Page 17 of The Duke's Concealed Vow
Her father sighed, looking older and more tired than Serena had ever seen him.
“Serena, the decision is made,” he said. The words wereauthoritative, but his tone was as weary as his face. “You must marry, and marry well, to ensure that you and your family will be taken care of. This is your duty, Daughter. You know it as well as I do.”
Serena stared at her father numbly. She knew she was meant to marry well. And Lord Hawthorne would have satisfied that requirement in every respect, even before he inherited the title of marquess from his father. And yet, her father had not even given her the chance to tell him about any such prospects for her.
“Father, please, tell me why it is so important that I marry the Duke of Dalenwood specifically,” she said. “You took away my ability to choose my husband. You owe me an explanation. Please?”
The earl sighed, shaking his head once more, but he did not open his mouth to speak again. Instead, he stared at the stack of papers that bound her to the duke of Dalenwood for the rest of her life. When it became clear that she would get nothing from her father but vague platitudes and reminders of her familial duty, she swallowed a sob and fled from the study. If her father would not grant her an explanation as to why he had dashed her dreams and broken her heart so cruelly, she would no longer grant him the pleasure of an audience with her.
The world seemed to close in around her, the once lovely and vibrant furniture now seeming as dull and lifeless as her dying dreams were. All around her the comfort of the home she had always loved began to vanish, replaced by an ever-growing void of uncertainty. She ran blindly through the halls, uncertain where she was even going until she heard her aunt’s voice coming from the music room. She plunged forward, barging in through the open door and interrupting a lovely song.
“Aunt…,” she gasped, throwing herself at Imogen.
The motherly figure stood just in time to catch Serena as she collapsed in her arms in tears.
“My heavens, darling, what has happened?” she asked.
Serena sobbed and sniffled, fighting to find her voice. When she could finally speak, she explained everything that had just happened in her father’s study. She poured out her grief and shock, not as much allowing her tears to flow as being unable to stop them as she spoke.
“Sweetheart, it will be all right,” Imogen said, stroking her niece’s hair as she tried to soothe her.
Serena didn’t believe her aunt’s words, as Imogen didn’t sound any more certain than Serena herself felt.
“No, it will not,” she said, sobbing once more. “Why would Father do this? I was named diamond. It is not as though I will lack for options for marriage. Why would he take away my ability to choose my own husband?”
Imogen pulled away, keeping Serena’s face cupped in her hands. Her eyes were filled with concern. But there was also a confusion that matched Serena’s own.
“I cannot say, my darling,” she said. “But I do know that your father only wants the best for you. Perhaps, there is something about this arrangement that will be of more benefit than anything any other gentleman could ever offer you.”
Serena choked on another sob.
“But how can he not see that me choosing the man with whom I will spend the rest of my life instead of him doing the choosing is what is best?” she asked. She knew she sounded petulant. But in that moment, she did not care. Her father had decided the rest of her life for her, without finding out what she might want. If there was ever a time a young lady deserved to sound a little upset in the comfort and privacy of her own home, it was then.
Imogen pulled her close again and was silent for a moment. When she pulled away again, her eyes were loving and warm, and there was reassurance fighting its way through thebewilderment and sorrow.
“I know this does not make any sense,” she said. “But you must trust that your father knows what he is doing. Even if you cannot see it, he must have very good reason for doing this. And try to remember that you can still find a happy life, even in an arranged marriage. It takes time and work, but anyone can grow to love one another.”
Serena nodded, but she felt more dejected than before. It was utterly impossible that she could ever love someone as cold and distant as the duke. It was equally absurd that someone like him could ever love her. Or anyone, for that matter, she thought bitterly as she wiped her tears away. Her aunt was doing her best to be comforting, and Serena was grateful. But she was trying to make a horrible situation positive. What she was suggesting was simply not realistic. And despite the warmth she felt in her aunt’s arms and efforts to ease her mind, she still found herself wishing that her mother was still alive. She needed a kind of comfort that only her mother could have provided.
“I think I would like to be alone now, Aunt Imogen,” she said. She gave her aunt a small, apologetic smile, which was met with an expression of pity and sadness.
“I understand, darling,” Imogen said. “I will be in the parlour if you need me again later.”
Serena nodded as her aunt kissed her cheeks. Once Imogen was gone from the room, Serena slipped out into the hall, wandering toward the drawing room. Once inside, she closed and locked the door, facing a familiar portrait. She approached the painting, her heart breaking into even more pieces.
As Serena stood before the image of her mother, fresh tears filled her eyes. Her vision blurred as she stared at the familiar warm smile and gentle eyes, so much like her own, that portrayed the love that her mother had always embodied. She adored her Aunt Imogen, and she wouldn’t trade her years withher aunt for anything in the world.
But in that moment, she wished with everything within her that her mother was still there. Maybe she could have talked some sense into her father. And she certainly would have been able to guide her and shield her from the cruelly unexpected twist in a fate about which she had been excited just earlier that morning. What had she done to deserve such injustice?
