Page 31 of A Virgin for the Duke of Depravity (Ton’s Beasts #2)

“You will make a beautiful bride,” Theresa said over Margaret’s shoulder as the two women looked at their reflections in the looking glass the following day. She had woven Margaret’s long red hair into braids and pinned them up in the fashion of the day.

“I fear that my beauty matters very little,” Margaret said. “It does not look like my soon-to-be husband is enthused about this idea.”

“Leo is…” Theresa trailed off, her expression thoughtful. “He is a man of few words, but I do not think he is a bad match.”

“It feels as though he does not want a match of any kind.” Margaret shook her head and felt the sting at the back of her eyes.

It was her wedding day, when her father should have walked her down the aisle. Her mother should have been here in her chambers to help her get ready. She keenly felt the absence of everything this day lacked.

She took Theresa’s hands in her own and brought them to her lips.

“Thank you for being here,” she said, wishing to say no more about the mysterious man she was to marry. “I have lost so much, but I am glad that I will not lose you.”

“You will see. Life in London is far more fun than the nunnery.” Theresa tipped her head back and laughed to herself. “They may even permit you to sing the hymns when you attend mass.”

“An improvement in my life,” Margaret laughed. She was grateful for even a small moment of levity in the face of monumental decisions. “We shall both be duchesses before the day is out.”

“I will teach you everything you need to know to be a duchess,” Theresa promised. “You will not be on your own here in London. Leo will see to it that you have everything you need and want. I am sure of it.”

Margaret nodded and bit her bottom lip until it turned white. She could not let anyone see her cry on the day when she was to be the blushing bride. She had no problem with the blushing part.

“We should get you into your gown,” Theresa said gently.

Margaret rose from her seat in front of the mirror, wearing only her shift. Theresa held out the gown for her, allowing her to step into the pool of rich green fabric. It was the color of emeralds, highlighting her warm brown eyes and accentuating the flaming red of her hair.

Theresa helped her pull the fabric around her hips, over her bosom, and onto her shoulders.

“Breathe out,” she said, pulling the fabric tight along her back so that she could tighten the laces.

Margaret held her breath to make it easier. She tried not to move a muscle, afraid that it would be impossible for her to get into the one gown she owned.

Finally, the tugging stopped, and Theresa leaned over Margaret’s shoulder to press a kiss to her cheek.

“Thank the Lord I had this prepared for your last day here,” she said.

Margaret turned to look in the mirror and was surprised to see the woman staring back at her. She looked poised and serene, nothing like the storm that raged in her mind.

“You look beautiful,” Theresa murmured.

Margaret had never been one to give in to vanity. It was not one of the many things that the nuns had punished her for. Today, though, was a very different day. She would be the center of attention at the very small, intimate ceremony.

The only people who would attend their wedding were the girls, Theresa, and Aaron. There was no one else in the ton who would have been interested in their union. Although he was the King of Olympus, Leo did not have many friends.

“Thank you, Theresa,” Margaret said. “For… everything.”

For the dress. For your companionship and loyalty over the years.

A knock on the door startled both women.

“Your Grace, it is time for the ceremony,” a feminine voice said.

Margaret thought the maid was talking to Theresa, only to remember that she would become a duchess herself.

“Are you ready?” Theresa asked.

Margaret took a deep breath, as deep as she could within the confines of her gown. She looked once more in the mirror and then nodded.

“As much as I will ever be, I suppose,” she said with a small smile. When Theresa said nothing, she added, “Who is prepared for marriage?”

They left the room and stepped into the hall behind the maid. Immediately, they were met with the giggles of the girls, who were being chased down the stairs by Joan.

“You girls need to behave like ladies today,” Joan chided, a few steps behind them on the way to the gardens. “If I have to carry you to the wedding, I will do it!”

“Margaret!” Annie cried when she heard Margaret’s laugh.

Kitty turned around and came back up the stairs to take her hand, already calmer than she was when Joan was chasing after her.

The old governess heaved a sigh in Margaret’s direction. “Will you two finally listen to someone in this house?” she asked.

She leaned against the banister to catch her breath, one hand on her sore back. She smiled at Margaret, saving a stern look for Annie and Kitty.

