Page 5 of If the Duke Dares
Her mother stood. “We’re leaving for Loxley Court tomorrow morning. There is much to organize. We’ll need to send Pandora to Aunt Lucinda’s in Bath, if Lucinda will agree to it. She won’t want to jeopardize her standing in Society, and it may be that Pandora’s presence would do that.” The baroness bustled from the room.
Persephone needed more time to plan. She wasn’t ready to be led to the slaughter, which was precisely how this felt.
“Chin up, my girl,” her father said, ambling toward her. He placed a hand gently on her shoulder and gave her another lackluster smile. His blue eyes were dull. Bored, even, as if he could hardly be bothered to conduct this conversation. “You’ll save this family yet. Won’t that be satisfying?”
Then he was gone too, leaving Persephone to wonder how she’d ended up in this impossible position. It wasn’t that she didn’t wish to wed. After years of hearing that she likely wouldn’t, she just hadn’t allowed herself to indulge the fantasy.
And now to hear that she must marry a blackguard to save her family’s reputation and fortune—for that was what seemed to be at stake—was beyond the pale. She wasn’t sure what was worse—that demand or the discovery that her parents had planned to send her somewhere after Pandora was married. Where was that, a nunnery?
If they wanted her gone, perhaps she should disappear entirely.
With leaden feet, she trudged upstairs to the second floor where their former nursery was located and which she and Pandora now used as a retreat. Pandora would listen to these new developments with sympathy and would share in Persephone’s outrage.
Contrary to what their parents thought, Pandora was quite clever. She’d simply misjudged Bane and had listened to her heart instead of her head. It could happen to anyone.
As expected, Pandora was snuggled into the window seat, a book in her lap. She was, however, not reading. Her gaze was trained outside as Persephone entered.
Not bothering with preamble, Persephone closed the door and stated, “They want me to wed. Immediately.”
Pandora turned her head. Unfortunately, the sparkle in her eyes that Persephone had thought of earlier was still absent. It had disappeared after Bane had compromised, then rejected her.
“Oh, Persey, I am so sorry.” Pandora grimaced, and Persephone began to worry that the stress and sorrow Bane had caused would permanently damage her beauty—not on the exterior, but inside. Pandora had always been vivacious, and her joy was contagious. It was difficult to be in her company and not feel good. But all that had changed.
“This is my fault,” Pandora continued.
“It absolutely is not,” Persephone said. “I encouraged you to determine your feelings for him, and I too believed what he told you.” She couldn’t bring herself to repeat what they now knew were lies—that he admired Pandora greatly and couldn’t imagine life without her. What nauseating drivel.
Pandora shook her head as she swung her legs to the floor from the window seat and set the book on the cushion at her side. “I will not allow you to accept any responsibility. I was foolish, and I knew better. Bane’s reputation well preceded him. I stupidly trusted him when he begged me not to believe everything I’d heard.”
The bitterness in her tone renewed Persephone’s desire to seek vengeance. “How I wish there were a way to punish him for what he’s done to you.”
“How I wish we’d come up with the Rogue Rules before I met him.” The barest hint of a smile curved her lips. “I do think I’m going to embroider them and hang it on the wall in here.”
Two written copies of the rules had arrived yesterday along with a letter from Min and Ellis. Min had said that her brother and his friends had left the Grove before she and Ellis had returned from the hotel. Then she’d called them cowards.
Pandora straightened her shoulders and fixed her gaze on Persephone. “Tell me what Mama and Papa said.”
“I’m to accompany them to visit one of Mama’s friends—the Dowager Duchess of Wellesbourne. Her son, the duke, is in need of a wife, and Mama insists that will be me.”
Pandora wrinkled her nose. “Wellesbourne? He’s one of Bane’s friends. Bane mentioned him several times. He said he’s a good sort, amusing, charming, but I’m sure those are lies too. Bane wished he was in Weston to meet one of my friends.”
One of her friends. Not Persephone. She focused her irritation on the man who deserved it—the scoundrel who’d broken her sister’s heart. “I shall take any recommendation from Bane as a black mark against a person.”
“That is probably for the best,” Pandora agreed. “I suppose you tried to tell Mama that you did not want to be forced into marriage.”
“Of course. That went as well as you could expect. Worse, actually. She said if I couldn’t ensure a betrothal, going so far as to suggest that I entrap him in a compromising situation, I may as well leave.”
Pandora gasped. “She didn’t say that!”
Persephone nodded, keeping the hurt and anger at bay. “She did.” Persephone didn’t want to add that the plan had always been for her to be sent somewhere. Pandora didn’t need to hear that on top of everything else she was suffering. Persephone could carry the pain of that revelation and of what felt like an awful betrayal by their parents on her own—at least for now. “Mayhap that’s what I should do. Leave, I mean, not force a compromising situation.” That her mother would even want to risk another scandal after what had happened to Pandora was appalling.
“I think you should,” Pandora said firmly. “In fact, you should go to Aunt Lucinda’s. Then she can talk some sense into Mama. Or Papa at least.”
Moving to join her sister on the window seat, Persephone perched on the edge. She gave her sister a sympathetic smile. “Mama hopes to send you to Aunt Lucinda’s.” Persephone didn’t want to mention the possibility that their aunt would say no. Pandora was dealing with enough after having her heart trampled upon by that rogue.
Pandora slowly nodded. “That is understandable. I couldn’t possibly go along with all of you to meet Wellesbourne.” She looked down at her lap. “In my state, I can’t accompany you anywhere. Perhaps Aunt Lucinda won’t even want me.”
“Nonsense!” Persephone grabbed Pandora’s hand, and her sister met her gaze. “Aunt Lucinda will go out of her way to eviscerate Bane as soon as she hears what’s happened. She will be your staunchest ally.”
