Page 26 of His Ruined Duchess

Scoffing, Selina eyed Myra, her expression undoubtedly grumpy. “I am not looking togossipbut strategize. Surely, you must understand why this is important?”

With a heavy sigh, Myra nodded. “Yes. I-Well, I have heard only a bit more from Lydia after her latest information gathering.”

“Which is?” Selina perked up, leaning closer to her sister.

“That he was once engaged. When he was very young. It was just as he was about to enter the world as a man apparently. His father had arranged for him to marry a young girl, and…”

Myra did not finish her sentences, and Selina bounced forward on the bed, grabbing her sister’s hands and squeezing.

“And what?” she practically shouted, realizing the volume of her voice too late.

A slight laugh left Myra, and she shook her head. “Truly, it is hilarious how that always works. Pausing has the exact same effect on Mother and Lydia.”

“Myra,” Selina scolded, her brows angrily knit together, “I will throttle you within an inch of your life if you do not have out with it. This is important.”

She laughed a bit more, but after a moment, Myra calmed and nodded.

“Of course, of course. Important. Very well, then. The Duke turned her down. He was only set to marry the girl for a few days, it is said, and then he abruptly ended the engagement without cause and stole away to begin work under another businessman who’d been quite successful on his own.”

Selina gaped, her mouth hanging open. “He ended it without reason? To pursue business? Why on earth would he do such a thing?”

“I do not know. Your guess is as good as mine. Lydia heard that his father did not speak to him after that. There was no formal disowning, but apparently, it was quite close. The man died onlya few months before the Duke was called here to receive his title.”

Leaning back, Selina’s stare fell to the bed, her mind churning. This information did prove useful, answering questions in her mind and giving her own theory more credence. If the Duke had been so set on avoiding marriage and instead pursuing business, then this call to become Duke must have infuriated him. It was no wonder that the man took so long to come to the estate and receive the title formally.

He didn’t want it.

“The Duke’s title, it being bestowed on him, was a surprise to us all, was it not?” Selina asked.

When she looked up, Myra nodded. “Yes, he is only very distantly related to Easton. I can imagine that he assumed it would never come up.”

And it wouldn’t have if Selina had delivered an heir.

“Thank you, Myra. I am sorry for disrupting your sleep. Rest. I will speak with you in the morning.”

She took her sister into her arms, embraced her, and then quickly left the room to return to her own bed. Myra was happy enough to resume sleeping, but she had given Selina a look of worry before she left. It had not been the time to discuss her concerns, not without further proof of her hypothesis.

The Duke had not wanted his title, and it was likely easy for anyone with the information to assume as much. But he also would not have been forced to carry it should there have been a proper heir.

While that might have been public knowledge, the reason there had not been a child was not. Selina was still a virgin, and the only two people who knew that were herself and the Duke.

So, indeed, the second part of the hypothesis Selina had formulated was that the Duke had even more of a reason to dislike her with that knowledge. Her inability to do her duty had stolen the Duke from his life.

Hughdid not want his title, and he hatedherforcing it upon him.

Chapter Eleven

Breakfast that morning was quiet. Selina was still ruminating on everything she had learned the night before and was running short on sleep because of how it had affected her.

It was not uncommon for those within an estate and of distant relation to dislike each other. Still, Selina was unsure of how precisely she was going to carry out her duty to arrange a marriage when the Duke’s evident hatred of her interrupted her attempts to secure a match.

How will I explain this to Magnus? He is clearly my best option. I will need to speak with him privately and reassure him that the Duke will play no role in our future lives. I will need to ensure that he knows I can be there for Kitty and?—

“Good morning.”

The Duke entered the breakfast room, and Selina nearly fell out of her chair. He had not taken any prior breakfasts with them,but he floated into the room and took up a seat like he had sat there numerous times.

“Good morning, Your Grace,” Lydia replied, her countenance as sunny and polite as ever. “I am afraid Mother could not join us at breakfast. She is suffering from digestive troubles.”

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