“You don’t want to miss the wedding, do you?”

“We’ll be good! We will not miss it,” Annie said, joining Kitty beside Margaret.

Theresa, Margaret, and the girls followed Joan down the stairs. The girls led them through the halls and to the door leading out to the gardens.

“You two will sit in the lawn chairs like ladies,” Joan said to them, gesturing to the handful of chairs that were set up in front of the oak tree.

Each girl gave Margaret a hug before hurrying down the path to the chairs. Margaret hovered just out of sight, knowing that she would have to face Leo in just a few moments.

“We must not keep them waiting,” Theresa urged gently.

She put a hand between Margaret’s shoulders, rubbing a small circle. It was the same thing she used to do when they snuck into each other’s rooms at St. Agatha’s.

“We should go,” Margaret said finally.

She closed her eyes and took a step onto the path that would lead her to Leo. When she opened her eyes, she saw him waiting for her. There was no denying that she was attracted to him.

Leo was tall and muscular—she had seen those muscles in action when he took her grandfather down. She had developed a new appreciation for his body that went beyond what he had done to her at Olympus. His dark brown eyes were fixed on her, causing the color to rise in her cheeks.

Even his dark clothes looked pristine and suave today. They were timeless in a way that was rare in London.

Theresa tugged gently on her arm. It was her way of saying that they needed to keep moving, that she could not stop simply to admire the man who had agreed to marry her.

The Beast who had been commanded to marry her under the Queen’s edict.

They took a few more steps along the path, but Theresa drew to a halt and turned Margaret to face her. She studied her friend, how tight her expression was and the tension in her shoulders. Surely, she could feel Margaret’s uncertainty in her hand.

“Are you sure you do not want to take your vows?” she asked. “It is not too late to call this off. The Queen can find the Beast another bride.”

Margaret tried to make light of her friend’s concern. She thought about the alternative: returning to St. Agatha’s and allowing the nuns to punish her for every insolent thing she did. At least here, she would be free as Leo had promised her.

She smiled and tried to convey this to Theresa. “At least he won’t hurt me every time I make a mistake.”

When Theresa did not respond, Margaret let out a little laugh to show her that it was a joke. However, neither of them truly found it funny. Not with the scars that crisscrossed their backs—courtesy of Mother Superior.

Theresa stood in the middle of the aisle, her eyes darting between Leo and Margaret. Aaron quirked an eyebrow at his wife, questioning what the holdup was, but he knew better than to rush her.

Leo crossed his arms and glared at the two of them. He could not pretend, even for a moment, that he was happy about this arrangement. He was cold and calculating, just as he had always promised to be.

Theresa let her gaze linger on him a moment longer. “I thought…” She turned back to Margaret with a very serious expression on her face. “I suppose I thought…”

“Thought what?” Margaret pressed, trying to get her to finish before she had to say her vows to Leo. Perhaps it was something that could save her from this.

“It does not matter any longer,” Theresa said with a sigh. “This is the right thing to do, no matter what I might have thought.”

She took Margaret’s hand in her own again, and they resumed walking down the aisle. When they reached the makeshift altar, Theresa moved to Margaret’s side and took Aaron’s arm once more.

Why could she not have what her friend found in Aaron?

Why were some Beasts less beastly than others?

I will make the best of this situation. Surely, there are a few reasons why he might want to marry me.

Margaret glanced at Annie and Kitty, who were perched on the edges of their seats.

The truth was that she would enjoy getting to know them better.

That she would learn to love them more than she already did.

She could make a big difference in their lives, even if nothing else went the way she wanted.

Already, she had seen a change in them and how they related to their uncle.

She gave them a wave. The girls giggled with the excitement of being included in such a grown-up event. She would make sure that they were a part of everyday life here at Devishire Mansion. It would be her small act of service.

Leo cleared his throat, drawing her attention back to him.

He reached out and took her hands in his strong, more capable ones.

With great effort, she tried not to think of all the ways those hands had touched her in the library at Olympus.

Of all the other ways he would be permitted to touch her now.

She was unsure what marriage to Leo would mean, but she was certain of one thing: he would make her his now, in every sense of the word. He could be as possessive as he wanted to be now. He could not ruin her if they were married.