Page 66 of The Duke Who Claimed Her

It was funny, in some ways, that where once Arabella had idolized the Dowager, wanting to embody the same level of power and independence the woman possessed, she now wondered whether she needed such a thing. The Dowager had to be that way, as she was a widow, so it behooved her to look after herself where others might not. But Arabella had Caspian, and together, nothing could stop them.

Oh, I just know how happy she will be for me. For us.

As the carriage moved slowly down the road, her mind turned to Timothy. Arabella had noticed how unsure Caspian had been about spending the day alone with Timothy, but she reasoned that this was a good thing. Now that her relationship with him was coming along, he needed the same with his nephew.

And perhaps, by the time that she returned home, she would see that they had grown closer together too.

Yes, everything was going so well that she could scarcely contain her excitement.

It was because Arabella was in such a transcendent mood that she paid little attention to where the carriage was taking her. The Dowager lived nearby, a trip that would take less than thirty minutes, so she sat back and let the morning wash over her.

However, as the time dragged on, she came to realize that it was taking longer than it ought to do. Frowning to herself, Arabella sat up and looked out the window.

“That is strange…”

She recognized the scenery well enough, but there was something off about it. Her frown deepened as she tried to fathom why that was. She peered out the window, realizing that she knew the road that the carriage took, but failing to grasp why it felt so wrong…

That was when it struck her.

Her eyes widened, and she gasped.

What on earth…

Arabella scrambled across the carriage to where a small window opened to the driver’s feet. She pressed her head to it and spoke loudly so that he might hear her.

“Driver!” she called out. “Where are we going? This is not the way to the Dowager’s home.”

The driver did not respond.

“Driver!” she shouted. “Answer me, please!”

Again, he said nothing.

The reason for Arabella’s familiarity with the scenery was the same reason that she suddenly became panicked. This road… She knew it well as she had taken it hundreds of times in her youth. After all, it was the most direct route to her father’s home.

“Driver! Stop the carriage at once!”

Again, there was no response.

Panic took Arabella like a hand clasped around her heart. She fell back in the carriage, the walls closing in, and the dull realization growing as she came to understand what was going on.

The Dowager had not sent for her at all. There was no missed invitation. Rather, her father had sent for her, lied about the reason, and was now bringing her directly to him.

Arabella’s breathing turned heavy as she tried to find calm. More than that, she tried to find bravery. She had not done as her father commanded; he must have realized her betrayal, and now he was doing just as he told her that he would, as she had known, deep down, he would always do.

No… I cannot let him intimidate me. I am a duchess, and it is time my father realizes what that means.

She looked around the small carriage, painfully aware that she was alone. Even with her efforts at embodying that strength which she knew she possessed, Arabella wondered if it would be enough.

She spent the next ten minutes bracing herself for what was to come. Looking out the window, she soon recognized the street her father’s home sat on, and then she saw it. Worse still, standing by the front door, watching the carriage arrive, was her father.

He wore a satisfied smile. No anger found in his stare. No sense of rage. He appeared perfectly calm, which was somehow worse. And the fact that he had two large men with him suggested that this visit would end in more than a harsh conversation.

When the carriage came to a stop, Arabella sat herself up and took a deep breath. She needed to be brave. She needed to be commanding. She needed to refuse whatever her father said, proving to herself and him that he did not control her.

That was the idea anyway…

The door to the carriage opened, and her father stood on the other side. He shook his head sadly when he saw her, as if he was truly upset.