Page 76 of Seduced By the Rakish Duke

Jenny met Frances’s eyes in the mirror. This was it. Everything she had worked for since she and Thomas arrived was now coming to fruition. Without a word, she pushed away from thevanity and stood up. She turned to Frances, who was watching her with anxious eyes.

A ball of guilt formed in her stomach. Frances was Jenny’s true friend when the ton judged her and her brother upon their arrival. She had helped Jenny find her place in Society, and now that the day every young woman dreamt of was here, Jenny was acting like she was walking to the guillotine and not her happily ever after.

She forced her shoulders to relax. However, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t remove the stiffness from her body.

“Thank you for helping me prepare for this day, Frannie. I appreciate it so much.” She leaned in and placed a kiss on both of her sister-in-law’s cheeks.

She moved to stand in front of Thomas, who was looking at her suspiciously. “Thank you, Thomas, for everything you have done for me. You kept a roof over our heads when Mama and Papa passed. You defended us, provided for us, and took care of me when I needed it the most.” She kissed his cheek.

Thomas raised an eyebrow. “Frannie, I honestly think there is something wrong with her.”

Jenny smiled and patted him on his shoulder. “And I think you are colorblind. Your bride was all sorts of green on your wedding day—you must not have seen it.”

She breezed past him. Harassing her brother didn’t take all her pain away, but it did coax her first smile in what felt like a long time.

Frances giggled. “I think she’s fine. Come, let’s get this over with.”

Frances and Thomas left her to find a seat at the front of the small church.

Jenny peered down the aisle and saw Harry standing at the altar next to the pastor, with little Elizabeth running circles around him. She smiled at the girl’s complete disregard for decorum. However, the muscle ticking in Harry’s jaw was bothersome.

She wished they were outside. She always loved this little church, but today, it felt stifling. Being outside would feel so freeing and would distract Elizabeth. If a few ducks needed to be sacrificed to let the ceremony progress smoothly, then so be it.

Jenny sighed into the wall. Who was she kidding? Indoors, outdoors, on the moon, there was nowhere this wedding could take place that would make her feel free.

The worst part was that she was her own jailer. There is no doubt in her mind if she told Thomas she didn’t want this marriage, he would handle the fallout for her.

But her own stubbornness had a tight hold on her. She had set out to do something, and by God, she was going to see it through. Even if it meant locking her heart away.

A loud crash and a scream came from the front of the church. Jenny peered through the doorway in the vestibule to see the pastor dousing his vestment with holy water to put out flames.

A giggling Elizabeth holding a now-extinguished candle hid behind her horrified father as he, too, helped put out the burning cloth.

Frances caught Jenny’s eyes and motioned for her to walk down the aisle, lest the poor child set the whole church on fire.

Jenny bit her cheek. She never minded a rambunctious child, but she was beginning to think Elizabeth needed more than just a mother figure in her life.

With one deep breath, she put one foot in front of the other. The guests all shifted in their seats and turned to her as she walked down the aisle.

Her feet shuffled under her dress. The closer she got to Harry, the heavier her steps became. Her heart thudded in her chest, and her breathing quickened. If she wasn’t careful, she would faint in front of the congregation.

When she reached the altar, Harry stood looking frazzled. Not exactly the sight she had envisioned whenever she fantasized about her wedding day.

His eyes kept flicking to the nanny, who had a death grip on his young daughter, whispering empty threats into her ears to get her to behave.

The charade was becoming too much for her. None of this felt right. The church didn’t feel right.Shedidn’t feel right.The groomdidn’t feel right. Nothing was as it should be.

Jenny felt the sudden urge to drop her flowers and run. She shifted her weight to turn around when Harry’s hand reached out and took hers.

Locked in.

The heavy sound of a chain locking echoed in her mind. This was it. She could waver all she wanted, but she was standing in a church, holding the hand of the man she was to marry. It was no longer about to happen. Itwashappening.

It was done.

Jenny’s body swayed under the stress. And for a moment, her vision went black.

She heard screams, and Harry’s arms caught her before she fell. She looked up into his eyes only to see him looking down the aisle.

---