Page 54 of His Duchess' Wicked List

“Oh, dear.” Lady Ollerton tutted. “She is offended. Although I do not know why. She must realize that it will follow her around like a bad smell until she has a wedding ring on her finger.”

Maddie stood up. Her heart was pounding now. “You are being insensitive, Mama. You know how much even the slightest reference to it distresses her. Why did you have to tell her that she was mentioned in this scandal sheet at all?”

“Because it might change her attitude,” Lady Ollerton snapped. “She is dragging her feet about the Duke. She is always makingsmart comments when I try to involve her in the wedding planning. I just wished to remind her that she does not want to embroil herself in another scandal.”

“Of course, she does not want to create another scandal,” Maddie said in a strained voice. “The first scandal impacted her profoundly. Augusta would walk over hot coals to avoid another one.”

Lady Ollerton looked shamefaced for a moment. “I do not wish to hurt her, Maddie. Truly, I do not.” She took a deep breath. “But I am at my wit’s end. This opportunity with the Duke of Everly cannot be wasted. She will never get such an opportunity again.”

Maddie’s heart twisted. She didn’t know what to say.

“Augusta needs her own household,” her mother continued. “She has such a strong personality. She argues with me constantly because she is far too old to be living with her parents any longer. If she marries, it would mean she could live her own life, at least.”

“That is true,” Maddie acquiesced in a tremulous voice.

“I know that she wishes she could live independently,” Lady Ollerton acknowledged quietly. “She wishes she could go to university, or tour the Continent, or do a hundred other things. But none of that is possible for a lady of her station. The sooner she accepts it—and accepts that the only way she will gain someautonomy and a modicum of power is through marriage—the better.”

Maddie felt deflated. She knew that her mother spoke the truth. It wasn’t pleasant to hear it, and she knew that her mother’s agenda wasn’t entirely altruistic. Lady Ollerton wanted to be rid of the headache that was Augusta once and for all. But that still didn’t mean itwasn’tthe best thing for Augusta, when all was said and done.

Shecouldn’tlive the life she wished to live. She was never going to become a bluestocking bohemian, living independently, with no care in the world. Marriagewasthe only way she would gain any autonomy over her life.

And it was true that Augusta probably wouldn’t get any more offers. She was on the wrong side of five-and-twenty. She scared most gentlemen witless. Marrying the Duke would be her last chance. If she didn’t marry him, Maddie feared she would turn into a bitter spinster indeed, snarling and snapping at their mother for the rest of her life.

Maddie knew she should encourage her sister to marry him. It was the right, and selfless, thing to do.

It felt like a knife plunging into her heart.

Maddie took a deep breath, facing the hard, bitter truth. The Duke didn’t love her. He had gotten what he wanted from her, and that was the end of that.

She would do well to look after her sister—and herself—from now on and forget him entirely.

And what did it matter whom she married if she could not marry the man she loved?

“I have been remiss, Mama,” Maddie said, her heart twisting anew. “I will speak with Augusta about encouraging the Duke. And I will encourage Lord Christopher as well.”

Her mother jumped to her feet, rushing to her, and taking her hands. Her eyes were shining with joy.

At least someone is happy.Lord knows that is something.

CHAPTER 22

“Ineed to speak with you, Chris. Now.” Daniel’s voice was hard.

Christopher was lounging on the sofa in the parlor. Morning tea had finished. The Dowager Duchess had just left the room, saying that she was going to call on the Cole family to discuss wedding preparations. She had insisted that Daniel join her, but he had managed to wriggle out of it. He had bigger fish to fry at the moment.

Christopher put down his teacup, staring at him. “You are more jittery than a cat on a roof, Cousin,” he noted mildly. “Whatever is the matter?”

Daniel sat down opposite his cousin so that he could see his face. Heneededto see his face when he laid the evidence at his feet. Christopher’s expression would be the best measure of whether this was true or not, or whether it was some kind of odd misunderstanding.

Daniel’s heart lurched. He loved his cousin. Chris had always been the closest thing to a brother he had ever had. He had relied on him, leaned on him, looked up to him. Chris had been the steady rock to Daniel’s rocky boat.

He had trusted him. And now, he had no idea who the man sitting so calmly opposite him was.

“I was going through the accounts for both houses,” Daniel began, narrowing his eyes, as he placed the ledgers on the table between them. “I’ve been meaning to get around to it.” He paused. “There’s a few discrepancies that I cannot account for. Perhaps you could explain them to me.”

He watched his cousin carefully as he put down his teacup. Christopher’s expression hadn’t changed, but did he see a flicker of alarm in his eyes?

If so, it was quickly gone.

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