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And now, her father had swooped in and tried to take credit for her hard work.

Nevertheless, she did not bother pointing this out to her father because there was a far-pressing matter at hand.

“Someone of higher rank would be either a marquess or a duke,” she said. “Unless the Prince is suddenly interested in Stella.”

Her father chuckled. “Our Stella might have been lucky this Season, but I do not suppose that would be enough for the Prince to be interested in her. Her new suitor is a duke.”

“A duke?” she repeated, a million and one thoughts tearing through her mind.

There was only a limited number of dukes in all of London, and most of them were married. As of this moment, she only knew of two dukes who were unmarried.

“It can either be the Duke of Emerton or the Duke of Gillingham,” Ava concluded.

Her father shrugged. “It does not matter. It is settled; my daughter is marrying a duke.”

Ava’s mind, however, was not so settled.

She had just learned that the man who would be calling on her sister might be the very cold and unfeeling man she had been trapped in the passageway with. The man whose mere presence did things to her body that she had never thought possible.

Why would he try to court my sister after our encounter in the passageway?

Ava’s mind was in turmoil.

I suppose it could also be the Duke of Emerton.

Theo might be a rake, but Ava would rather her sister marry a rake than such a cruel and unfeeling man. And yet, for a moment, she could not help but wonder if that was the real reason why she did not want Edwin to court her sister.

“You must ensure that Stella is on her best behavior when the Duke arrives,” the Viscount instructed.

“I shall ensure that, Father,” she replied as she made to leave.

“I have heard news of Stella’s unruly behavior,” he added, stopping her in her tracks.

“What news?” Ava asked, hoping that he hadn’t yet been informed of Stella’s frequent disappearances at parties.

“I have heard of how she always develops some mysterious ailments when she has suitors calling,” her father grunted.

“I shall ensure that she desists from some acts,” Ava reassured him.

“And yet I cannot help but wonder just how effective your methods are, since she can still pull such pranks right under your nose,” he said. “Stella does not seem to understand the gravity of her situation, and I have you to blame for it.”

His words hit hard. Even though Ava was quite used to getting blamed for everything her sisters did, it did not make it any less painful every time it happened.

She had dedicated all her years to raising her sisters, and it had only earned her insults.

She wanted to ask her father why he was always so quick to take credit for her hard work, all while still blaming her for every little thing that had gone wrong.

But instead of doing that, she simply left the study. After all, there was a bigger issue at hand.

CHAPTER 4

Edwin got his first glimpse of Notley Manor the moment he alighted from his carriage. It was a small, quaint house. However, the house was not the subject of his interest today; it was the lady who lived in it.

He adjusted his mask and retrieved the two bouquets from the carriage before making his way, with assured steps, towards the entrance.

“His Grace, the Duke of Gillingham!” the butler announced.

Edwin heard a flurry of footsteps, after which he saw a familiar mane of dark brown hair disappear into one of the rooms on the first floor.