Page 16 of The Duke's Concealed Vow
Chapter Seven
Seren’s heart leapt as she excused herself from tea with her aunt. It had been a few days since her debut ball, and that was the first afternoon where she hadn’t been bombarded by suitors. She had intended to enjoy tea and a walk through the gardens with Imogen to tell her all about her feelings regarding Lord Hawthorne, whom she had seen thrice more since his first visit to her family’s townhouse. But when her father summoned her to his study, she wondered if the marquess’s son had come to make an offer for courtship.
She smiled at the thought. He had certainly gained her attention, and she was more thrilled than ever at the prospect of getting to know Lord Hawthorne better. If he had come to ask her father’s permission to court her, she would accept without hesitation. She allowed herself to picture his handsome face and brilliant green eyes, smiling at her as he formally asked her to be his lover. Her cheeks grew warm, and her smile widened to an impossible size.
However, when she entered her father’s study, the butterflies in her stomach turned into a knot of dread. It was not Lord Hawthorne who sat with the earl. It was the Duke of Dalenwood. And his expression was solemn and tense. His presence was as unwelcome as it was unexpected. She could not fathom why he had come, or why her father had summoned her while he was there. But she intended to get the matter concluded as quickly as possible.
“Your Grace,” she said, dipping into a stiff curtsey. “What a surprise.”
“Lady Serena,” he said. His tone was the same as it had been the night of her ball. The knot in her belly tightened as shelooked at her father expectantly.
“Serena, darling, come sit with us,” he said, pointing to an empty chair beside the duke. Reluctantly, Serena complied with her father’s request, sitting beside the Duke, pressing herself against the side of the chair furthest away from him. Her mind raced as she awaited an explanation from the two men. She focused all her energy into keeping her composure as she looked at her father, trying not to let the unnerving quiet of the room rattle her.
After what felt like an eternity, her father broke the silence.
“I’ve summoned you here to give you some important news,” he said, his voice strained. “I have made an agreement with His Grace for an arranged marriage between the two of you, the terms of which have just been finalised.”
“What?” she asked. She felt the color drain from her face as her father’s words struck her like a physical blow. She blinked, trying to understand what her father had just said to her. She had heard his words. But it took a moment for the true gravity of their meaning to register to her. Once they did, however, her chest constricted as disbelief gave way to sheer panic.
She studied her father’s face, praying to see some sign that she had misunderstood. When she found nothing but regret and shame, however, she swallowed, her dry throat aching with the effort.
The earl did not look at her as he drained the alcohol in his glass. When it was empty, he placed it on the desk, glancing only at the Duke as he spoke again.
“We just signed the final agreement,” he said. “Your dowry has been adjusted to reflect the status of the Duke, and we have both signed the papers. You are to be married within the week, per a special license, which His Grace will be obtaining at his earliest convenience. Outside of the terms of the agreement, you are free to organise your wedding as you see fit. I am sure thatImogen will help you, and the two of you have my permission to spend as much money as you need.”
Serena stared at her father dumbly, barely hearing what he was saying. She had already heard the important part of what he was saying. He was truly about to force her into a marriage with a man she could barely stand. Her world tilted, and she feared that she would swoon. All her carefully nurtured, lifelong dreams of having a proper courtship, a beautiful traditional wedding and genuine love and affection forming over time and borne of a match made for love had been shattered in a matter of seconds. By her own father, no less.
She shook her head as though she could magically reject and undo her father’s decision. The earl still would not look at his daughter, turning his back to fetch the whiskey and pour himself another drink. Feeling lost and helpless, she rose, bracing herself against the desk as her knees trembled. She turned to the Duke, hoping to see some flicker of warmth or understanding in his eyes. Yet while he met her gaze, unlike her father, there was nothing but his signature cool distance there, with his overall expression unreadable. She tried to will herself to speak, but still no words would come.
“I believe I should allow the two of you to speak,” the duke said, rising from his seat and bowing to Serena and her father. “Thank you, Lord Yardley, for concluding this matter with me. I shall go first thing tomorrow to get the license. Farewell, my lord.” He paused, glancing at Serena from the side of his vision. “Good day to you, Lady Serena.”
Serena stared at him as he left the study, feeling more isolated and bereft than ever before. She desperately wanted to find some source of comfort. But as the study door closed behind the duke, she understood that she was on her own.
“Father,” she said, turning back to the earl. “Why are you doing this? Why would you arrange a marriage and not so muchas ask about my feelings?”
The earl shook his head, still not looking at his daughter.
“It is for the best, darling,” he said, sounding as though it was anything but best.
Serena scoffed, shaking her head.
“How can it be for the best for you to make such a rash decision?” she asked. She hated how whiny her voice was beginning to sound. But she also couldn’t help feeling petulant and wounded. “I was just named the season’s diamond. Surely, you did not think that I would have trouble finding a husband.”
The earl shook his head again, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingertips.
“Of course not, Serena,” he said. “I am aware that you would be perfectly capable of attracting a good husband.”
Serena huffed again.
“Then why did you make the choice for me?” she asked, her voice rising as her panic grew. “And why on earth did you choose the one man in all of London whose very presence unnerves me to my soul?”
The earl looked at her, his eyes filling with realization. For a moment, Serena thought she had gotten her father to see reason. But he just looked away quickly, shaking his head again.
“Darling, this will be the best match for you,” he said. “You and the Duke hardly know each other. That will change, and you will see it’s for the best.”
Serena threw up her hands, beginning to pace in the study.
“That’s just the trouble,” she said. “I hardly know the Duke of Dalenwood. And what I do know of him is hardly flattering. This cannot possibly be the best match for me when he can barely stand to sit beside me for a few moments.”
