Page 20 of The Duke's Concealed Vow
Chapter Nine
The next several days passed in a blur. Rushed wedding preparations took place all around Serena, but she was only vaguely aware of her presence in them. There was little time for shopkeepers to provide the services that would be needed for a wedding that was only days away. Thus, though Imogen did her best to get Serena the best that was available to them, nothing was as she had imagined it would be on the wedding day she had dreamed of since she was eight years old.
Through all the hasty errands and planning, Serena kept wondering what her father’s reasoning behind forcing her into marriage so soon after her debut could be. She had been named diamond of the season, and the number of suitors interested in pursuing her had not been disappointing.
She hadn’t even attended another event since her own ball, and she knew that her popularity would have only increased by the time the next party or dinner arrived. And she had even found a gentleman who had captured her interest. But her father had not so much as given her the chance to explain that to him.
And what of the Duke of Dalenwood? What motives could he possibly have for asking for the hand of a woman he clearly could barely tolerate? She was not an heiress in any respect. Julian was the rightful heir to her father’s title, fortune, and legacy. Nor was the earl higher in social status than the duke was.
She was certain that his own fortune was greater even than her father’s, despite the fact that the earl was among the wealthiest men in the ton, even above many dukes and marquess’s. So, what would make the duke wish to marry her, even as an arrangement, out of all the women in the ton? And why so suddenly?
Imogen was a saint. Despite the difficulties in the planning and preparations, she managed to organize a wedding that was simple but elegant, befitting that of an earl’s daughter. However, Serena’s concerns and disappointment were compounded by the fact that nothing was as she had always hoped it would be. She would not even be able to have her wedding in a church, as she’d always wanted. There was already a wedding taking place on the day of her own, so Imogen had had to make arrangements for Serena to marry the Duke at her family’s home.
“Sweet niece,” Imogen said to her as they picked flowers from the Yardley Estate gardens. “I hate to see you so glum, especially just before your own wedding day.”
Serena sighed, shaking her head.
“You know as well as I do that this is not a happy occasion for me,” she said. “I am supposed to love the man I marry. But not only do I hardly know the Duke of Dalenwood, but he does not even seem to like me. None of it makes any sense, Aunt Imogen. I can’t be anything but disappointed. And even a bit frightened.”
Imogen embraced Serena, hugging her for a long moment before speaking again.
“I know this is a rather strange turn of events,” she said. “But I believe that fate works in mysterious ways. Even if you do not see it now, there is every chance that you will end up happier than you ever dreamed possible. You must try to be positive, darling. You will never be anything but miserable if you don’t try to find contentment.”
Serena nodded, doubting every word her aunt said, for the very first time in her life. She understood that Imogen was merely trying to inject some semblance of joy into the occasion. In truth, Serena would have given anything just to be able to smile about her wedding day, if only once. But she could not stand the idea of becoming merely content with her situation.Not when she had dreamt of marrying for love and having a family with a husband who adored her just as she did him.
Two days before her wedding, the seamstress made a call to her family’s home. There had, naturally, not been time to have a wedding dress tailored for her, and none of the shops had any premade that she liked that could be altered to fit her in enough time.
Thus, Imogen had given her the idea to alter the gown she had worn to her debut ball into a makeshift wedding dress. It was almost as heartbreaking as it was to marry the Duke- to have to destroy the dress from the best night of her life to make one she would wish to forget every single day for the rest of it.
With pieces of padding added to make the skirt a bit fuller and swatches of white silk to make the sleeves longer and the neckline higher, with pearl buttons added to accommodate the adjusted neckline and with lace ruffles sewn onto the new additions to the dress, the seamstress was making the final adjustments in a matter of hours. Imogen stared at her niece with tears welling in her eyes as the seamstress stepped back to allow Serena to see herself in the looking glass.
“Darling, it is absolutely beautiful,” she said, her voice trembling. “Your mother truly would be incredibly proud of you.”
Serena’s lip trembled, but she tried to smile at her aunt as the seamstress began gathering her things.
“Thank you, Aunt,” she said. Neither woman spoke as the absence of Caroline Yardley filled up the room. Serena had expected a certain bittersweet feeling to her wedding day, given that her mother would not be there to see her marry. However, now that her wedding was just one day away, there was far less sweet than bitter. In fact, if Serena found anything sweet, apart from refreshments served following the ceremony, she felt that it would be a miracle.
A knock on the door to her chambers interrupted the emotional silence in the room. The seamstress, who was already on her way out of the room, opened the door to reveal Julian standing on the other side. He had been away on business since the day before her father told her that she was to marry the duke.
She had never been happier to see Julian, and it was all she could do not to fly into his arms sobbing, like she did when she was a child and she fell down and scraped her knees. When their eyes met, he stared at her for a long moment before speaking.
“So, it’s true,” he said as he looked from her to Imogen.
Imogen gave Serena an encouraging look, which she barely acknowledged. Then, Serena looked back at her brother, nodding a head so heavy it was nearly impossible to hold up.
“Yes,” she whispered.
Julian’s chin bobbed as he opened and closed his mouth. Imogen gave the siblings a knowing smile, heading for the door.
“I will leave the two of you to discuss this news,” she said, embracing Julian quickly and kissing him on the cheek before she left the room.
Serena waited until the door had closed behind her aunt, leaving them to a rare moment of solitude between the siblings. Then, she allowed her brother to take her in his arms and hold her as more tears streamed down her cheeks.
“Sister, how has this happened?” he asked. “You were so excited about this season, especially after having been named diamond.”
Serena nodded, wiping furiously at the tears on her cheeks.
“I was, indeed,” she said. “But Father took away any hopes I had of enjoying the season and finding a man I love.”
