Page 84 of A Bride for the Cruel Duke

“If this is about the letter,” he started as he turned around. “It is done. Sent. And there is nothing more that needs to be said about the matter.”

She stormed toward him, the letter in her hand, shaking it before her face as she reached where he stood waiting. “How could you write this? And how could you send it without speaking to me first?”

“Why would I?” He looked genuinely confused by the statement.

“Whywouldyou?” Caroline gawked. “Why would younot!It is about me, after all! And my marriage! The things you wrote in this letter?—”

“Are true,” he spoke over her. “And they needed to be said.”

“They arenot!”

“Caroline...” He shook his head as if with pity. “I do not know why you are so insistent on defending the man. Why you continue to try and convince yourself of a lie which we can all see through.”

“I am not lying. The only lie is?—”

“His Grace is a monster,” her brother spoke over her. “He did not deserve you. What is more, he did not deserve this family. We gave him a chance—more than we should have. And what did he do with it? He spat in our faces, is what.”

“That is simply not what happened?—”

“And this is not about you,” he continued, a snarl now to his tone. “And frankly, I am surprised that you are behaving so selfishly. You of all people, Caroline, must realize that this isn’t only about your marriage to the duke. It is about our family. About me.” He cocked an eyebrow at her.

She shook her head. “This letter... it made me look like a... like a helpless maid! Weak and pathetic and?—”

“Which you were,” he countered before she could finish. “And there is no shame in that. Anybody in your position would be the same, and anybody who reads that letter will understand this. We need to get on top of this, Caroline. We need it known that there was nothing you could have done.”

“But it is all lies! Anthony is nothing like what this letter says!” She waved the letter again. “Nor was our marriage anything like this depicts!”

He chuckled. “You are upset. I see that.”

“I am more than?—”

“But I will remind you of your place!” he snapped. “Remember, you are the one who returned to us! In tears! Broken and suffering. You are the one who fled. We did not force it. We did not come and save you. You ran!”

“I did not flee,” she said. “I simply?—”

“Enough!” he snarled. “I do not know what has gotten into you, but it stops here! I do not have time for this nonsense, Caroline...” He groaned and rubbed his eyes. “And nor do you, for that matter. How we proceed over this next week is paramount to our family’s survival and I expect you to play your part.” He looked warningly at her. “Questions will be raised. Answers will be needed. And when it comes times to give them, I trust I can count on you to do what you do best.” There was a beat as he continued to glare. “Behave yourself!”

To say that Caroline was furious would be an understatement.

When Daniel had told her that he was crafting a letter to send throughout the ton, she had assumed it would be several days before he dared to send it. Enough time at least for her to get her head on straight and assess how she felt. Still, she couldn’t say whether she had done the right thing or not. And still, she could not say if she planned on going back to Anthony and asking for forgiveness.

Not that I can do such a thing now! Even if I wanted to, this letter all but assures our marriage is over.

She shuddered to think of how Anthony might react when he read it, her only saving grace being the assumption that he probably wouldn’t care. This letter, as odd as it was to admit, was exactly how Anthony saw himself, such that he might even be pleased to read it.

Caroline, however, was not pleased. When she finally got her hands on the letter and read its contents...I do not think I have ever been so furious!Worse that it was only days after the fact. Worse that Daniel did not care.

Her brother expected subservience from her. He expected her to behave as she always did. Why would he not? That was the Caroline who he knew best. The coward. The quiet weakling. The good sister who never put a foot wrong. That was who she had always been... or rather, who she was.

Her marriage was over now, she knew, and there was nothing she could do about it. That did not mean that Caroline had not learned from it. She had changed irrevocably during her marriage to Anthony, finding a side to herself she had not known existed until it was screaming in her husband’s face. And where Anthony might not have liked that side of her, she did not give a damn what Daniel thought.

“No,” she spat at Daniel. “I will not behave.”

“Excuse me?” Daniel frowned and leaned back in bewilderment.

“You heard me,” she snarled. “I will notbehave. And I certainly will not play along as you intend!”

“Is that right...?” His tone turned cold, and his posture stiffened.

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