Page 23 of A Bride for the Forbidden Duke
Her eyes were wide, shocked, and she began fussing at Veronica’s sleeves, the sash around her dress, and Veronica had to bat her hands away.
“Mama, do stop!” she insisted. “It is not necessary.”
The Duke watched them detachedly.
“Your Grace, please do sit,” Judith insisted, sweeping her hand towards the sofa set up for guests. “We have prepared cake?—”
“That will not be necessary,” he said, almost a mirror of Veronica’s words. “I will not be here long. Lady Grantham, my solicitor has spoken with your family solicitor, I believe.” His words came out clinical, clipped. “I am aware of your financial predicament?—”
Judith looked aghast at Veronica, trying to figure everything out.
“And I do not care about Lady Veronica’s dowry. And if I did, there is none, regardless.”
His words were flat, emotionless, and part of Veronica’s heart broke away.
She steeled herself. Her mother’s mouth parted, ready for more questions that she knew the Duke would not answer.
He interrupted any question she had. “I have applied for a special license which should be ready the day after tomorrow. My solicitor shall be my witness, and you shall be the second, Lady Grantham.”
“Witness…” she murmured, pressing a hand to her head.
“For my wedding to your daughter,” he said. “We shall marry the day after tomorrow as soon as the license is ready.”
Judith collapsed back onto the sofa, and her mouth dropped open, her gaze looking between Veronica and the Duke. “You… you are marrying my daughter?”
“Yes.”
The finality of it rang through the room, and silence settled for a few moments. The Duke stayed perfectly still while Veronica watched her mother churn through the news. Her eyes kept glancing dubiously back and forth, and then, mortifyingly, her attention dropped to Veronica’s stomach.
Heavens, she thinks I have compromised myself!
Judith’s mouth opened, no doubt to ask, and Veronica prayed to be spared the humiliation when the Duke spoke again.
“Lady Grantham, I do not have the patience nor the time to waste,” he said. “Weddings are frivolous affairs, but this one is necessary, is it not?”
The way he said it left little room to answer.
Dressed in what Veronica came to think of as his trademark dark palette, she could not help but notice the bulk that his shirt and waistcoat hid beneath the layers.
The back of her neck prickled with heat.
It is suddenly quite warm in here.
Her mother was taken aback with his curtness, and it was clear she still had many things to ask and say, but she only exhaled, clasping her face.
Does she see what I have done for us? The Duke and I are securing her future with this plan.
“Well!” she cried, laughing breathlessly. She stood up excitedly. “Congratulations!”
Her laughter rang out, and she stepped forward, arms outstretched, approaching the Duke who stood watching her, as if she was a misbehaving puppy that nobody would tame and was irritating him on a fine day. He stepped back as soon as her mother’s arms came nearer, angling for an embrace.
Veronica winced as he looked away, his jaw tight.
Judith hovered, slowly lowering her arms, looking somewhat lost, before her eyes alighted on Veronica.
“My dear, are you not going to say anything to your future husband? He has quite surprised us—this whole ordeal is quite surprising! You did… you did not mention it.”
“Everything is rather sudden, yes,” Veronica said. Her eyes cut to the Duke once again. She could not help how clipped her voice was when she answered, “I look forward to our union, Your Grace.”
