Page 31 of His Duchess of Scandal
Hermia felt as though she had blinked and she was standing outside the church, peering inside, where she had already spotted the small congregation.
It wasn’t anything like she had ever envisioned for her wedding day, but that was a dream she had given up on a long time ago.
Still, the very friends who had taken her to that fateful party that night sat in the drawing room along with her parents, her sisters, as well as a man with short blonde hair that she vaguely recognized from her debut. Scattered among them were some servants, whose sole purpose was to populate the ceremony.
Her father stood by the door to the drawing room, ready for her. His smile irked her to no end.
“I always knew my eldest daughter would make me proud in the end,” he declared brightly, as if he had not spat utter venom at her for days.
As if he had not threatened and planned to banish her from their lives in the cruelest way.
“Of course, Father,” Hermia said tightly. “I told you how everything was a misunderstanding.”
“Indeed!” he answered, all cheer, which made her resentment burn hotter. “Now, shall we get you married?”
And despite everything, Hermia heard,“Now, shall we wash our hands of you for good?”
The ceremony passed in a blur of voices, with both Hermia and the Duke swearing themselves to one another. Yet there was no love, no glances between them that hinted at the night they’d given themselves to one another.
They simply went through the motions.
Hermia gave a hesitant smile to Josephine and William. She had barely gotten to tell them the full scope of what had happened between her and the Duke, but she would. She would make the time to do so.
Once she turned to the small congregation as the Duchess of Branmere—a title she didn’t feel deserving of—the ceremony came to a close.
“Let us go to my carriage,” the Duke told her. “I don’t have the patience for these gatherings.”
Hermia nodded, not truly wanting to endure more of her parents’ faux well-wishes, but she did want to linger a little longer with her sisters.
Once outside, she faced the only people she wished to bid goodbye to.
Josephine and William stepped forward first, Josephine’s eyes narrowed in caution as she embraced her.
“I feel as though I have missed you for an eternity,” she sighed. “And now you are going farther away.”
“Branmere Hall is not so far,” Hermia assured her.
But they had already suffered enough distance between them.
Even with Josephine being married and spending a lot of time in Redham Hall, her countryside residence, they had barely found time to visit one another.
“Regardless of the distance, I cannot congratulate you enough. William and I both.”
William stepped up to his wife’s side. “Congratulations, Hermia. You will make a fine duchess.”
“I could not agree more.” Josephine turned her attention to the Duke. “However, should His Grace ever harm my friend, then I do believe he will find himself in trouble with the Earl and Countess of Redham.”
Hermia blushed when she noticed her husband narrowing his eyes.
Heavens, that was a strange thought to have as she looked at the stranger, her Ares, the man who had shown her utter bliss for one glorious night.
“I can assure you that no harm will come to Her Grace,” the Duke promised, all business-like, formal. He caught her eyes for a brief moment before returning to William, nodding once. “All will remain well between our lands, I assume?”
“Of course,” William promised. “Do not take heed of my wife’s words. You will never come under threat with us.”
“I know,” the Duke said simply.
He gave a nod to Josephine, a second silent reassurance. Then, he turned to Hermia and offered his hand. It wasn’t in any way a romantic gesture, but more of an impatient one to corral her to the carriage.
