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“Yes, indeed.TheDuchess of Sinclair.”

The thought of that reprehensible liar marrying Ethan made Phoebe’s stomach churn most violently.

As insufferable as he was, he did not deserve to be tricked.

But if she exposed Miss Delaney for the fraud that she truly was, the young lady would ultimately be ruined. No one in Society would dare associate with her.

And the child… well,whowas the father of that child anyway, if not Ethan himself?

Phoebe clamped her lips together tightly.

That is no longer my concern.

In fact, none of this was any of her concern.

She had her own problems to take care of—like her impending wedding to the Viscount Dexford.

She did not have the capacity to meddle in the murky affairs of the Duke of Sin.

Truly.

She could just turn around and walk away. Pretend that she never heard a single word of that foul conversation.

If she could live with herself knowing what she knew now.

She thought about Ethan and that slight smirk of his that always seemed to render her breathless. If he proceeded to marry Miss Delaney, would he still be able to smile like that?

Would he still be as frivolous as he was when he teased her at that house party?

No.

Marriage changed people, for better or for worse—this much she knew, at least.

Would she be able to look him in the eye, knowing that she could have stopped all of this if she had just told him what she heard?

Despair clawed at her insides.

No.

“Why me?” she cursed under her breath. “Why could I not have gone into a different room?”

She needed to get away from all this right now. Or at the very least, find another room in which she might be better able to compose herself without overhearing the most scandalous things.

But this was London, and scandal abounded in just about every corner.

The only way the ton would ever forget a scandal was if a bigger one broke out.

Is this how it is all supposed to end? With marriage to a woman I can hardly stand?

Ethan stood stoically at the altar as he watched the wedding party file down the aisle. Beside him, he caught a glimpse of Hudson giving him a pointed look.

He supposed that a groom was supposed to look a lot more enthusiastic on his wedding day, but who were they supposed to put up an act for? Everybody attending the wedding knew damn well that he held no such affection for his bride.

At least nothing more than a passing attraction, and even that was dubious at best.

He caught a flash of sage green at the very back of the pews, and his heart suddenly thudded in his chest. Eyes as green asemeralds flecked with bits of gold met his, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still as he looked at her from across the room.

Phoebe.