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“You have quite a mouth on you,My Lady,” the Duke stated icily as he glared down at her. “Possibly because the current state of your nunnery has left all of its inhabitants without proper guidance or authority. That might have gone well for you there, but here, you will respect me and my word.”

The Duke paused, as if he were waiting for her to dig herself into further trouble. When she merely stared at him, he nodded with a satisfied smile. “Good. I will now take my leave. We will see each other again soon enough.”

Without another word, he turned and strode out of the room, leaving Juliet fuming in the wake of his visit.

Lord Campton reached out, but Juliet pulled away. Her emotions were a jumbled mix of anger, fear, and a profound irritation for the man who had just claimed her as his own.

The reality of being married off like some commodity to solve her father’s financial woes was nearly too much to bear.

“This is utterly unfair,” she said, her voice trembling. “You abandoned me for years, and now, you have no qualms pawning me off to the highest bidder.”

Lord Campton looked away, unable to meet her eyes. “It’s the only way to save our family, Juliet.”

“I see. You only regard me as family when I can do something that will allow you to be the beneficiary.”

Without another word, she stormed out of the room, pulled up the skirts of her gown, raced outside, and observed the Duke climb into his carriage.

“Your Grace,” Juliet yelled, unbothered by her lack of ladylike manners. When he stopped and turned in her direction, Juliet hurried towards him. “I’d like a quick word, please.”

A frown settled on the Duke of Islington’s face. “Is this still about the marriage? It is happening, Lady Juliet. The quicker you get used to it, the better it will be for all of us.”

“But…” Juliet swallowed hard. “I didn’t ask for this. I was just taken from the nunnery, and…surely, you do not want a wife that the whole of London will disapprove of?”

The Duke moved closer to her, his eyes firmly locked onto hers.

Juliet found herself rooted to the spot in which she was standing, unable to do much more than watch him loom over her. His gaze was dark and heavy and set her nerves alight with each breath she took. Her heartbeat had become erratic as he leaned closer to her.

“You would do well to remember one thing about me,” he whispered in her ear. “I have never, nor will I ever, let thethoughts and opinions of others dictate my actions. I do not care what all of London thinks.”

He was so close that his breath fanned her neck. If she had leaned forward just a little, their cheeks would have touched.

The very thought of that sent another wave of heat to Juliet’s cheeks, and she quickly retreated to some distance between them.

“But you can’t do this to me. I had a life before this. I had friends and sisters I cared for deeply until you decided to take me away from the only place that I’ve ever belonged even though I have said countless times that I have no desire to marry,” Juliet argued.

“Then we already have one thing in common.” He stepped back from her.

“What?” she stared at him, confused. “Then why are you so insistent on marrying me?”

“Stop questioning what has already been set in stone,” he fired back, obviously fed up with her antics.

Juliet huffed, hating how both this man and her father thought she was nothing more than a child they could drag in whatever direction they pleased.

“I apologize if you feel inconvenienced, but I am not prepared to hand over my future to a man I have only just met.”

The Duke stared at her, seemingly surprised at her remark. Just as Juliet had begun to derive some satisfaction from his expression, it darkened.

“There is nothing you can do, Lady Juliet. We will be wed, and that is all you need to know about the matter. I will see you at the altar,wife,” he said with a deliberate drawl.

Juliet scoffed as he settled in his carriage, and the coachman drove off. She glared at the gathering dust as the horses galloped away then rushed back inside.

Once in her room, Juliet began to pace about, her heart filled with rage, frustration, and helplessness. It was almost laughable how her father controlled her life to suit his needs however he liked while ignoring the fact that she was his daughter and deserved to be treated as such.

Just like all those years ago when he had deposited her in the nunnery, there was no getting out of this.

This is not fair. This cannot be what my life is meant to amount to.

Yet she could see no other outcome, nothing more that she could do to prove that she was more than a financial asset to be traded in a business agreement.