Page 46 of A Duke to Undo her (The Husband Hunt #1)

The church was filled with family and friends; among them were her four older sisters, each with husbands of their own.

It was colorfully decorated, a theme of springtime she thought, based on the colors of the flowers and streamers.

At the end of the aisle was the altar and standing next to it were two men, neither of which were her future husband, so she guessed them to be his brother and best friend.

And then there was the man himself, Lord Robert… or not.

“Where is he?” her mother said in a whisper. “Daniel?”

“I…” Daniel was biting into his lower lip, his brow furrowed with confusion. “I am not sure.”

Iris’ betrothed was nowhere in sight. She had been told that he would be waiting for her—he was meant to be there right now, standing at the altar, watching her walk to him. But his space was empty and from the looks on the faces of the guests, his absence was causing confusion and panic.

“Daniel…” Iris turned to her brother. “What is going on?”

“Wait here.” Daniel released her hand and hurried down the aisle. At its end, he spoke in hushed whispers to a tall, dark and very imposing man who she knew to be the Duke of Crayford. And where Daniel appeared confused, the duke appeared furious.

That was when it dawned on her. From the anger on the duke’s face to the pitiful gazes that the guests were now fixing her in, it became all too clear what was happening. Her betrothed, the man who had forced this situation upon her, had decided not to show.

One might think that this would bring Iris some relief. And indeed, where there was a little bit of that, it was quickly replaced by anger.

How could he do this to me! To humiliate me like this. To spurn me! When he was the one who was its cause, when he was the one who forced this to begin with! And now… and now…

Iris was shaking with fury. Embarrassment too because the whispers about the church were growing. She caught hints of ‘poor girl,’ and ‘I can’t imagine how she must be feeling,’ uttered from the guests and all Iris wanted to do was turn and run and never look back.

“Quickly, Iris.” Her mother, still holding her hand, started to pull her back toward the entrance of the church. “Quickly, dear.”

“What? Where are we going?”

“Anywhere but here,” her mother said. She too looked furious because despite everything, Iris knew that her mother loved her more than the world and would do anything to protect her. “Hurry, now.”

Iris allowed herself to be dragged away.

As she was, she spared a final glance for the end of the aisle.

Her brother now looked enraged but that was nothing compared to the look that Lord Robert's older brother wore. It sent a shudder through Iris’ spine and for a moment she almost felt bad for her betrothed, as he would surely find himself on the other end of that man’s fury soon enough.

But that pity lasted less than a moment. Let him feel it, for it was the least that he deserved. This moment right here had effectively ended Iris’ life and try as she might she could not fathom how she might come back from it.

There would be no coming back from this. My life is over… as is my chance at ever getting my own happily ever after.

“How did this happen!” Iris’ mother cried with delirium. “How could it be allowed to— what is Lord Robert thinking!”

“I cannot say, Mother.” Daniel was pacing the room, hands behind his back, brows set, and eyes narrowed as he worked to control his temper. “His Grace is looking into it now.”

Iris’ mother scoffed. “No good calling the milk sour after it has been served. He assured us that his brother was willing.”

“He did.”

“And he promised us that this wedding would go ahead without cause for concern.”

“I know it, Mother.”

“Then how did this –”

“I am not sure!” Daniel spun on their mother, letting his temper finally get the best of him.

His face was red, his breathing was up, and he looked as if he might explode.

“But I intend to find out, which I will do. Now, please, Mother, I ask that you keep a level head. For Iris’ sake, if nothing else. ”

The three of them had adjourned to a small room located behind the church as they waited for answers. Iris, happy to go unnoticed as her mother and brother unraveled, stood in the back corner of the church, her head still spinning from all that had happened.

Now that she had come to reckon with the situation, despite how she’d been feeling earlier, she could not help but feel slightly relieved.

Oh sure, the repercussions of this slight would have its consequences and as was typical she would likely receive most of the blame.

But at least she wouldn’t have to marry Lord Robert.

Surely, that was something to celebrate?

Unfortunately, the likelihood of me marrying anyone else is just as slim. Who would want to now? I have done nothing wrong, but my reputation is so stained that I doubt there is a lord in the country who would dare to so much as look at me for fear of how it might be perceived.

It was a tragic circumstance. And in time, Iris would surely come to regret it. But for now, with nothing else to do, she chose to focus on the positive. She had always been optimistic like that.

“We should leave,” Iris’ mother said. “Quickly, before anything else should happen.”

“We can’t, Mother. His Grace asked that we wait here.”

She scoffed. “And I should care what His Grace says. As far as I am concerned, he is as much to blame as his brother.”

“Mother…” Daniel grimaced.

“What!” her mother cried. “Am I wrong? And was he here right now, I would gladly tell His Grace the same!”

