Page 5 of Her Tiger of a Duke
CHAPTER 3
ADuke and Almost-Duchess Humiliated
The highly anticipated wedding of His Grace the Duke of Pantheris, Owen Harcourt, was not the spectacular event that we expected. Envy is one thing, but to storm into a church with the intention of destroying a lady’s future is too much to bear.
One can only imagine the hurt caused to Lady Helena, the Duke’s betrothed, who was seen in tears after the fact. With the wedding cancelled, it is unknown at this time as to whether it will go ahead at all. It is this author’s assumption that this will not be possible, and so the only thing one can wish for her is that she finds happiness elsewhere.
The culprit, Lady Beatrice Jennings, is not one of the well-known ladies of Society. The most notable thing about her is her group of friends, who are all duchesses in their own right. She, on the other hand, is a spinster. One does not need to look farto understand what motivated her to declare her love for the Duke, steal her friend’s joy, and destroy the wedding ceremony.
Beatrice stared at the scandal sheet, then at her mother, and then back at the sheet.
Her mother had thrust it into her hand before she could sit down for breakfast, and it burned her fingertips. The words were harsh, and while it had not been Beatrice’s intention to ruin anything, the author certainly made it seem that way. Beatrice was dizzy as she read it again, her heart pounding and her fingers trembling, but she was pleased at least that Helena had been spared. She was seen as the innocent party, the young lady who was to be a duchess. Beatrice was more than happy to take the blame for now. She knew how her friend would have faced more scrutiny had the truth come out, and that would have ruined Lady Helena altogether.
“I cannot believe you,” her mother scowled. “I do not understand why you have finally decided to talk, only for you to do such ridiculous and awful things. Have you been this way all along?”
“Of course not. Mother, you know that I would never do something like that unless absolutely necessary. Helena told me that she did not love him, and I– I could not in good faith let her marry a man she did not know or love.”
“Love matters not when such a match would have been a secure future for her. She would have been well taken care of, and that means more than such foolish ideas as love.”
The words hung in the air, and Beatrice looked at her father’s empty seat.
“Do you love him?” she asked. “Father?”
“I know how I feel about him. He and I have been married for thirty years, and we have a child. You cannot be in one’s proximity all that time without some form of affection.”
“But–”
“Do not change the subject. Beatrice, what has happened to you? You were never spiteful toward Lady Helena, nor would you have risked ruining your own reputation.”
“And I remain unchanged. Mother, I cannot tell you the truth of the matter, but please believe me when I say that I had no other choice. I did not only do what I did for Helena’s sake, but also the Duke’s…”
Her mother narrowed her eyes, then took the scandal sheet from her.
“What is it, Beatrice? What can you not tell me?”
Beatrice bit her lip, her palms dampening. If it meant that her name could be cleared, it was entirely possible that her mother would tell thetonthe truth about Helena’s condition. Then again, it was unlikely that she would be believed when she was defending her daughter.
“You must not say a word,” Beatrice warned. “It will not help me if you turn it to gossip.”
“If it is about Lady Helena, then you know that your secret is safe with me. I think very highly of her.”
Beatrice wondered how long that would last. With a sigh, she recounted what Helena had told her. She watched as her mother’s face contorted a hundred different ways as she tried to make sense of what she was hearing. When Beatrice finished, her mother had a hand lightly over her mouth, her pointer finger between her teeth.
“And she has not told you much of how that came to be?”
“I know nothing. All I know is that she is with child, and she needs a husband. I do not know what happened to the young man she loves, nor has she ever properly mentioned his name.” Beatrice heaved a sigh. “I did not know anything about her condition or feelings before the interruption at the wedding, of course, only that she was marrying a stranger and it was not what she wanted. She loves another, Mama, and the Duke did not deserve to be married to someone who does not love him any more than she did.”
“I understand, Dearest. Do not say a word of this to your father, of course. He would not understand such a predicament in the way that you and I do. Very well, we shall weather the storm. It is not as though you were going to marry, regardless.”
“Is Father angry?”
“He is furious. He has locked himself in his study and is refusing to come out. It will pass, however, once this is all forgotten. If Lady Helena and the Duke had come to an understanding, perhaps they would again. They might marry regardless, and this will all be forgotten?”
Beatrice shook her head.
“His Grace says a reconciliation would only lead to more scrutiny when the baby is born. He claims to have a solution for Helena, but a marriage between them is no longer viable.”
Her mother squeezed her shoulders, sighing.
