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“Juliet, my darling…I mean, your father is trying to be…” Dinah tried to calm the storm, but Juliet stopped her.

“Excuse me, Lady Campton, but I am talking to my father,” she replied then turned to the Earl. “I do not believe that is why you brought me back. Surely, you can now reveal to me what your true motivations were.”

Juliet wasn’t sure what she expected to hear, but she was certain some sort of scheme was afoot because no one would suddenly crave to provide for the child they had abandoned.

Not after eleven years.

What was he planning to do with her?

“Oh, it appears we are done with breakfast, so perhaps we should have the table cleared, so you two can talk,” the Countess interrupted.

She waved over the staff, and they immediately began picking up the trays and plates.

Juliet drummed her fingers on the table, her gaze darting everywhere but at her father.

She continued the instant they had the room to themselves. “I want to hear it.”

Lord Campton began to fold and unfold his napkin, a nervous habit Juliet was familiar with.

“Well, the truth is, our businesses are not doing as well as they once were. Times are hard, and giving you out in marriage seems the most sensible thing to do for the family’s future well-being.”

“There it is.” Juliet stared at him incredulously. “So, you plan to sell me off like some livestock? After you discarded me more than a decade ago,the familyhas a dire need totrade meto ensure its continued financial stability?”

Algernon’s face flushed. “It is not like that. We have no other choice.”

Juliet’s voice rose with her mounting anger. “No other choice? What if I decide to refuse this marriage? What happens then?”

Algernon’s shoulders slumped. “It is too late, Juliet. The arrangements have already been made.”

“You cannot be serious. Who is the misguided man that has agreed to be a party to this madness and take a lady raised in a nunnery as his wife?” she shouted, throwing her hands in the air. “To whom am I getting married?”

Juliet stopped and swung her head around as the dining room door abruptly swung open.

An irresistibly tall, handsome man walked into the room. His exceptional height and commanding presence made her feel as though the air she breathed had purified. Juliet was held captive by his striking blue grey eyes; they were the very color of a stormy sea.

“You are to marry me,” he declared in a voice that brooked no argument.

CHAPTER 3

Algernon looked up, startled by the man’s sudden entrance. “Your Grace! I was not expecting you so soon.”

The man’s expression remained indifferent, as though he was barely interested in the current situation.

“I calculated your daughter’s arrival in the aftermath of our first meeting. I wanted to ensure I would meet my bride-to-be as soon as possible and reassure myself that you would honor our agreement.”

Though the man’s answer was intended for the Earl, his intense gaze was on Juliet.

Lord Campton rose and moved toward the Duke, bowing when he arrived within a foot of him. “Well, I am pleased to have you in my home, Your Grace. Juliet, this is His Grace, Hector Allen, the Duke of Islington. He is your betrothed.”

Her father’s tone sounded rather odd, as though he was trying very hard to make the very existence of the Duke seem appealing to her. Even the Countess had lost her usual haughty air and glanced between her husband and the Duke with uncertainty.

Juliet’s heart skipped a beat as she fixed her gaze on their guest, her eyes locking with the Duke’s. The tall, dark-haired man standing before her exuded confidence and authority.

She forced herself to stand up and curtsied. “Your Grace.”

The Duke’s gaze softened momentarily. “Lady Juliet, I trust your journey back to London went well.”

“It was a rather long drive,” Juliet admitted in a somewhat forced but steady voice, “But I am here now.”