Page 51 of Taken By the Beastly Duke

"You would get to do that at dinner."

Everyone expressed their praise of her cook's bakery skills.

From there the conversation moved on to other topics but thankfully avoided touching on topics concerning her husband.

Before long it was dark and everyone rose to go to their room to refresh themselves and prepare for the dinner.

As everyone filed out of the he room. Theodore remained behind sitting put on his seat

"Victoria wait." he called when she rose to leave. When she turned to look at him. He chuckled and said in a self deprecating tone.

"I guess I should refer to you asyour gracenow. I am sorry for the mistake. I still struggle to remember you are now a duchess."

"There is hardly any need for formalities when we are in private. I am still the same Victoria you have always known. I just happened to gain a new title." she said on a nervous laugh.

When he did not reciprocate the laugh or reply. She broke the awkward silence

"You asked me to wait. Is there a problem that needs my attention?"

Instead of immediately answering, he looked at her nervously, seeming to rethink his choice to share whatever information he had with her.

"You do know you can speak to me about anything."

She wondered if what he had to tell her had anything to do with his pregnant wife. She silently prayed for the safety of his growing family

"I..I " he started haltingly. "I might have hired a private investigator to look into your husband."

Victoria was shocked beyond words. Of all things she had imagined, she had never fathomed that her meek best friend will go the route of privately investigating her husband. She opened her mouth to speak and closed it back, completely at loss about what to say.

"I know I was not supposed to..."

"So why did you?" She interrupted quietly.

"He was coming too close to you and he looked suspicious, especially seeing as he had been a known recluse among society. I thought it prudent to look into the man that was courting my friend. I did it to protect you."

"What did your find from your unsolicited investigation?" she asked in an annoyed tone.

"For starters," he said leaning forward in his city. "You were not the first lady, the duke courted. He was initially betrothed to a lady name Rose Grant. She is now Lady Sunderland."

For a man his age, she was never under the misconception that he had never courted a woman. That would be very unrealistic. That fact did not prevent the twinge of Jealousy she felt knowing that he had once planned to marry someone that wasn't her.

She secretly wondered what had happened to prevent their marriage. Turning to Theodore she asked

"What happened?"

Theodore rubbed his hands in glee, a broad smile on his face.

"That is where this gets interesting. The lady called off the engagement herself."

"Why?"

"It is said she took one look at the Duke's face after he returned from the war and ran. She couldn't abide how hideous he had become."

She had always known that the women of the ton were vain, but she had never expected that they were that heartless, to abandon a man when he was most vulnerable simply because of scars he had acquired while protecting his countrymen.

Her heart broke for the injured Anthony. She could not imagine the pain he must have felt being abandoned by a woman that was supposed to love him simply because he got scarred in battle.

Turning to Theodore she asked bitterly.

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