Page 42 of Taken By the Dangerous Duke

“Are you sure that you are doing it right?” asked her mother.

“Yes, Mother. Of course, we are doing it right.”

“Don’t get all defensive, my dear. I remember how embarrassed I was on my wedding night. I had no idea what I was doing, and I had to rely on your father to instruct me. The duke might not know either. From what I have heard of the man, he has not been courting any women before you.”

“From what you have heard of him? Have you been looking into the duke?”

“I have not, but your father has. Do you think we are not going to look out for you? You have no idea who this man is, Margaret. What if he is dangerous? What if he does not have any money?”

“That is all you care about, isn’t it?” asked Margaret.

The tea came to the table, but Margaret was not thirsty. She would not be able to keep anything down after talking to her mother about her problems. She should have known that her mother would be no help.

“All I am saying is that you would not have had these problems if you had gone through with your marriage to Mr. Swanson. He is well versed in the ways of women, and he would have gotten you pregnant by now.”

“Yuck, Mother. I don’t ever want to see that man again. You have been in his presence. Can you not smell him? See the sweat always on his brow? Or the way he treats me?”

“Oh, Margaret. As if you are perfect. What I know is he could have given you a comfortable life and you would not have wanted for anything. He would also have given you children, and I would have been able to see them. Now, you have come all the way to York, and the way you are acting makes me think that you are not going to let me see any children you have.”

“If I give you and Father the money, will you go back to London and leave me alone?”

“You will never hear from us again,” said her mother.

“Well, there you have it,” said Margaret. “If I am to never hear from you again, how would you see your grandchildren anyway? I thought you might be some help, Mother, but you really are more like Father than I thought you were. All you care about is the money.”

“I have tried to reason with you, Margaret. All I know is that it is obvious that the duke has tricked you, and if you are not pregnant, then it means that the duke can’t have children, so what are you going to do when he kicks you out and takes another wife and then blames you for everything? And, yes, I want what is due to your father. You already made it clear that I won’t get to see my grandchildren, so why should I stay here. Agree to give your father the money, and you won’t have to deal with us again. I think it’s only right that we part ways, don’t you?”

“Yes, I do,” said Margaret. “Only, you won’t ever be getting any money from me or the duke. So, let’s part ways and never see each other again, Mother. I tried to convince myself that you were different, but you are not. In fact, you are worse than Father.”

“Have it your way, Margaret. I tried to be nice to you, but we are going to have to do this the hard way.”

CHAPTER20

When A Marriage Is In Trouble

Margaret took the coach home and wished that she had never gone to see her mother in the first place. She had known it on the way, but she had still convinced herself that it would be different from what was in her head, but it was not—it was worse. She had seen her mother’s true colors, and she never wanted to see her again. She wished that her parents would both go home and never return.

When Margaret got back to the mansion, she went straight to the duke’s study, but he was not there. She checked the sitting room and the dining room, but there was no sign. It was only when she saw the card table that she remembered where he was. Parker had stuck around longer than expected, and they were both playing in another whist tournament.

Margaret went straight to her room and closed the door, flopping onto her bed. The tears came flowing. She could not remember the last time she had cried, but she was more than making up for it now. She had a lot to cry about, and not just about how her mother had treated her, but for how she had been treated her entire life.

Margaret knew she should not begrudge Arthur for his free time, especially with his friend and playing a game he loved, but she could not dwell in self-pity. She needed him, and she knew that was not fair too. They had a marriage of convenience, and she should not expect him to be there for her in her times of emotional need, but she wanted him. She wanted to speak to someone about what had happened, and he was the only one who would make her feel better about the whole thing.

He always did. He had a knack for knowing what to say when she needed someone to talk sense into her, and he also knew when to shut up and listen. And, now she was mad at him too for not being there when she wanted him. She knew it was selfish, but she did not care. She was angry and needed a release.

She could not get that either. She didn’t even need to talk with him. They could do what they did best, and that would help, but as she thought about that, she only became more depressed. Even thinking about being physical with the duke reminded her of not being able to have children. Her mother was right—the duke would soon get sick of her and move on to someone else.

“What is wrong with me?” Margaret whispered. She looked down at her body and tried to figure it out. She had always wanted children, but she might not be able to have any. She let out more sobs—large heaving cries that rocked her body. She was not even in a real marriage, and she still could not make it work. All she needed to do was let the duke plant his seed in her, and she had messed it up.

Margaret sobbed into her pillow, and she was not sure how much time had passed when there was a tapping at her door.

“I don’t need anything, please go away,” shouted Margaret.

“It’s me,” said Arthur. “Are you all right? Can you let me in?”

“Oh,” said Margaret, pushing herself up from the bed. She went quickly to the mirror and wiped her eyes with the handkerchief there. She looked in the mirror to see bright red eyes staring back at her. She knew that she had to answer the door. She had been wishing for the duke to come home, and her wish had been granted.

“There must be a lot of pollen in the air,” she said. “You will have to excuse my eyes, they are a little red.”

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