Page 110 of Her Beast of a Duke

She barely had a chance to get to her feet before her name was screamed through the halls, making her freeze.

Alicia flew past her, chasing the suggestion of something taking the attention off her.

“Hermia!” This time it was her father. “Come down here this instant!”

Hermia’s blood ran cold. She had not heard that tone in a long, long time. Not since she had made a mistake at her second-ever ball, where she had accidentally insulted a young lord by callinghim a pervert for leering at her. Her father had done incredibly expensive damage control after, but she hadn’t heard the end of it formonths.

Hurrying downstairs, she followed the voices of her family into the parlor. Her mother was leaning against a cabinet, an arm flung over her eyes, her frame shaking withhystericalsobs. Isabella and Sibyl sat behind them, perched on the settee.

Hermia panicked.

“What?” she asked her parents, moving into the room. “Whatever is wrong?”

“Uh-oh, the proper daughter is in trouble.” The snigger came from Isabella, who was picking her nails, a smug smirk on her face.

As angelic as she looked, Isabella could be a scheming little devil when it suited her, and Hermia fixed her with a glare sharp enough to cut ribbon.

Her comment had not gone unnoticed by their mother, though.

“Proper daughter,” she spat at Hermia. “Proper daughter? I would be on my knees, thanking God, if I had a proper daughter. How could you bring even more shame upon this family, Hermia? Is being forced into spinsterhood not enough for you? Howcouldyou?”

Hermia wanted to back up in confusion. Shewasa good daughter; she had always done what was asked, had never stepped out of line.

Swallowing every retort, never once taking a moment for herself, shehadbeen a proper daughter.

Except for?—

No. Now was not the time to think of such a thing.

“Whatever have I done?” she asked, distressed and anxious.

Her mother wailed against the cabinet while her father shook a paper in her face. Hermia’s heart thudded upon seeing the printer’s mark on the sheet, clear only for a moment, what with his wild gesticulating.

The scandal sheets.

“But… but I have no reason to be mentioned,” she whispered. “I-I have been in the countryside for a year!”

“Oh, you have plenty of reasons to be mentioned,” her father barked.

The Earl and Countess of Wickleby moved in tandem, both of them too riled up and furious to stay still.

“You are a disgrace. Heavens, no daughter of mine oughtevertodo this! I cannot even look at you, for I fear I have seen far more of you than a father ought to. You shame us, Hermia!”

Isabella snorted under her breath.

Yet Hermia was lost.

“Tell me!” she demanded. “Whatever have Idone? Please,please, Mother, what is this about? I do not understand.”

“It appears you do not understand a great deal today,” Alicia muttered, having taken her place behind fair-haired Isabella and dark-haired Sibyl.

Her three sisters watched her. Alicia looked as confused as her. Sibyl, only a year younger than Isabella at seven-and-ten, looked crestfallen. However, Isabella lookedtriumphant.

“Goodness, the shame is endless,” her mother groaned. “How much longer do I have to endure?—”

Hermia had finally had enough. “Endurewhat? Will either of you tell me what has happened?”

“Don’t you dare take that tone with us!” her father shouted. “Not after—not after?—”