Page 72 of Bound to the Heartless Duke
“You!” She said, pointing an accusatory finger at Lily.
Lily blinked, stopping dead in her tracks. “Good morning?”
Cecilia gasped, clasping a hand to her chest as if the mere sight of her friend had confirmed the greatest betrayal. “You’re marrying my brother.”
“I am,” Lily said calmly, though her toes trembled in her shoes.
“How could you?!” Cecilia cried.
At that moment, Theo caught up with the three and took Cecilia’s arm, trying to calm her down.
He dragged a hand over his face. “She’s been like this for the last thirty miles.”
“You lied to me,” Cecilia said dramatically, spinning back toward Magnus, who looked like he was calculating the odds of survival. “In this… this pathetic little letter, you wrote:Thought I should inform you that I’ll be marrying Lily Starks. The house is settled. Regards.”
She waved the letter again.
“What is this?” She spread out her arms. “A grocery list? A note to your tailor? You’re marrying my best friend, and all I get is asentence?!”
Magnus cleared his throat. “It was two sentences.”
That earned him a glare. “Don’t.”
“I thought you’d prefer the news in writing,” Magnus tried, raising his hands in surrender.
“I almost set the letter on fire,” Cecilia snapped.
“You still might,” Theo piped up with his signature smirk, folding his arms across his chest.
Cecilia looked between them, her brow creasing with a mix of confusion and outrage.
“I need tea,” she stated. “ And answers. Not in that order.”
Lily cleared her throat. “The drawing room is ready.”
“Oh, good. The setting for a formal interrogation. Lovely.”
Within minutes, the four of them were seated in the western drawing room. Cecilia was still clutching the letter as if it might self-destruct, and the air was thick with anticipation, the sort that precedes a play.
Lily and Magnus sat together on one settee while Cecilia and Theo sat across from them.
Tea was served, though only Theo had touched his cup. He sipped at it with the calmness of a man who understood the importance of staying hydrated during battle.
Cecilia picked up her teacup for a sip, only to rethink her decision and set it down with a click. “Explain.”
Lily sighed. “It’s not as dramatic as it sounds?—”
“You’re marrying my brother,” Cecilia interrupted, her brow furrowing.
“Yes,” Lily said. “That part is dramatic,” she conceded.
Magnus coughed into his fist to hide a smile, and she shot him a look.
“We’re betrothed as of this week,” he explained evenly. “The announcement hasn’t been made public, and it was all rather… quick.”
“Quick?” Cecilia scoffed. “The last time I left the country, Lilyhatedyou.”
“I didn’t hate him,” Lily interjected.
