Page 5 of His Forsaken Duchess
Lady Lilianna Winslow, the once sweet daughter of the Earl of Stonebridge and sister of the Duchess of Haremore, has brought shame upon her family by exchanging letters with Lord Rashford, an engaged man. What sort of unmarried lady sends letters to a gentleman to whom she is neither related nor betrothed? Society can only wonder to what standards we are falling!
Her hands curled into fists, crumpling the offending sheet. Her first instinct was to toss it into the nearest fire, but she forced herself to remain composed.
She turned to Lilianna, her younger sister’s tear-streaked face wrenching her heart. “What nonsense is this?” she asked, her voice softer now, though the anger in her eyes had not abated.
“It is not nonsense,” her father interjected, his voice rising again. “It is a scandal! And it’s all there, plain as day.”
Audrey faced him, her spine stiffening under his glare.
“Father,” she said, “surely there is more to this than what a gossip sheet alleges. These papers are known for embellishing the truth.”
Lilianna’s sobs grew louder, but she managed to declare, “It is not true! I didn’t?—”
“Silence!” the Earl bellowed, cutting her off. “You’ve done enough damage.”
Audrey’s chest tightened, her instinct to shield her sister warring with the memory of her father’s temper. His disapproval had shadowed her entire girlhood, and even now, it weighed heavily upon her. She drew a steadying breath, forcing herself to meet his eyes.
“Shouting will not solve anything, Father,” she said evenly, though the effort to keep her voice calm cost her dearly.
His glare turned toward her, hot and unyielding. For a moment, Audrey thought he would lash out at her, but she held his gaze, her hands clasping the sheet tightly to keep them from trembling.
I will not cower.Not now.
“I didn’t know he was engaged! Not until the gossip sheets—oh, this is all so horrid!” Lilianna sobbed, her face buried in her hands.
“You didn’tknow?” their father thundered, his fists clenched at his sides. “You should have known better than to write to a gentleman to whom you were not engaged! Have you no sense, girl?”
Audrey’s gaze flickered to her stepmother, silently seeking support, but Grace sat frozen, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, her face pale and uncertain.
On the settee, Clarise twisted the hem of her muslin frock, her head bowed as though she was hoping she would disappear altogether.
It was clear that no help would come from them.
Audrey straightened her spine.
If no one else will manage this chaos, then I will.
“Father,” she began, her voice measured. “Please, this shouting accomplishes nothing. Lilianna is clearly distraught, and this matter requires a solution, not condemnation.”
“A solution?” He whirled to face her, his expression dark. “There is only one solution to a scandal like this. She must marry the first fool desperate enough to have her!”
Audrey blinked, her mouth falling open slightly in shock. “What did you say? Surely you don’t mean?—”
“Thefirst poor sodwho will have her,” he snapped, his tone biting. “There’s no time to be picky. The family’s reputation is already hanging by a thread.”
Lilianna wailed, clutching at her skirts. “No! Lord Rashford loves me, Papa! He probably just needs time to end his unhappy engagement! He would not just hide it for no reason! He’ll come back for me, I know it.”
The Earl let out a derisive snort. “Loves you, doesn’t he? The boy’s father has refused to break the engagement, and I daresay the boy agrees. Lord Rashford plans to marry a girl who hasn’t even made her debut. He’s not interested in you, Lilianna.”
Audrey’s chest tightened, the tears streaming down her sister’s face cutting her to the quick. “But surely,” she pressed, stepping forward, “the young lord can be persuaded to act honorably. If he truly?—”
“He left for the war the very day this drivel was printed,” the Earl interrupted, gesturing toward the crumpled gossip sheet in her hand. “If that doesn’t tell you his intentions, then you’re as naive as your sister.”
Audrey opened her mouth to argue, but Lilianna beat her to it. “He left because he couldn’t bear his father’s tyranny, not because of me! He’ll come back for me, Audrey. I know he will.”
Her father rounded on her, his voice colder than ice. “You are a foolish, selfish girl. You’ve brought shame upon us all with your childish notions of romance. How I wish—” He stopped abruptly, his jaw tightening. “If only I had sons,” he finished bitterly. “This family is a perpetual disappointment.”
The words struck Audrey like a physical blow, her breath hitching as the familiar sting of his disapproval washed over her. She felt small again, a girl desperate for his approval yet always falling short.
