Page 68 of Unbound Duchess

Judith’s gaze was cutting as she finally spared Madalene more than a second of her time.

“Are you her new best friend now?” she asked in challenge. “My replacement?”

Judith scoffed.

“Well, if so, good luck with it. This one needs a constant hand.”

Madalene sneered, but as she opened her mouth to retort, it was Ellen this time that spoke first.

“You will not speak to my sister like that,” Ellen stated with quiet strength.

Her lesson with Laurence may have ended strangely. May have left her feeling confused and saddened, but that did not mean she had not learned something from him that day.

“You will not speak to me, or about me, like that,” she went on, rising from her chair. “How my husband and I came to be is not yours or anyone else’s business, do you understand me, Judith?”

Judith’s jaw dropped as Madalene smiled widely with apparent pride.

“I beg your pardon?” Judith asked, slowly rising from her own chair. “That is how you speak to me? After everything I have done for you?”

“This is how I speak to anyone who comes into my home disrespecting me or my family,” Ellen replied coolly, feeling stronger with every word she spoke.

“Our friendship—if you could even call it that—is over, Judith. And you can tell those gossiping geese you surround yourself with that I will not fodder their habit with details about my life. You can tell that to my cousin, as well, as I am sure you two are still writing and conspiring.”

Judith demanded an apology, but Ellen only inclined her chin as she raised a single brow.

“Would you like to leave of your own accord, Judith?” she asked. “Or would you rather my servants whisper to other servants about how they witnessed you being thrown out?”

Judith paled as a cold smile drew slowly across Ellen’s lips.

“Surely you know it is not only the ladies of the Ton who gossip,” she goaded.

Judith sneered as she took a step back, snapping her hands to her chest as if they’d just been burned by Ellen’s newfound fire.

“You have changed, Ellen Munro,” she said as she backed away, “and not for the better.”

“You should address her as Your Grace,” Madalene countered as she set a withering stare upon Judith, “and you will do well to remember that in the future.”

Judith let out a huff and stormed out of the parlor without another word.

Ellen was holding her breath, and willing her hammering heart to slow, when Madalene let out a squeal of delight and crushed her in a tight embrace.

“You were so impressive!” Madalene praised, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “So very regal of you, Ellen!”

Ellen blushed as a sense of euphoria swept over her, and began bouncing with her sister-in-law.

“I could hear it now, you know? The condescension. The back-handed politeness. And I could not take it anymore,” she replied, looking at the doorway that Judith had just left through. Gone. Judith was gone. If Ellen could now stand up to her, perhaps it was proof that she could now stand up to Benedict. Put him in his place and ensure that he never hurt her or anyone else again.

She was still looking at the doorway when another figure walked through it. Not short and feminine, but tall, masculine, and handsome. Green eyes narrowed in on her, and her butterflies took flight in her stomach as he raised a dark brow in question at them.

“Are we celebrating something?” Laurence asked.

Ellen’s blush returned as Madalene stepped away from her to turn to her brother.

“You should have seen your wife just now, brother,” Madalene said excitedly. “That awful Judith popped in for a surprise visit, and Ellen put her right in her place!”

Laurence’s dark brows flew up in surprise as pride shone in his eyes. He looked Ellen up and down as a grin twitched at his chiseled lips.

“Did you?” he asked.