Page 4 of The Duchess' Replacement

Before she could blink, Derek was at her side, half carrying her down the aisle and out of the church. He placed her into the carriage, where she slumped to the side, resting her head on the inside of the carriage. Her body jostling as her mother and Beatrice filed into the carriage behind her. Once more their voices were muffled around her.

Her eyes stared, unfocused, as her mind replayed the looks of shock and embarrassment that were now forever seared into her memory.

She was left at the alter.

She was ruined.

“I thought you said you looked into him and his family!”

Charlotte’s harsh whisper drifted in from the hallway.

Sarah couldn’t hear Derek’s reply, but his cadence was low and sure. She may not know what he said, but there was still some feeling left in her body that told her Derek would get to the bottom of it.

At least one of the Mallory girls found a knight in shining armor.

The thought unleashed another round of sobs that left her body feeling brittle and broken. Just when she thought she had cried her last tear another wave of embarrassment, longing, confusion, and torment swept over her.

How did this happen? What did I do to deserve this horror?

Sarah’s door opened and she watched her mother’s shadow along the wall as she walked towards the bed.

“Sarah, love? I brought you some tea. You should drink something, dear.”

Sarah laid with her knees tucked up close to her body. The thought of unfolding to reach for the tea cup felt too exposing so she stayed tucked into her little ball.

Charlotte sighed as she sat on the bed next to her. She reached out and brushed a strand of hair from Sarah’s face.

The touch took her back to the moment before she walked down the aisle, when she made sure her hair was still tucked up. The pieces of her heart that managed to survived this long shattered into pieces with the rest of their brethren.

She whimpered into her pillow.

“I’m so sorry, my love.” Charlotte cooed. “Don’t worry, we will get to the bottom of this. Derek promised Eleanor he would find out at once where that sorry excuse for a man was.”

A tear fell down a familiar path on Sarah’s face to join the others that had fallen onto her pillow.

“It’s all I ever wanted, Mama.” She spoke into her pillow.

“What was, my dear?”

Sarah sniffled. “Someone to come to my rescue. Like Derek is doing for me know. But he’s Eleanor’s. Why can’t I have someone like that?”

“Oh my sweet.” Charlotte leaned over and covered Sarah’s curled up body with her own. “You will get it, I promise. Just trust-”

Anger erupted within Sarah’s veins.

“No! Do NOT say ‘trust the process,’ Mama!”

Charlotte jumped back, shocked at the sudden outburst of emotion from her once almost comatose daughter.

Sarah took a few breaths. Within moments her body went from feeling as if it were sinking through thick sludge to feeling as agile as a cat. She bounded from her bed. A new, limitless energy flooded her body.

She was angry.

Sarah caught a glance of herself in the mirror. Her hair was an absolute mess, half of it was still pinned up, while the other half was hanging haphazardly around her face. Her eyes were red and puffy. Her once beautiful and perfectly cared for dress was now wrinkled and hung misshapened on her frame.

The realization of what that man did to her, to not only her reputation but to her overall well-being smacked her in the face.

Anger turned into white-hot rage.

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