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“Let me guess, then something traumatic happened, so now you are punishing Julie for it?” The girl was so close to the truth that it sent an unpleasant pang through his heart. It distracted him, so he almost missed the familiarity with which this girl referred to his future wife.
“You know Lady Julie.” It wasn’t a question, but she nodded, nonetheless.
“And I know she had a chance of a love match too. Before you came along, that is.”
“She didn’t have to agree,” he countered.
“Of course, she did. You free her sister from an asylum, you get your heirs. A fair deal.”
Robert pursed his lips in displeasure. He didn’t like that other people knew about the deal. Of course, he’d told his own family and Gabe, but who was this chatty little girl, and why did she know so much?
“And she loses her love in return.” The girl shrugged. “A decent gentleman would have helped her out of her predicament and left her free to marry her true love.”
This phrase,true love, grated on Robert’s nerves. And hearing about this true love of his future wife, who was apparently somewhere out there while she was cavorting with one lord and marrying another, was making him sick.
“If you think—” He didn’t get to finish his answer as the duke entered the room.
“Aw, firebird, here you are,” the duke said and walked straight to his granddaughter, giving her a kiss on her forehead. “Run ahead to your studies. Your governess has been looking for you.” He gave her a meaningful stare. She clutched her book to her chest and, with a pout on her face, marched in the direction of the door.
“My Lord.” She curtsied theatrically as she walked past Robert, prompting the duke to apologize on her behalf.
After the business with the duke was concluded, Robert walked back to his carriage. He stared out the window before deciding on his journey. The words of the girl with flaming red hair were stuck in his mind.
She had a chance for a love match too. Before you came along.
The duke later clarified that Lady Julie was his distant cousin. Which meant that Julie probably told all of those things to the girl herself. Confided in her, complained to her. Possibly cried on her shoulder. He couldn’t believe it. He was a villain in this story. He banged the roof of the carriage, signaling for the driver to move. He was going to Vanessa’s house.
* * *
Julie hadn’t seen her betrothed since the ball at his Hampshire estate. After that, she was busy with the wedding preparations, having the Dowager Duchess of Rutland teach her the way of the duchesses. She did not know where Clydesdale was or what he was doing. Whether he was amusing himself in a company of other beautiful women—not that she cared—or whether he had business to attend to before their marriage took place. She knew he had arrived in London several days ago. His grandmother had mentioned it to her quite a few times. Even Evie had mentioned he’d visited their household. But he didn’t deem it necessary to see his fiancée.
As she was standing in front of the looking glass in her wedding gown, she wondered whether she even remembered his face correctly. His features blurred as the days went by, and with each day, he grew shorter, balder, rounder, his eyes less pronounced, his facial features unclear. He’d demonstrated clearly that he cared nothing for her, and her wedding gown would state what she thought of him.
Julie gave a final twirl in front of the looking glass and smiled at her reflection. How Evie had persuaded the dowager she should be the one to help Julie with her wedding gown, she would never know. She knew Evie, though. Everyone loved her, and if she wanted people to do something, they did it. Apparently, even the Dowager Duchess of Rutland. Evie would make a perfect duchess as opposed to Julie herself. Julie heaved a loud sigh. She looked at the bedside table and remembered the letter she’d stored in the top drawer.
She’d received John’s letter just two days ago. He begged her not to do this, not to marry another man. He vowed that he’d be back soon, just a few more months. She froze in the middle of the room; her gaze blank, remembering the contents of the letter:
You are the only reason I am still breathing, Julie. I dream of you every night. You are my guiding light from this terrible darkness. Do not give up on me, my love. I won’t survive it—
Tears streamed down her cheeks. She closed her eyes in anguish. How would she ever be able to live with herself if something happened to him? What if that was the last communication they ever had?
A knock at her door jolted her back to reality.
“We are going to be late. Everyone is waiting.” Mrs. Darling entered the room and stopped mid-stride, staring at Julie in horror. Julie almost forgot her woes, looking at her chaperone’s stricken face. She was ready to scream with joy at that reaction. If only she had time to compose herself from the reeling emotions of her betrayal of John. She cleared her throat and wiped away the tears.
“I am ready.” She walked past Mrs. Darling and into the hallway. Mrs. Darling pulled herself together, and a few moments later, she caught up with her.
“What in blazes were you thinking?” she hissed between her clenched teeth. “The duke’s family will be enraged. Your father—”
“I don’t care,” Julie said stonily. “They took most of my freedom, but they didn’t take all of it. Besides, there’s nothing they can do now.” She shrugged and covered her face with a veil.
All the way to the church, her father was chastising her for her gown and for her insolence, ungratefulness, and many more other things. Julie kept silent. She might be feeling many negative feelings toward this match. Still, she was grateful to be leaving her bully of a father for good. She’d be happy if she never saw him again. He had ruined her life, and now he was giving her an escape. She gazed out the window during the ride, looking at the crowded London streets, imagining her riding with Mary the next time she’d be here. She had to concentrate on getting Mary back. That was the only thing that kept her sane.
As they neared the church, their carriage slowed its pace considerably. Julie looked ahead and saw an enormous crowd by the church. People were waiting for a joyous wedding celebration of a local duke’s heir and his bride. Well, weren’t they in for a surprise?
The carriage squeezed itself between the traffic, and they were finally at the steps of the church. Julie saw someone run inside, probably informing the groom of the bride’s arrival. Her groom. That was the most unrealistic part of the day. The groom was waiting for her in the church. And that groom wasn’t John. Her stomach lurched, and she thought she was going to be sick.
The Marquess of Norfolk handed her down from the carriage, gripped her arm painfully, and led her into the church. An audible sigh of disbelief sounded behind them, and loud whispers of, “I can’t believe it,” and “did you see what she was wearing?” echoed behind them. Now that it was too late and they were already in the church, Julie second-guessed her decision to wear this gown. Did she really want to make a statement with her attire and anger not only at her father but her future family as well? Her husband with whom she’d be forced to live, at least till she gave him heirs, the frightening dowager duchess, and the eccentric duke of a father-in-law?
