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An uneasy feeling settled into her stomach as she wondered if she’d do well as the lady of her own home now. She hadn’t forgotten the comment he’d made in anger about managing the affairs of his estate.

Would she be of any use to him besides warming his bed?

Even then, would he even come to her bed?

She bit her lip as she was helped into the waiting carriage to take her to the chapel where the wedding ceremony would be held.

Her breath hitched in her chest when she was helped out of the carriage. This was it. She was going to get married.

Sweat beaded on her forehead as her heart beat a frantic rhythm. Was this how all brides felt?

She wondered if it was because hers was a sham marriage that she had such jitters.

She spotted her husband-to-be’s carriage down the line of parked vehicles, the noise of footmen unloading her trunks and loading them into his fading in the background.

God. Could she really go through with this?

“You ready?” Leonard’s hand in hers drew her out of her nervous thoughts.

She nodded, swallowing her fear.

The wedding march sounded, and the oakwood double doors opened to let them in. Once again, she found herself short of breath as she spotted Edward standing at the altar, astonishingly handsome in a dark suit, with his dark hair slicked back with gel.

Heat flooded her as his hot gaze landed on her. She could feel it even through her veil. A hot blush crept up her cheeks.

When Leonard handed her over to him, even through the gloves she wore, the heat of his palm seeped into her fingers.

“We gather here today to…”

When the priest started the sermon, her heart started thudding heavily in her chest.

Her reasons for getting married were nothing like what the priest had mentioned. Even the thought of children chilled her to the bone.

Edward was a duke and was expected to have heirs to continue the line. Wouldn’t he want to have children?

But children meant her not having freedom to live her life the way she’d always dreamed of.

She didn’t mind the process of creating the children. If anything, she knew she’d find the process interesting. The tension that simmered in her skin every time Edward touched her let her know that it would be good with them. At least on his part. He was a famed rake, so he would surely know how to pleasure a woman. She would just have to learn his likes and dislikes in the six months they’d stay together.

“You may now kiss the bride.” The priest’s words caused her to stiffen as Edward turned to face her.

She remembered the one kiss they’d shared and how her skin had been set aflame.

But the chaste kiss and the blank expression on his face killed that thought and left a sick feeling in her stomach, even after they were pronounced man and wife and hurried into their carriage.

“We have a long journey ahead of us, and if we’re going to make it to Soulden by nightfall, we need to leave now,” was the only explanation he’d given her when she’d asked why the rush.

She’d only had a few minutes to say goodbye to her family, holding back tears when her sisters started crying.

“I’ll see you all at Christmas,” she’d promised them, taking her husband’s hand as he helped her into the carriage.

The tears fell as she heard Leonard extract a promise out of him to take care of her.

An uneasy silence fell over them as the carriage doors were closed and the carriage was prepped to take her to her new home.

The carriage suddenly lurched forward, throwing her at the man sitting across from her.

“Apologies,” she muttered, righting herself in her seat.