Page 46 of Denying a Rakish Duke
“Is this why you ran away? The whole thing was just … was just a farce? You pretended at heartbreak to run away?” Petunia could not wrap her mind around it. Amanda was the sweet one, the one who had never whispered a lie a single day of her life. The corners of Petunia’s vision started to dot— and she nearly felt faint. Petunia’s hand clamped firmly onto a pew for balance.
“It is true, Mama, I never intended to marry the Duke—” Only then did Amanda’s attention finally shift to Vanessa. “I am sorry for making you believe the worst … for hurting you so. It was not my intention to harm you. I had to do it— in truth everything that happened with His Grace only emboldened me further to pursue my heart’s desire. With Uncle Tobias’ help, we hatched a plan to stage the whole thing while keeping me perfectly safe … it was even his idea to stagger our departure so that no one would stand in our way.”
“What?” Joseph blurted, unable to contain himself.
The focus of the room shifted to Tobias in a way that he never would have wanted. The rotund man shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other. He did not care for the judgmental looks that he was getting. He did not feel remorse for his actions, and he wished to explain his choices even less.
“Is this true?” Petunia asked in a voice low and full of betrayal.
“Well, it was the final thing standing in our way, Beloved. You said that should your daughters all be married that we would be married! I took it upon myself to arrange the marriage that would suit all of us the best way possible and then took the whole unpleasantness out of your hands so that you should not have to fret with another wedding while still dealing with that one.” He nodded toward Vanessa.
Joseph stood. “I beg your pardon?!” Tobias waved a hand dismissively as he ignored the obvious rage in Joseph’s tone.
“You … forced my daughter to run away and marry in secret … because you thought that it wouldendear me to you?” Petunia fumed. She held to the pew now with both hands to keep the room from spinning any further.
Tobias nodded. “Mmhm,” he cooed, feeling rather proud of himself.
“You saw how it pained me. You saw how I feared for her— how I cried day and night, and you felt there was nothing wrong with this choice? To rob me of witnessing my daughter’s happiness? Asking her to lie to me? To run away? You forced your own son to lie to me? You value me so little?” Petunia stood slowly, her voice heavy with emotion.
“I have overlooked a great deal of horrible things that you have done, Tobias, and for the love I have for your brother, I endeavored to do the right thing, to be kind and understanding in all things … I tried to unburden you from this role that you have been placed in. All of the rumors. All of the poor choices that you have made in the handling of my daughters. I madeexcusesfor you.But this? This is not something that I can forgive. I cannot overlook this. I never wish to look upon you again! I will certainlynevermarry a snake like you!” Petunia spoke so quickly and ended in the same fashion. Bridgette moved to their mother’s side and gave Amanda and Thomas a very stern look.
“You two will load up in the carriage you arrived in and meet us at homeat once.” Amanda’s chin dimpled, but she nodded.
“Come to the Manor— we shall discuss everything. Everything must be laid bare.”
ChapterTwenty-Seven
“Do not leave! Where are you going! Come back here at once! You cannot walk away from me! I have the special license!” Tobias called after the group of his extended family as he attempted to chase after them. They had quite the head start on him, and he was well out of breath by the time that he reached them. The carriages were pulling away, leaving him behind. He could not understand why they were cross with him. He had only done what was best; he had solved the problems of those around him. He had even been kind and generous enough to do so without them having to ask him to do it in the first place! He simply had to explain that he knew best, and then, all of them would come to their senses.
He had never seen Petunia look so angry. It was a frightening thing to behold. He set about a search for a ride back to his family home.
Meanwhile, Petunia had torn through the entry of the Manor shouting orders at every person with ears and within range. “I want everything that belongs to me to be packed within the next two hours. I want everything thatcanbe bundled or stuffed into a trunk done so and quickly. I will depart the City at once. I never wish to lay eyes on that terrible man ever again!”
Three of her daughters rushed into the Manor after her— but she was determined.
“Funny, this is the very thing that I feared in the first place. No money of my own, no promise of safety for my future, and yet, now that I can clearly see the two options in front of me, I would happily be penniless than to take another single thing from that terrible man.”
Thomas stepped in front of her, boldly, given her temper. “He swore to me that he was going to tell you … he swore that it was something that would be a happy surprise for you. I never would have deceived you had I not believed him. Neither of us, please, before all else is said, believe that. Looking back, I can now see the error of my ways, but I was simply so eager to be united with Amanda that I lost control of myself … of my better judgment. Please do not do anything in haste that you might come to regret.”
Petunia picked up an empty vase that was sitting on an end table. She had no intentions to do anything with it, certainly she would not know where to put it, but she had so much energy that she could not remain still. She brandished the thing as if it were somehow attached to the end of her hand. “The only thing that Iregret, Child, is that I have missed out on my youngest daughter’s wedding— that somehow things have become so twisted that my baby could not come to me with her affections— that she could be convinced to harm both her sister and myself in this way in the name of love. Do you not see? He has souredeverything.”
“Mama, please be still,” Amanda requested in her small voice.
“I simply do not understand how you, who has always been so reserved and level headed, could not only be taken in by his speeches but also somehow work yourself into the delusion that I should behappynot knowing where you were— if you were safe and warm— I was beside myself with worry day in and day out! I could not sleep!” Petunia answered.
“I have never seen her in such a state,” Joseph whispered to Vanessa— but Isaac laughed.
“You must not have been in the family for very long.” Isaac folded his arms across his broad chest. “I should like to hear details about what you said at the chapel?”
That silenced Petunia. She did not even know where to begin to explain all of the crazy things that had happened in the time that Bridgette and Isaac had been married. Bridgette’s own brush with scandal felt as if it had happened such a very, very long time ago.
“Do the accusations Mama referred to have something to do with the gossip publications that you sent to me, Vanessa? The wicked rumors saying that our family is forcing ourselves upward on the social ladder for money? Or perhaps the one suggesting that the changes were all due to Tobias’ own actions, and we have all been helplessly caught up in his ambition? I believe the worst one that I read stated that Tobias even killed his own brother to further his place in the world,” Bridgette offered.
“That or the way that Christian had accused him of being the one to murder his mother because of a love affair gone very wrong,” Vanessa supplied.
Bridgette balked. “Seraphina’s husband? He thought thatthe Earlwas capable of such a thing?”
“I am surprised that she did not inform you when she visited last,” Vanessa said.
