Page 43 of The Duke Who Dared Me
“Not even Lord Brookhouse.”Marina brushed her hand over her cap and bright red curls.She was a petite woman from a good family.It was only her fortune that wasn't enough.And Percy wasn’t enough either.She always wanted more while he juggled paying for their parents’ mistakes.Too many carriages, bad gambling debts, debts to the dressmakers and tailors.They even owed a French auction house for treasures that once hung in Warwick Cottage.
But that was all gone now.
Verity’s childhood was a memory.A painful, lonely one at that.And London hadn’t been any better.
She rested her elbows on the table, a smug smile floating to her lips as Marina huffed her disapproval at such bad manners.
“I won’t trouble you any longer.I came down this morning to tell you I’ve decided to live with Aunt Francis after all.”
“Spinsterhood suits a woman of your…” Marina paused, glancing over the edge of her teacup, “disposition.”
“I hope so.I hated being just another asset in London waiting for a buyer.Hard when there’s no dowry.”
Percy choked.“How did you know?”
“Lord Brookhouse is a sniveling imp.”Marina crossed her arms.“I told you Tunstall shouldn’t be involved.”
Verity dropped her toast.“Involved?”
“I have no dowry set aside for you.When you returned from Lady Quinlan’s dinner party, Tunstall learned of the truth and was very generous.”
The air squeezed from her lungs.
Her dowry gone?And then he…last night?
It was foolish to believe she was anything more than a mistake.He could wrap up his denial with soft kisses that melted her cold heart, but why had she been so stupid as to believe him?If she wasn’t a mistake, then why hadn’t he proposed?
“Lord Brookhouse is desperate, Verity.He learned of your silly wager and thought it would be easy to make a wife.”Marina set down her teacup.“And after learning you had a rather large lump sum…” She sighed, rolling her brown eyes.“It was too much.Rather absurd Tunstall even offered to help.”
“He’s a generous friend.”Percy glared at Verity, as if he knew.At this point, she didn’t care.It was too late.Her heart was broken.
The nursemaid approached, but Marina waved them off.“Bring Colin back to the nursery.I’ve lost my appetite and need to rest.”
“Can I say goodbye?”Verity jumped from her chair, her heart crushed from such unexpected news.
“You can write,” Marina snapped.
“No, I mean to say goodbye to my nephew.”
Her sister-in-law gestured for the nursemaid to bring him over.As she did, he reached for her, and Verity’s heart broke all over again.
“Say goodbye?”Percy repeated.Marina marched out of the room, and he glanced behind him, jumping out of his chair to run after her, no doubt.
Colin grabbed hold of her and wrapped a curl around his fist, stuffing it into his drool-covered mouth with a smile.“My handsome little man.I am so glad you are well.You’re never allowed to scare me like that again.”She ignored the way Percy hovered nearby.“I will miss you most of all, but you must promise to be the best behaved boy in all of London.”He squeaked, then smacked his lips together with a loudpop.
“Excellent.”Tears stung her eyes, and it didn’t matter anymore.None of it.She didn’t belong here.And once she arrived at her elderly aunt’s, she probably wouldn’t belong there either.
She cupped the back of his head and drew him close for a kiss, then handed him back to the nursemaid.
“You’re leaving now?”
“No time like the present.”
“Verity, if you’re worried about the fallout of last night’s visit with Brookhouse, we can manage it.There must be someone who will marry you.”
“Especially now you’ve saddled me with a large, juicy dowry.It helps lessen the blow that they would need to tolerate me as a wife.”
“That’s how society works.”
