Page 10 of A Duchess to Reclaim

Unfortunately, such a thing had happened just as she’d stepped onto the altar to marry Dominic.

She smiled widely, heart pouring with relief as she saw her sisters running toward her, and she opened her arms to embrace them. As she did so, she looked up, and a chill ran down her spine as she saw her father watching from afar.

She had not expected that they would be able to come; and she hated that her father had. Dominic, she suspected, must have paid a visit to him. She knew he had, for one of the wagons outside the church was loaded with her belongings.

Amelia suppressed a shudder as she thought of what that conversation would have been like. What their two fierce personalities clashing meeting had come about.

“Amelia, we cannot believe it!” Fourteen-year-old Sarah giggled, holding her tight. “When we last saw you we were so worried, but now here you are, getting married to a Duke! Why did you not tell us?”

Because I had no idea that was going to happen,she thought. But she refused to share the frightening details of that horrid night her father took her to auction.

“Oh, well, I wanted it to be surprise,” Amelia laughed instead, pulling away so she could take a good look at them. It had only been three days since she’d last seen them, but she’d missed and worried for them so much.

“Your wedding dress is beautiful,” Lydia gushed, her small hands delicately running over the lace. “Can I have one like this when I get married?”

Amelia smiled at her ten-year-old sister warmly.

“I am sure when that day comes you will have the dress of your dreams, my darling,” she replied.

Though Dominic did not know it yet, Amelia had decided that in the future she would ask him to help her take her sisters under their care so that they would never go through what she had. There was still much she did not know about her husband, but seeing as how he had commanded the auction room, how quickly he acquired their marriage license, and how he’d managed to get her sisters to come to the ceremony, she was starting to realize that he had indeed been truthful when he told her he was a powerful man.

“When will you come home?” Lydia asked.

“When can we come visit you?” Sarah asked before Amelia could reply.

“Why does Father seem so angry?” Lydia piped up.

“Now that you are a duchess, will you get to wear a crown?” Sarah added.

Her sisters peppered her with one question after another, and as Amelia kept looking back and forth between them, she felt her heartbeat start to spike again; her breathing become more difficult. Heat spiked in her face as her limbs went cold and numb, and suddenly her dress felt far too tight. The room began to spin as Amelia’s knees wobbled, and the edges of her vision began to fade to black.

“Good day.”

A strong, deep voice rang clear through the chorus of the two, smaller, more feminine ones, silencing them at once. A hand, firm yet gentle slid around Amelia’s back and made purchase on her hip; holding her up just as she thought she was about to go down. Startled, she looked to the man pressing to her side, and saw Dominic’s silver gaze and calm expression.

Easy,his eyes seemed to say,Youcanbreathe.

Amelia drew a sudden breath in, her lungs quivering, and she began to make her way back from her terror.

“You must be Sarah and Lydia,” Dominic said, turning his attention to the little ones.

He bowed his head toward them and held out a hand.

“It is a pleasure to meet you both.”

Feeling more herself now, Amelia smiled assuringly down at her little sisters, who seemed slightly intimidated by the large man standing beside their big sister.

“Young ladies, this is your new brother-in-law, Dominic Astorfield, Duke of Ellsworth. Do be polite and return his warm greeting,” she urged them gently.

Though still appearing shy, each little girl took a brief hold of Dominic’s hand as they curtseyed; his much larger hand swallowing their tiny fingers up.

“Will we be allowed to visit our sister, Your Grace?” Sarah asked, still sounding a bit frightened.

Amelia looked to him and saw that though he did not smile, there was a kind expression on his face.

“Of course you may. Whenever you wish,” he replied. “I will even send a carriage for you if you so need it.”

“May we go with you now?” Lydia asked, and to Amelia’s surprise, a chuckle left Dominic’s lips.

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