Page 11 of Captured By the Cold Duke
Lady Minerva looked thoughtful. “Although we are also here to visit Cassandra, whom we haven’t seen since she left for her honeymoon. So perhaps it would be better if we stayed.”
Next to her Lady Samantha nodded enthusiastically.
“I am sure the duchess is excited to see you as well,” Thomas forced himself to say with as much calm as possible, “but wouldn’t another time be better to call upon her?”
“Certainly not!” Came a voice from the doorway. “I am overjoyed to see all my friends here, waiting for me!”
The commotion that followed was so chaotic that Thomas had trouble following everything that happened. What was clear to him was that Lady Cherie, Lady Samantha, and Lady Minerva all squealed with delight and then launched themselves at the duchess, and for the next few minutes, the four women were chattering with each other so exuberantly that no one else could get a word in edgewise.
Thomas closed his eyes briefly against the cacophony of noise. This is overwhelming. When he opened his eyes again, he saw that Norton also looked mildly terrified, and for a moment, he felt sorry for the man.These women will eat him alive for what he did to Lady Cherie.
At last, the duchess bade her friends sit down, and then she and her husband, who had stood behind her the whole time, watching the scene unfold with an expression of alarm and amusement, came fully into the room.
The duchess looked well, Thomas thought. Happy and pink-cheeked. She had always been a round, vivacious person, and she seemed even more healthy and full of vigor now. Aidan, meanwhile, looked tanned and happy as well. In fact, Thomas had never seen his friend look as well as he did now.
Until, of course, his eyes came to rest on Thomas.
The duke didn’t scowl, but a small frown did crease his brow.
“Wheaton.” The duke said Thomas’s new title with authority, and Thomas felt the word fall around his head like a noose. “I am glad you came.”
Aidan crossed the room to his old friend, and the two of them shook hands briefly. As their hands met, Thomas’s heart sank. Aidan didn’t seem angry, but there was a distance to him as he shook his hand which had never been there before. It was as if he was still deciding how he would like to proceed with their friendship.
“I’m glad you’re back,” Thomas said. “We have many things to discuss.”
“Most importantly,” Lady Cherie cut in, “that I refuse to marry the duke!”
Thomas flinched, as if the words had physically hurt him, and turned to Aidan. “She keeps saying that, but I am determined to marry her. I would not have it any other way.”
“Then perhaps you should have asked her,” Lady Samantha objected loudly. “Instead of deciding for her!”
“But my dear, she was compromised!” the duchess said, her eyes wide as she looked at her old friend.
“None of this would have happened if Mr. Norton hadn’t tried to marry Cherie off!” Minerva pointed out.
“I was duped!” Norton said, wringing his hands. “Tricked! Bamboozled!”
“That’s enough!” This time, it was the Duke of Vaston who had spoken, and at once, all the hubbub in the room died down. Everyone turned to look at him. He was staring at Thomas, but then his eyes snapped to Lady Cherie’s. “This is chaos. We will not figure anything out with all this noise and people talking over one another. I require a word with my sister—in private. And you as well, Wheaton.”
Aidan turned and left the room, and Thomas and Lady Cherie had no choice but to follow. As they did, Thomas couldn’t help but notice that Lady Cherie refused to look at him.
Once they were in Aidan’s study, Thomas and Lady Cherie seated themselves across from him. The Duke of Vaston looked wearier, now, as he settled in his chair and looked back and forth between them.
“Before I say anything else,” he began, “I wanted to say to you, Wheaton, that I am sorry about the loss of your father.”
Thomas was surprised, and he took a moment to respond. “Thank you,” he said at last, and he felt himself relax, and soften, for what felt like the first time in weeks. His body seemed to unclench, and he actually allowed himself a small smile of gratefulness. “It was a sudden illness and a quick death. But painless, at least.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Thomas saw Lady Cherie fidget and bite her lip. He would have been willing to guess that she had clean forgotten about the fact his father had just died. Immediately, he stiffened again, retreating into the “cruel” persona that he had built around him since his father’s death.
Aidan nodded, then steepled his fingers in front of him. “Now, will someone tell me exactly what is going on?”
Thomas and Lady Cherie launched into the story at the exact time, and for the next five minutes, they corrected each other and filled in each other’s blanks, until they had arrived back at the present day. Thomas couldn’t help but feel like they were two petulant children sitting down in front of their father to explain their mischief. Which was very annoying, considering he was only trying to do the right thing.
After he had heard everything, Aidan sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He then leaned forward and looked very seriously at Lady Cherie.
“After hearing all this, I do not understand why it is you still refuse to marry Wheaton. I know it isn’t the ideal match you dreamed of—no offense, Wheaton—but what other choice do you have? He has done the right thing, the honorable thing, by offering for you, when he was under no obligation to do so.” Aidan’s gaze briefly met Thomas’s, then it flickered back to his sister. “It wasn’t his fault you were caught together like that. But he still did the right thing to save you.”
Lady Cherie’s mouth fell open in surprise, and her eyes filled with tears. Despite himself, Thomas felt his heart go out to her. “Please don’t misunderstand me,” she murmured, “I fear the scandal Lord Breckenridge could start, but I know there must be another way. You could talk to him, tell him?—”