“Tell me what, exactly,” a deep voice spoke suddenly from the doorway.

Iris’ mother gasped and her eyes widened as her mouth dropped open.

Daniel grimaced again, taking a step back as if the pure presence of the man who had entered the small room was so powerful that it demanded space.

And as for Iris? She could not help but stare, her breath leaving her, her pulse quickening, a sense of foreboding creeping up inside of her because the duke was, in her opinion, a rather intimidating creature to behold.

He was tall and broad of shoulder. He was thick in the body, but muscular and strapping.

And where he was not typically handsome…

there is something about him that undoubtedly is.

His features were large, even oversized.

A heavy brow, a large jaw, a crooked nose, full lips and big eyes that were green but so dark they were almost black.

His hair was black too, thick and curled, messy for one of his status; he had the appearance of a man who was unkept and wild in both posture and temperament.

He walked into the small room, heavy steps, and the world seemed to shrink around him as the shadows which were beaten back by the sun grew heavy as if he was their cause.

He cast his dark gaze over the three of them, it brought with it a commanding silence, a demand to listen and obey because above all else it was power that rippled off him in waves.

“Y—Your Grace,” Daniel stammered as he came into himself. “We did not see you there.”

“Your Grace!” Iris’ mother hurried to him. “I did not mean—I am simply a little distraught, is all. I meant no disrespect.”

The duke’s heavy brow furrowed as he looked the three of them over, letting the silence build in a way that had Iris’ skin breaking out in goosebumps.

“My brother,” he began, his voice thunderous. “It appears that he will not be joining us.” He waited for a comment before continuing. “That is to say that he has fled.”

“Fled?” Iris’ mother squawked. “What does that mean?”

“It means I do not know where he has gone,” the duke answered. As he spoke, the side of his lip twitched. “And if I know my brother as I do, he won’t be found until he wants to be.”

“Christ!” Daniel cursed. “Are you certain? There is no chance that he has simply gotten cold feet?”

“I have no doubt that he has,” the duke answered. “But the result is the same.” Then, he looked past Daniel and found Iris standing in the corner. “Lady Iris, I apologize for my brother and what his actions have caused.”

“Oh…” Iris blinked. When the duke met her eyes she felt herself pulled into his gaze, wrapped by it, the world around them shrinking back so that even if she wanted to, she wouldn’t have been able to look away. “That is… thank you.”

The duke frowned at the comment.

“I mean—not thank you. Just…” She laughed awkwardly, her stomach turning in a strange way the longer he looked at her. “I am sorry to hear that. But also, would it be so wrong if I was grateful for it.”

“Iris!” her mother cried. “She does not mean it, Your Grace.” Her mother widened her eyes at her. “She is simply distraught. Which you surely cannot blame her for.”

“I did not mean it like that,” Iris hurried to explain, tearing her eyes from the duke’s. Still, she felt him staring at her, and still she felt that strange fluttering in her stomach from it. “I just meant… well… it is not as if this marriage was a love match or—”

“Do not be silly!” her mother snapped. “You know well why this marriage had to happen.”

“She is right,” Daniel spoke up. “Regardless of the circumstances surrounding its instigation, I think we can all agree that it was necessary. And it still is.” He looked from Iris to the duke. “Which means, we must decide what is to be done.”

“Yes, yes,” her mother was saying. “When word of this gets out—Iris should not be the one made to suffer. No offense, Your Grace, but this is your brother’s doing and I would hope that you will agree to soften the blow of rumor this is sure to cause.”

“Perhaps we can come up with an excuse that will suit both parties,” Daniel offered. “An illness, maybe? One where Iris and Lord Robert are both allowed to save face. Your Grace?”

Iris was not looking at the duke when Daniel addressed him, but she could feel him looking at her. And when the silence built around Daniel’s suggestion, he continued to watch her without giving an answer.

The feel of his eyes on her made Iris’ skin prickle. It made her heart flutter. It made her feel scared but also excited in ways she did not understand.

“Your Grace?” Daniel pressed.

“No need for that,” His Grace said. Another long silence and Iris finally forced herself to look at the duke again, holding back her gasp because she met his dark eyes and saw in them anger, resignation, and something else that she could not quite read… “There will be no excuses made.”

Iris’ mother spoke up. “But—”

“My meaning is,” he cut over her with a snarl. Then, he sighed and shook his head, finally pulling his gaze from Iris. “I shall marry Lady Iris in my brother’s stead.”

Her mother gasped.

Daniel had a coughing fit.

And as for Iris? Her eyes widened. Her heart flipped. Her stomach dropped. And all she could think in that moment was whether this might be a case of jumping out of the saucepan and into the fire.