Page 63 of Her Runaway Duke
If someone had told her a short time ago that she would have any part in such a tale, she would have laughed in surprise.
But here they were.
Eliza and Lord Fitzroy filled the stunned silence with exclamations of congratulations, while Siena found that she could look anywhere but at Levi.
She had shared the most intimate parts of herself with him, completely trusted him with all of her secrets, her feelings, her body – but she had protected her heart, shielding it from him.Until today. Now she was most afraid that she was about to lose it anyway.
Before she had to say a word, however, she was interrupted by the sound of the door banging open. They looked at one another in horror, and soon enough the front foyer was filled with men – noblemen, yes, but others who looked around in concern as they likely hadn’t realized they would be rescuing Siena from the arms of a duke – especially a duke who did not seem to be holding Siena in any form of distress.
“Can I help you, Lord Sterling?” Levi said, stepping forward in front of Siena.
“I have come to collect my daughter, and there is nothing you can do about it,” Lord Sterling sneered. “I have enough of my friends here with me who can testify as to what happened here. My daughter will return to where she belongs.”
“Actually,” Levi said as calmly as he could, even though his heart was racing at the number of people who had invaded his home, all staring at him as though he was a ghastly beast. He had nearly reached for his sword, so leery he was about the threat. “You have no authority over Siena anymore.”
“I am her father.”
“That may be,” Levi said, straightening now, for he finally had claim to something he was proud of. “But I am her husband now, which, I believe, takes precedence.”
They were all silent for a moment, taking in this new piece of information, until Lord Sterling began to laugh, although no one echoed him besides a few half-hearted chuckles from his followers.
“That is not possible,” he finally said when he stopped for air. “I saw you both mere hours ago and you certainly weren’t married.”
“Things change.”
“But—”
“If I may,” the vicar, a small, timid man with a round face and glasses, stepped forward with a finger in the air. “They are actually married, according to the church and the law. I just completed the ceremony myself, by special license from the Archbishop of Canterbury.”
“The Archbishop?” Lord Sterling said, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. “A special license? You cannot be serious.”
“He is,” Siena said softly, wishing that things were different, that it never had to come to this, that she had a family she could have trusted to see to her best interests. “We were married but a few moments before you arrived.”
“It will be annulled.”
“A duke’s marriage, sanctioned by the Archbishop?” Levi said, raising his eyebrow. “I think not.”
The men who surrounded Lord Sterling seemed uncertain of the next course of action. They shifted back and forth, their eyes flicking around the room.
“Stay here,” Levi said in Siena’s hair as he walked toward Lord Sterling, only he didn’t look at the man himself, but rather at all of those who had followed him here. He had to fight the urge to back away from them all, to hide elsewhere in this estate he had made his home, but he had promised to protect Siena, and protect her he would, even if it meant showing his face and accepting the horrified reactions.
He knew that Lord Sterling was beyond listening to any reason, but he had a feeling that he could implore to the other men’s sense of hierarchy, or if not, he could, at the very least, scare them off.
“If any of you dare to challenge the marriage of the Duke of Dunmore – or the Duke of Death if you prefer – then take it to the House of Lords, if you wish. But we have a special licensefrom the Archbishop of Canterbury himself, and Lady Siena is now my wife. You can refer to her as Your Grace.”
He smiled then, which he knew would appear rather sinister, so forced it was along with the scar that pulled at his cheek when he did so.
“Any questions?”
There didn’t appear to be any as no one said a word in return to him, but rather directed their questions to Lord Sterling.
“My lord, I don’t believe there is anything we can do,” one of the men said, leaning forward to speak in his ear. “We cannot take the girl by force, and she does not appear willing to leave.”
“Fall in love with your captor, did you, girl?” Lord Sterling said, leaning in toward her. “You are making a big mistake.”
“You are wrong, Father,” Siena answered, her voice soft yet filled with strength. “I am choosing to do something for myself, just as I did when I ran from my wedding. Only this time, I have decided that I will not run anymore, but, rather, am going to stand up for myself and decide my own fate.”
Even as her father blustered, Levi was filled with an immense sense of pride as he realized that she was right, and that, perhaps, he had something to learn from her.
