Page 56 of Enslaved to the Seduction of a Lady
Two of the four chairs had already been taken by her parents, and the table was laden with breakfast. There were the tea things, of course. The set was in silver and one of her mother’s favorite things. Then there was a rack with triangles of toast, and a small pot of raspberry jam—made from their very own raspberry patch. There were some boiled eggs, too—still in their shell—and a little pot of salt to eat them with.
“Goodness,” Alison said as she took her seat. “Doesn’t it seem quiet without Teresa and Benjamin?”
“It does,” the Duchess said, nodding sadly. “But I’m sure they’ll be back soon enough.”
She held her teacup in both hands, quite near her face, but it rested there while the steam rose over her cheeks. The Duke tutted.
“She has her own home to go to now.” Next to his plate, the newspaper sat, neatly folded and not yet read. He would, as was his habit, scurry to his study to read it straight after breakfast, the paper tucked under his arm as he went.
“Still,” Alison said, shrugging as she reached over the table for a triangle of toast while the maid poured the tea. “I miss her, that’s all.”
The Duke looked at her over his spectacles. “You’ve wasted quite enough time mourning after your sister,” he said. She picked up her knife and spread the butter thick. “But she is returned to us now, and it is time to move on.”
“Yes, Papa,” Alison said, throwing him a half-hearted smile. “You are quite right about that.”
Alison could feel her mother’s curious gaze on her, and she saw her father blinking rapidly in surprise. She would do as Teresa suggested, until they came up with something better.
“Right, yes, well,” the Duke said. His pompous drawl seemed stronger somehow, as though confusion and a lack of certainty made him focus on the sounds rather than the words.
“How did everyone sleep?” Alison asked.
She looked from one to the other, smiling broadly, and in truth, she quite enjoyed the look of astonishment on their faces. She quite enjoyed having a secret, too. They may have thought they had won, but Alison knew better.
“Very well, thank you,” the Duchess said, “and yourself?”
She finally took a sip of her steaming tea, licking her lips to catch any errant drips.
“Actually, I am glad you are so cheerful,” the Duke said. He weaved his fingers together over his paunch and looked down his nose at her.
“Oh, yes?”
“Yes,” he said. “I have some news. Your future husband will be here in a few hours. You are to take tea with him. You will look your best, won’t you?” he asked.
“Oh,” Alison said, her tone a vague attempt at politeness but really, full of bitterness. “I see.”
She looked briefly down at the primrose-yellow gown she had selected that morning, taking her father’s words to mean that she should change, and she decided that she wouldn’t, if only to spite the situation.
Her good cheer of only moments before was replaced with a dread that seemed to grow inside her chest, until it became difficult for her to breath.
My future husband—
“Aren’t you happy, Darling?” the Duchess asked, finally putting her teacup down. She smiled at Alison, her over-rouged cheeks bunching together.
“I… yes, of course I am,” Alison said, although she was anything but. She searched around for the right words, but nothing she thought of sounded quite right. “I must admit I do not know a lot of the Earl. It would be… agreeable to get to know him a little better.”
“Indeed,” the Duke said, “and I shall have a littletete-a-teteto discuss how soon we can have the marriage. We want it as soon as possible, of course, although within a proper timeframe. The banns will need to be read, and that’s three weeks alone.”
“Of course,” Alison said. Even to her own ears, her words sounded weak and unconvincing. But it was the best she could do, given the circumstances.
“You’ll have a delightful time,” the Duchess said, her grin wide.
“Do you like him, Mother?” Alison asked, quite on a whim.
“Like?” The Duchess sounded confused by the word, and she looked over to her husband for reassurance.
“He is a good match, Alison.”
“That’s not what I asked, Father. Mother—do you find the Earl agreeable? Someone you would like to… say, sit next to at a dinner?”
