Page 26 of Stolen By the Cruel Duke
“Everything will be better now,” Rosalie added. “Father must know that the engagement has come to an end and that he isn’t to cross His Grace again by promising us to someone like Lord Redfield.”
“Father is cunning,” Iris said, crossing her arms. “He’ll find another way to punish you if he can’t marry you off.”
She glanced at the head of the table, where Phineas was watching this scene unfold. His expression was apprehensive.
“What else does he say in the letter?” he asked.
“Well, he’s clearly furious,” Iris huffed. “He said he discovered the broken engagement last night and that Lord Redfield told him,The men of the tonnow know your daughters are under the protection of the Duke of Eavestone.”
Phineas, to her surprise, smirked. “Well, I’m glad he got the message,” he said.
Violet and Rosalie laughed.
“All of you are taking this far too lightly!” Iris hissed, staring between her husband and her sisters with incredulity. “This isour fatherwe’re talking about. The man is not going to give up just because Lord Redfield is a craven who can’t stand up to my husband.” She glanced at Phineas and smiled apologetically. “Not that many could, of course.”
He gave her a sardonic look. “Obviously.”
“I understand your concern, Iris, I really do,” Violet said. Beside her, Rosalie heaped another helping of porridge into her bowl. “I just don’t know what the alternative is. We have to go home, eventually.”
Iris sighed. She couldn’t deny the truth of this statement. As much as she would have liked to keep her sisters with her forever, the truth was, their place was at their father’s home.
“You are both welcome back whenever you’d like,” Phineas assured.
“Really?” Iris looked at him in surprise. She hadn’t gotten the impression he was overly fond of having his home invaded by two young ladies.
He frowned at her, as if he didn’t understand the question. “Of course. They’re your sisters.”
Her heart fluttered uncomfortably, and she turned back to her sisters. “Please come back whenever Father becomes intolerable.”
Rosalie made a face. “He’s always intolerable. But all my things are at home… And he has promised to take me to Bond Street soon to get a new dress for my debut next year.”
Iris couldn’t feel any of the excitement that lit up Rosalie’s face. The sooner Rosalie came out, the sooner their father could try to marry her off. Unless what he said was true, and the men of the tonknew that she was under the Duke’s protection…
But even then, there might be some men who wouldn’t be scared of Phineas. Men who would be willing to face his wrath if itmeant making an alliance with her father and his profitable coal mines…
Iris was still thinking about this later as her sisters were packing their things. Phineas was in his study, and she took the opportunity to visit him there.
Knocking quietly on the door, she entered at the sound of his grunt of permission. He looked up as she entered, and a small, secret smile flitted across his lips. As it did, Iris realized that this was the third time she had seen her husband smile in the past day. Considering that he hadn’t smiled once when she’d first met him, this was especially gratifying.
And truthfully, she felt a little flushed and warm as she smiled back. Last night, something seemed to have changed between them. She couldn’t say what, exactly. All she knew was that as he’d held her in his arms the night before, she’d felt truly safe for the first time in her life.
“I had a thought,” she said, approaching his desk, “at breakfast. We should visit my father’s mines and see if they’re really as profitable as he says they are.”
Phineas set down his quill and rubbed his eyes. “You think we could get his investors to pull out if we prove he’s lying about his profits? I wouldn’t be surprised if he did manipulate the numbers, to be frank…”
“Yes.” Iris nodded, excitement seizing her. “Or maybe we can prove the mines are too dangerous and get them shut down that way.”
“I think it’s worth a try,” Phineas said. He cocked his head to the side and studied her. “Who knew that I’d end up with a wife far more clever than I am?”
“Well,” Iris quipped, “I didn’t know it was you, but I knew whoever I married would end up thinking as much.”
An hour later, Violet and Rosalie had left back to their father’s house, and Iris and Phineas were on their way to the mines. Fortunately, these mines were not located as far north as the rest of the Eavestone estate in North Yorkshire, but it would still be a day’s journey to South Wales.
Iris felt invigorated by the trip, rather than exhausted by the prospect of a long day in the carriage. It was her first journey with her husband, and anyway, it felt good to be out doing something. Sitting around and waiting for her father to make a move only made her anxious. She wanted to be on the offensive, not the defensive.
It was late when they arrived in the small mining town of Cwm in Blaenau Gwen, and Phineas suggested they get some rest. After a hearty dinner of potatoes and steak and kidney pie at the local inn, they went straight to bed. It was the second night that Iris had shared a bed with her husband, but this time, she barely hada chance to feel excited or embarrassed, as she was so exhausted from the journey that she fell asleep right away.
The next morning, she and Phineas struck out for the mines, where they hoped they would be able to speak to some of the workers without provoking their employers’ ire.
