Page 23 of Wedded to the Ruthless Duke

The Marchioness looked around in the alarm.

“I beg your pardon?” she said, clearly surprised that he had come close enough to hear their conversation again. “What did you say, Your Grace?”

“I said that I will not be witness anymore to this conversation.”

“She needs to hear it.” The Marchioness released her daughter’s hand but pointed at her as if she was something disgusting that had just slinked into the corner of the room.

Philip was reminded of something that Eleanor had said about Grace having her fair share of misery and that her mother would certainly have something to say about this matter.

“She needs to hear how she has dishonored this family.”

“Dishonored?” Philip spluttered. He wished to bark that it was only a kiss, what dishonor was there in that? Wasn’t it one of the most natural things on this planet for humans to do? “You will not speak to her like that again.”

“I beg your pardon?” The Marchioness’ shoulders twitched. She stood taller, her cheeks pinkening. “She is my daughter. I will speak to her exactly as I wish to, Your Grace. She has tainted you as she has tainted all of us. It’s only right that she is delivered her reprimand, that she knows the full force of what she has done.”

Say something!

Still, Grace did not. She wiped another tear away. She wouldn’t even look at him now.

It was very different to the Grace he had seen the night before, the Grace he had held in his arms, the Grace he had kissed because he just couldn’t stand the thought of her kissing any other man.

“Grace, you must hear it.” The Marchioness rounded on her daughter again. “It’s high time you knew what your behavior over the years has led to. How much not behaving like a true lady has led to this —”

“Stop. I will not have anyone speak in such a way about my wife.” Philip barked the words loudly, cutting across the Marchioness.

The room fell silent.

CHAPTER8

There was more than one gasp in the room though Grace could not concentrate on where on earth they came from.

Her eyes were pinned on the Duke of Berkley’s face. He wouldn’t look at her. He continued to glower at her mother.

Grace’s heart pounded so hard in her chest, she thought it might crack one of her ribs and the whalebones of her stays. She felt dizzy with it, unable to move at all.

“But…” Her mother was the first to try and speak though she evidently struggled as much as Grace was doing. Althea stared back at the Duke, her cheeks the color of sour milk, her lips parted in astonishment. “You wish to marry her?” Althea muttered.

The Duke didn’t say anything. He stood a little taller and turned away, his shoulders stiff, then he took a step to distance himself from the pair of them.

Grace felt quite sick as she watched him walk away. She raised a hand over her chest, wishing she could calm the thundering of her heart as she watched him.

Eleanor’s brother is going to marry me? Why?

Her mother had not been wrong. As a duke, he could have easily brushed off this scandal in a matter of months. It was she who had the greatest damage to her reputation.

Grace managed to step off the windowsill, intent on speaking to the Duke about what he had just said, when she realized who the source of that second gasp had been. Tabitha stood in the open doorway, clearing her throat, having evidently heard the Duke’s declaration.

“My apologies for interrupting,” she said in her most demure voice. “Your Grace, the Marquess will see you. He is in his study. It’s two doors down on your left, but he says he cannot hold an audience with you for very long.”

“It will not take long.” With these final words, the Duke strode out of the room, passing by Tabitha without even one glance back at Grace.

She stood in the middle of the room, dumbstruck, amazed and reeling at what had just happened.

“Did I hear that right?” Tabitha muttered in a rush as down the hallway, the door to the study shut. “He intends to marry you?”

“My ears are deceiving me.” Althea flung herself down in a chair. She started fanning herself with her hands, trying to cool the sudden pinkness in her cheeks. “I cannot have heard that right. Why? Why would he do it? Why would a duke deign to marryher?”

Grace tried not to flinch at her mother’s words. She jerked her head around, fire in her eyes as she gazed at her mother.

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