Page 6 of A Duchess for the Mysterious Duke
Marina smiled painfully at her sister, annoyed with herself for being so transparent. After all, she was meant to be their pillar of strength and not the other way around. But the events from the night before, the news about her impending marriage arrangements, and now this visit from the Duke had her feeling as if her head would spin right off.
“Father has given my hand,” she sighed.
“To whom?” Olivia asked with alarm.
“A man I have not met. He is to call upon us today. Oh, Olivia, you must know that I do not wish to leave our home. I cherish the three of you above all else. I have done all I can—all but begged Father to reconsider.”
Olivia said nothing at first, only squeezing Marina’s hand tightly. There were no words needed between the two of them. Not for this. Marina and Olivia had discussed the matter of her marriage many times over. The younger girl knew precisely how her sister felt.
“Do not fret too much about us, Marina. You have given us so many years of your life already,” she said, at last, with tenderness. “If he is awful, I will pretend to be so ill that you’ve no choice but to come home and care for your dreadful sister.”
They laughed together, and Marina was able to put her nerves to bed for just a little while. She allowed Olivia to distract her with details aboutherexperience at the ball where she seemed to have been among the most popular of young ladies on thedance floor. A part of Marina wondered if perhapsthatwas why the Duke had appeared so suddenly. Had he come to ask their father’s permission to court Olivia?
After great length, the two gentlemen emerged from Richard’s office. The Duke stopped at the door and nodded his head to each of the family members in turn, lingering a moment on Marina. She averted her eyes, not wishing to feel that tug of electricity in her core that appeared each time she met his gaze.
“I give you my thanks for receiving my visit today,” he told the Earl. “But I will bid you all farewell, now. Please, have a wonderful rest of your afternoon.” Marina could feel his eyes on her for a moment before, at last, she heard his footsteps retreating.
“Papa, what was his visit about?” Olivia demanded.
“You know better than to ask questions out of turn,” he grumbled. “Leave us, please, Olivia. I must speak to your sister.”
Marina’s face paled, alarmed by her father’s behavior. She gave one last, pleading look to Olivia then watched the younger girl disappear, presumably to find their siblings in the gardens.
“What is it, Father? What’s happened?” Marina begged.
Richard Linfield shocked his daughter when his face erupted into a prideful smile, something akin to glee. He was a vastlydifferent man than the one who had walked into the room only moments before.
“The Duke has asked for your hand,” he said, simply.
“My hand?”
“Yes, my love.”
“Well?” she demanded, her voice growing higher and shrill. “What did you say to him?”
The Earl of Carlisle seemed perplexed by Marina’s reaction but pressed forward anyway.
“We have made the proper arrangements.” His daughter was stunned and did not respond at first, so the Earl felt compelled to continue, “It seemed a rather pleasing offer for him to make, given the way last night’s news went over with you.”
“Father!” Marina’s eyes were panicked, and her voice fevered. “What could possess you to do such a thing? I do not know this man. Thetondoes not know this man except for the rumors of his exploits when he has been out of the country these ten years. He is a known rake, Papa. His reputation alone will ruin me the moment we present our arrangement to court. How can we be sure that he intends to go through with this at all?”
“I understand that you are in shock, now, Marina, but rumors are just that. He is a kind young gentleman who came to me inthe proper way to ask for your hand after you caught his eye at the ball. That is a man who proposes marriage in earnest, my love.”
“Thatis a man who will do anything to appease his station,” she remarked.
“Marina, be sensible. This union will bring with it great fortune and a title for you. Not to mention what it will do for your siblings. I thought this a great deal more suitable than a man twice your age, as you so vehemently pointed out at the ball. Hayward Estate is also a great deal closer to here, and you will be able to see us whenever you like. I have made this decision in your best interest.”
“No!” Marina stood, her skirts gathered in one hand as she faced her father and prepared to leave. “You have done nothing of the sort. You have written my name on an ill-fated contract in your desperation to see me wed when you should have listened to my wishes instead!”
CHAPTER 5
“…perhaps a more stylish color scheme,” Phillip muttered, standing in the lady’s quarters of his home with his housekeeper beside him. “I am unsure, Mathilde. The room is in need of refreshing before her arrival, but I do think she’ll want to decorate to her own tastes.”
“You will make a fine husband, indeed,” Mathilde snickered, gathering the bed linens and disappearing.
“Your Grace, a visitor.” Phillip looked up at his steward, but before he could take the calling card, the tall form of Emmanuel Hayward came barreling into the room.
“Uncle,” Phillip greeted him pleasantly. “How d’you do?”
