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The duke shifted behind his sister, his brows furrowing in a protective manner he always seemed to adopt when his sister was involved.

Yvette’s heart tightened at Lady Fiona’s words.

“I finally decided that I should first thank you for doing this,” Fiona continued. “Thank you. For accepting my brother’s proposal to salvage what was left of my honor with this union.”

A deep breath escaped Lady Fiona’s chest as she continued, her voice trembling, “And I apologize that it had to come to this. Edward has been nothing but kind to me and my family.”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Yvette replied, her voice barely above a whisper. “If anything, thetonis to blame for the misunderstanding, and I’m happy that, unlike mine, your honor can be saved.”

“You are too kind,” Lady Fiona whispered, her voice barely audible. “I never thought I’d find such compassion from anyone.”

Without thinking, Yvette stepped forward and pulled her sister-in-law into a hug.

“Oh,” she heard Lady Fiona exhale in shock.

Yet, eventually, the lady hugged her back, and Yvette wished that, with this hug, she could express everything in her heart.Mostly, that she wanted to have done more to prevent the events that led to this point.

When Lady Fiona finally pulled away, she moved over to Edward and Georgiana, leaving Yvette standing face to face with the duke.

Yvette’s breath caught in her chest as she took in the distance between them. They stood across from each other, both silent, as though weighing the weight of the words that hung in the air.

Yvette’s mind raced, and for a moment, she wasn’t sure what to say other than tell him he looked dashing in his suit. She could feel his heavy gaze upon her, those stormy eyes never leaving hers—watching her, as though he could read her thoughts.

It was she who broke the silence.

“I expected your daughter to be in attendance,” she said, her voice steady but uncertain.

The statement hung between them, the words fragile as though they might shatter the moment.

Standing tall and unmoving, he shook his head. His eyes softened slightly, but his face remained unreadable.

“When the scandal broke, I sent her back to Braemore with her governess,” he replied, his tone calm, but with the same firm edge to it.

Yvette blinked, then nodded her head in understanding.

“Braemore,” she suddenly repeated, her curiosity piqued despite herself. “What is Braemore like?”

If it was to be her home from now on; she wanted to know what to expect. But instead of answering directly, the duke’s lips pressed into a thin line. His gaze never wavered from hers, and she felt a sudden shift in the air, a tension that grew between them.

“Our carriage is ready,” he said, his voice low and commanding. “When we get there, ye will find out for yerself.”

CHAPTER 4

“Where is Lady Fiona?” Yvette asked, her voice cutting through the stillness that had surrounded them for the past two hours.

She was gazing out of the carriage window, her pale blue eyes scanning the roadside as the wheels creaked beneath her.

It was her first time journeying in a carriage in years, and the views passed by like a memory, but her thoughts were anything but serene. A small furrow had formed on her brow as she’d noticed something amiss.

She’d realized there was no second carriage trailing behind them.

The silence inside the carriage felt suffocating. It wasn’t entirely unexpected—the duke had made no attempt at conversation, rather engrossed in a stack of papers he had brought with him—but Yvette found herself unable to ignore her curiosity.

He looked up from the papers, his warm-colored, yet steel-like, eyes locking onto hers. He studied her for a moment, as though assessing whether her question warranted a proper answer.

Finally, with a faint sigh, he placed the papers down beside him.

“She will be staying with our aunt in the countryside for the next month,” he explained evenly. “She was reluctant to come with us to Braemore, so it was decided that our time there would be viewed as a… honeymoon, of sorts. After the month is over, we will all return to London, where we will reintroduce ourselves into society. And focus on finding Fiona a suitable husband.”