Page 1 of A Rescue by the Rakish Duke
Chapter One
“No. I cannot let him do this to me,” Gwendoline muttered as she surveyed her reflection in the full-length mirror.
Dressed in a wedding gown, the nineteen-year-old lady had been pacing her chambers for the past hour. She was visibly uncomfortable, not only because the lace itched, but also because the dress was meant to humiliate her.
The bodice was too tight, pushing her ample breasts up as if to say,look at me—look at these.
It was difficult enough to be a young woman with a full figure. Eyes were often drawn to her curves, and having her corset laced up without a maid was almost impossible.
Her cousin, Timothy Landon, the new Earl of Montrose, seemed to have chosen all possible ways to humiliate her. Her fatheronly died months ago, but her cousin had begun ruling with an iron fist long before that. Subtle at first. Creeping. Slithering.
She had been pacing for some time, hoping her circumstances would change, but it was not meant to be.
They were waiting downstairs. For her.
“Get downstairs, Gwendoline. At this very moment,” a brash voice demanded, proving her right.
It could be Timothy—almost twice her age and several times more powerful, at this point. He had complete control over her future, which was looking bleak.
There was no more time to think.
The door to her room flew open, causing her anxiety to rise into full panic.
The brass knob struck the wall with the violence of the entrance.
“What on earth is taking you so long, you useless chit?” Timothy hissed.
No matter what Timothy said, this place was broken. Gone was the impeccable household that he used to merely covet, the one Gwendoline was part of during her childhood.
Driven by her frayed nerves, Gwendoline turned in the direction of the sound, her wedding gown swishing around her feet.
Although she was dressed for a wedding, the day was far from her happiest day. Especially when her heart was in tatters.
Timothy filled the doorway with his tall frame. The harsh light from the corridor made him look almost infernal. His eyes bored into her, looking her up and down. He didn’t bother to hide the cold calculation and the irritation that bordered heavily on disdain.
Gwendoline never wanted to look weak, but she was young and terrified at the prospect of being paraded like a common whore to whoever might consider marrying her.
Brides were supposed to be wooed and promised love. At the very least, they should be offered comfort through an arranged marriage that promised wealth, if not affection.
She had no assurance of either. All she would ever have was a cold transaction orchestrated by her greedy cousin. She probably shouldn’t have relied on those romance novels often hidden under her pillows.
“Please give me more time,” she pleaded. “I can’t go down yet. I’m not ready.”
“Enough of that. Our guests have waited long enough.Ihave waited long enough,” he snapped.
With long, decisive strides, he entered the room. His shoes clicked ominously against the wooden floor.
“We have been waiting for hours. You hear me? Hours, Cousin!”
Gwendoline’s heart sank further as she realized just how lost she was. She knew Timothy was stretching the truth a little, but the impatience was no jest. Those men were probably livid at this point. Her cousin’s words crushed any other hope that she was holding on to.
Hope for what?
That there would be some kind of catastrophic event that could stop the inevitable?
She turned toward the window, where the golden rays of the sun streamed in. Unlike her, they were full of beauty and magic. Of hope. There was a time when she was like those rays. These days, her light had been dimmed—just as imprisoned as she was.
“You know this isn’t right,” she said. She tried to keep the tremor of desperation from her voice, even as her eyes remained fixed on a point beyond the window.
