Page 1 of A Deal with the Broken Duke
PROLOGUE
At three-and-ten years of age, Juliet knew that her family expected her to act like a young lady. She knew that it was necessary for her to take tea in the sitting room with her mother, father and elder brother, especially when they might be having company. But the truth was that she wanted nothing to do with this socializing. She would much rather have run off to play with her nine-year-old sister Matilda, who was young enough that no one expected these things of her.
“Juliet,” her mother said quietly. “Sit up straight.”
Juliet forced herself to comply. The trouble was that nobody was talking to her. She would have found all this much more bearable if she had been included in the conversation, but the adults—including Daniel, who was eight-and-ten—were talking about things she didn’t understand and couldn’t join in on.
Out of boredom, she reached for one of the tea cakes.
Her mother shot her a sharp look and shook her head.
Juliet sighed and withdrew her hand. Unlike her siblings, she was never permitted to eat as much as she liked. She understood why. Her mother had explained the reason, but she still very much wanted one of those cakes.
“May I leave?” she murmured.
It would be easier not to think about eating cake if she could be permitted to go and play with Matilda.
“No,” her mother said. “You know someone might come calling, and if they do, you ought to be here.”
“No one has come all week,” Juliet pointed out. “It’s not as if we’re in London.”
Here, at their family’s country home in Chatsworth, the only callers they ever received were friends from the city who also had homes in this part of the country, and who happened to be visiting their own homes at the same time.
Sometimes, Juliet wished her family would come here in the winter instead of the summer. It would be cold, and they would be forced to stay inside all the time, but at least they wouldn’t get many visitors. She would be free to spend her holiday the wayshewould have liked, exploring the house with Matilda, instead of sitting here in a gown that pinched her unable to speak to anyone or do anything.
The sitting room door opened, and Hamilton, their butler, came inside. Juliet liked Hamilton. He always gave her a friendly smile, and he often paused his work to exchange a few words with her. Not many adults did that.
“Lord Warring is here,” Hamilton announced.
Juliet’s heart sank.
Not him.
Lord Warring, or Harry as they all called him, was her brother Daniel’s best friend. They were the same age, but Juliet found Harry to be absolutely insufferable. Of all the people who could possibly have come to call on them, Harry was the one she wanted to see the least.
But everyone else in the room looked pleased with the news.
“Harry!” Daniel exclaimed. He had always been thrilled by visits from his best friend. “Wonderful, Hamilton. Show him in, please.”
“Oh, it will be good to see him,” Juliet’s mother gushed. Harry’s mother, Prudence, was a close friend of hers.
Everyone has a close friend in that family except for me.If only Harry had a younger sister, he could’ve brought her with him!
Then again, maybe it was for the best that he didn’t. If he’d had a sister, she would have probably been just as difficult to be around as Harry himself was. And Juliet would have been expected to befriend her.
Harry entered the room, and everyone rose to their feet to greet him. Juliet remained seated for a moment before standing and hoped that he’d noticed. It was as much defiance as she could muster with her parents sitting right there.
“Good day, Lord Linford, Lady Linford.” Harry bowed his head in the direction of each of Juliet’s parents in turn.
“Welcome, Harry,” Lord Linford said. “Please sit down and have a drink with us. Scotch?”
“Scotch would be welcome, thank you.” Harry sank into a chair with a sigh. “It’s been a very long morning.”
“What’s happened?” Lady Linford asked. “Is it your mother?”
Juliet knew that Harry’s mother was ill and that she had been for some time. She didn’t think she was supposed to know about it, though. She had heard her parents and Daniel discussing the matter behind closed doors when they thought Juliet couldn’t hear them.
Everyone always tried to keep secrets from children, and yet they expected people of Juliet’s age to join in on their social affairs. It didn’t make any sense to Juliet. They should either let her go be a child with Matilda or they should treat her as an adult.
