with brown eyes like hers that was dulled with frustration.

"This will not solve anything, Father. You need to sit and rest," she said guiding him to his seat.

The fact that he allowed her to lead him to his chair quietly was enough to tell her he was intoxicated and exhausted or at least close to being so.

"Why did you do it? We could have been perfect. Why did you ruin it?" he asked, fixing sleepy eyes on her.

"I did that because Charity was not happy with the match and I would not be able to live with myself should I allow her enter a union that would lead to her perpetual sadness."

"So you sacrificed yourself for your sister, eh?" he asked a mischievous smile appearing on his sleepy face. Almost like he had an inkling of what she was hiding. With that last disturbing remark, he drifted off to sleep, snoring softly.

It just might be the effect of the alcohol, but she wondered how everything would play out if they knew that the primary reason she had landed them in this scandal had less to do with selfless sacrifice and more to do with her infatuation with the Duke in question.

With how far reaching the consequences of the scandal seemed. The duke and his hurried proposal of marriage seemed to be the best solution. That hope also didn't have anything to do with her internal fantasy of belonging to the intense man.

Adjusting him properly on his seat. She tried to make him more comfortable on the seat. He was most likely going to wake up with a nasty crick in his neck but there was little she could do to prevent that as the footmen had retired for the night and their butler was getting on in age. He was not the perfect person to help transfer the Viscount to a more comfortable surface in his chambers.

She attempted to wake him but it seemed he was deeply asleep courtesy of the alcohol he had been downing with careless abandon.

Sighing in defeat, she loosened his cravat, removed his shoes to at least offer him a little comfort. She put off the numerous candles leaving a single one to light the room in dim tones.

She left the room, closing the door quietly behind her she headed towards her bedroom but with the thoughts that weighed on her mind she doubted she would catch a wink of sleep.

When she opened the door to her chamber she was surprised to meet Charity already sitting in her room waiting for her, clutching the skirts of her long night gown, her eyes huge in her face and circled with red rings that indicated that she had been crying. She looked like a frightened innocent child.

The earlier feeling of guilt returned with vengeance.

"What is the matter, Charity? Is it about the scandal? It is being sorted out as we speak" she said hoping to reassure her distraught sister.

" No, it's not just that," she said between sobs, "I have been so selfish leaving all my problems at your feet, relying on the fact that you would always solve my problems. I have never taken time out to think about how the burden of our family problems affect you."I never stopped to consider that the fact that you carry it so gracefully, does not mean that the weight of responsibility is not heavy. You have sacrificed so much for our family," she said raising her tear stained face to look at Victoria, "and now you are ruined because of me."

No matter how selfless Victoria had been in previous years, there was always a little part of her that sought validation from her family. A part of her have always longed for a pat on the back as they acknowledged her sacrifice.

But at this moment in time, when she was getting the validation she so longed for. The pleasure she should have felt was now tainted with guilt because while her sister was under the impression that she had done it in self sacrifice. This time it was more selfish than if was selfless.

"Charity, this is not your fault," she said sitting down beside her and taking her hands in hers

"It is my fault," her sister countered, "if I had not asked you to help me break my engagement with the Duke, you would not be ruined. But I was so in love with Robert and the possibility of my happiness that I never stopped to consider your own happiness too. I am so sorry Victoria," she said, sobbing.

"I am not ruined, Charity," she said, pulling her head to rest on her shoulder and petting her back in soothing strokes, "The Duke will do right by me. He promised he will."

"I hope he does," Charity said as her sobs died down

I hope so too.

Victoria could not imagine any other alternative because no matter how they thought about it, her family's future in Society would be bleak, should the duke abandon her to her ruination. Unfortunately, she could not blame him if he took that route especially considering how she had gotten said proposal.

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