Page 107 of A Bride for the Sinful Duke

“I could go for a round of croquet. Who will join me?” Marcus suggested because the day had not offered enough chaos for him.

It was not surprising that everyone’s hands came up, and there were maniacal grins on their faces. Hector liked to think that it was all in playful fun, despite someone suggesting splitting into two teams for the first round.

“Husbands versus wives? Think of the carnage,” Marcus grinned.

“Emma! Marcus is trying to start a civil war again!” Ciara quickly reported.

“Who do you think taught me how to do it?” Marcus smiled sweetly at his wife from where she stood and spoke to their children.

“You are a concerning duo,” James noted.

“I beg your pardon? Hector is much more worrisome, yet I do not see any of you questioning his methods,” Marcus pointed out.

“Likely because when he wants to commit a crime, he doesn’t mask it as something else,” Penelope countered. “Additionally, we adore his lovely wife.”

“Are you trying to say that my wife is not lovely?” Marcus asked in outrage.

“No darling, they’re trying to say that I am the only part of you they like,” Emma corrected upon her return. She was being followed by a new couple who had just arrived at the party.

“Anne!” Juliet exclaimed happily, embracing her friend.

Hector watched his wife fawn over her friend, still proud of the decision he had made one year ago.

When he told Juliet that the source of their problems had been Somerton, she immediately worried for Anne, nearly begging him to pardon the man who had greatly wronged them if it meant her friend would be spared.

Hector gently told her that he had ensured the young woman would obtain her freedom from her scheming brother, or Somerton would face the potential consequences of his actions.

“You are truly remarkable, dearest husband,” she had told him happily after that.

“Only the best for you,” he’d replied gently.

They had attended Anne’s wedding to Lord Emerson, and Hector had held Juliet as she wept tears of joy.

Thankfully, Somerton had been wise enough to take Hector’s threats seriously. After it was exposed that he had been the mastermind behind all of the nonsense spewed against Juliet, he had left London to live out the remainder of his days in social exile.

It had made Hector angry all over again when he had to tell Juliet why she had been targeted and ridiculed. It also took time for Hector to repair his relationships with the men involved in his business ventures and recoup his financial losses.

“Congratulations on the recent developments at St. Catherine’s, Your Grace!” Anne grinned, still wrapped in Juliet’s arms.

“Ah, we were going to surprise you!” Emma pouted.

Juliet whirled around, confused.

“Surprise me? With what??”

Hector beckoned forth a servant who came with a large bouquet of flowers which he carefully collected and handed over to his wife.

“We wanted to give you something to celebrate all your hard work for those girls. We know you would prefer donations to your cause…

“Not that you must offer that,” Juliet interrupted Marcus with a blush as she took the flowers.

“Oh, dear, we will still make donations. We just wanted to give you a token of our appreciation because no one else could have done what you did. It was truly inspiring, and I am immensely proud to have someone like you in my family, so my children can look up to greatness. After they have, of course, feasted their eyes on us, their parents. You can be an outside source of inspiration. But do not rope Hector into our ploy,” Marcus concluded.

Juliet was moved to tears as she stared at the flowers, and Hector felt incredibly proud of her once again.

After their return to London, Hector’s businesses regained their stability, and Juliet became the patron of St. Catherine’s. She had spent the last year working on the nunnery, renovating and rebuilding it to make it into what it was meant to be: a safe haven for young girls and women with nowhere else to go.

She was always so modest when she spoke of her achievements, so Hector played the part of the proud, boastful husband, pleased beyond measure when their friends joined in to celebrate her.

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