Page 13 of A Bride for the Wicked Duke

It was two days following the ball and Aurelia found herself in Rosalind’s bedroom with an express purpose in mind – a task set which was looking more and more hopeless by the second.And the fact that I invited Eveline along, with her jokes and so-called humor, is only making things more difficult.

In five days' a garden party was being hosted at the Malsbury Estate, which itself would be a perfect opportunity to officially begin her pursuit of courtship. Now that the pressure of having to find a man in a single evening was no longer a worry, Aurelia had decided on a more practical approach. She needed to catch a suitor’s eye. She needed to lure him to her. She needed to behave herself as she did, at least for long enough to make him see her as a potential wife and then propose.Easier said than done.

It started with her outfit, a problem as Rosalind had described it, as Aurelia wasn’t exactly bursting at the seams with appropriate dresses, having never cared much for dressing up; at least not where catching the attention of men was concerned, anyhow. Thus, Rosalind insisted that she lend her a dress of her own, a sure way to get off to the best start possible. Or so it was thought.

“It is a shame that Violet no longer lives with us,” Eveline sighed. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking bored. “She had so many pretty dresses.”

“How is she doing?” Rosalind asked of Aurelia and Eveline’s older sister. “Married to Duke Aldworth. It must be heaven.”

“Oh...” Aurelia shared a quick look with Eveline, a warning to not say anything. “The last we spoke, she is perfectly happy. As is Caroline, for that matter.”

“Isn’t it wonderful,” Rosalind said with a dreamy look on her face. “And to think, that will be you soon! Falling in love. Getting married! Children, a family....” The dreamy look in her eyes grew. “Tell me you are at least a little bit excited.”

Rosalind knew Aurelia’s thoughts on marriage well enough, that being that she had no desire to ever marry. This was borne from her upbringing, as her mother and father’s marriage had been a most horrid affair which had poisoned the well in such a way that Aurelia had grown up knowing that she would rather die a spinster than go down that same road.

However, Aurelia’s newfound mission to find a husband must have convinced Rosalind that she’d changed her mind, even if Rosalind knew the true reason behind it.She thinks that if she continues to romanticize the concept of marriage that I might forget why I am doing this. Bless her...

As to Aurelia’s sister, Violet, that was a story which only affirmed Aurelia’s already sullied views. Indeed, Violet was married to a duke, and indeed she was happy, but this happiness was a result of Violet and the duke living separately, as neither liked one another and had no desire to try and make the marriage work. This arrangement was also a secret, which even Rosalind did not know.

Now, Caroline’s marriage might have been a happier story, and indeed her other sister was said to be very much in love with her husband, also a duke. But in Aurelia’s eyes, this was the exception to the rule, not proof of it, and she would not waste time pretending that when she wed that her life might turn out anything the same.I know what is in store for me, no matter who I find myself bound to. So, why pretend at anything different?

“How about that one?” Aurelia pointed at a dress in the wardrobe; it was a darker green, had long sleeves and a high neckline with a corset tied together at the front by intricate lacing.

“Oh!” Rosalind rushed to pull it out. “Yes, this one...” She whipped it from the wardrobe and held it out for them to see. “It is rather pretty, isn’t it. What’s more, I’ve never worn it.”

“At least that way Aurelia won’t look worse in it than you did,” Eveline chuckled.

“Quiet!” Aurelia snapped at her.

“I am just saying!”

“Try it on.” Rosalind shoved it into Aurelia’s chest. “And we will be the judge.”

Aurelia clicked her tongue as she took the dress and held it before her. Again, she really did not want to be doing this, but she caught Eveline turning up her nose and despite how much they argued and fought, she still loved her with all her heart. And if getting married to some uppity lord might save her from a life of sorrow, it was the least Aurelia could do.

“Fine,” she sighed. “But I will not dress in front of you.”

“That is fine,” Rosalind said excitedly, taking Eveline by the arm. “How about you put it on and then meet us in the garden – I will have tea and sweet meats ready.”

“I thought mother told you to lay off the treats,” Eveline teased Aurelia.

“Go,” she said forcefully, widening her eyes in warning at Eveline. “I will be down shortly.”

Eveline opened her mouth to make another joke but Rosalind pulled her from the room before she had a chance. The door closed behind them, leaving Aurelia alone to try on the dress.

“Urgh...” She waded toward the mirror, looking at herself and the dress.

Aurelia had never cared much about what her mother said of her voluptuous figure. Yes, she was a little chubby. And yes, most of the ton might not have appreciated her body type. But Aurelia hadn’t given a damn because she didn’t waste time worrying about what others thought. And as she never planned to marry...at least I hadn’t.

Nonetheless, she busied herself slipped from her dress and then shuffling into Rosalind’s. As expected, it was too tight, and she was only able to get it over her torse because she had left the lacework open fully, there to be brought together and tied tightly once she was fully inside the garment. However, now that the dress was up and over her shoulders and her arms were through the sleeves, she began to suspect that to tie the front together at all would take a miracle.

She clicked her tongue and sucked in as she pulled the corset tight, trying at the same time to interweave the laces. Frustratingly, her bosom was too large, refusing to give any room so that she could barely close the front without having to hold her breath.

“Well, this is just...”

A knock at the door had her head snapping up and she released the lace, breathing out so that the corset of the dress opened. She still had her chemise on underneath, so her breasts were not fully exposed, which was the only reason she did not hesitate in approaching the door.

“I told you,” she began as she grabbed the handle. “I will meet you out --” Her words caught in her throat as she opened the door to find the duke standing there.

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