Page 33 of His Forsaken Duchess (Beastly Dukes #1)

Thirty-Two

“ W hat do you think of this one?” Audrey held up a pale green silk dress, glancing over at her sister.

Lilianna, seated on the edge of the bed, wrinkled her nose as though the dress offended her. “It’s too bright.”

Grace, who was arranging accessories atop the vanity, turned at once, her eyebrows rising in maternal disbelief. “Too bright? Nonsense. It is the perfect shade, and it sets off your eyes beautifully.”

Lilianna jutted her chin stubbornly. “It will make me stand out.”

“That,” Grace said firmly, moving to stand beside Audrey, “is precisely the point.”

Audrey smiled faintly, her fingers running over the soft silk. “Mama is right. You must not skulk about the ballroom as though you wish to disappear. There is no shame in being seen, Lilianna. In fact, it’s the surest way to remind the ton of what a lovely young woman you are.”

“But that’s just it,” Lilianna replied, her voice catching slightly. “What if they look too closely? What if?—”

“No what ifs,” Grace cut in gently but decisively. “The dress is lovely, and it suits you. A pale shade of green is hardly scandalous. We shall keep the jewelry understated, and you will look as you should—elegant and composed.”

Lilianna glanced down at her lap, wringing her hands. Audrey saw the hesitation flicker across her face, so fleeting yet painfully familiar.

“Lilianna,” she said softly, stepping forward and holding the dress out again, “do you trust me?”

Lilianna’s gaze met hers, vulnerable but steady. “Yes.”

“Then wear this dress,” Audrey said, her voice both gentle and firm. “Wear it and let them see how resilient you are.”

For a moment, it seemed as though her sister might argue further, but then Lilianna’s shoulders slumped, her resolve crumbling. “Very well,” she murmured. “I’ll wear it.”

Grace smiled approvingly. “Good girl. Now, I?—”

A sharp knock at the door interrupted her, followed almost immediately by the housekeeper’s voice. “Pardon me, Your Ladyship, but I must speak with you about tonight’s arrangements.”

Grace turned to her, furrowing her brow. “Very well, Mrs. Haynes. Excuse me for a moment, girls.”

With a nod to her daughters, she swept out of the room and disappeared into the hallway, her voice mingling with Mrs. Haynes’s as they discussed dinner guests and carriages.

Silence fell over the room again, and Audrey carefully draped the green dress over a nearby chair before turning back to Lilianna. Her sister was perching on the edge of her vanity seat, her back stiff and her eyes focused on some distant point beyond the window.

Audrey crossed the room and sat on the bed, patting the space beside her. “Come here.”

Lilianna hesitated but finally rose from her seat and sat down on the bed. The mattress dipped slightly beneath their combined weight, and for a long moment, neither of them spoke.

Audrey broke the silence first, keeping her tone light, though her heart ached for her sister. “How do you feel about attending the ball?”

Lilianna twisted her hands nervously in her lap. “I’m terrified,” she admitted in a whisper.

Audrey’s face softened. “That is perfectly natural. But I promise you, Lilianna, things are improving. Lord Belleville has already expressed an interest in seeing you there.”

Lilianna turned to look at her, her brow furrowed. “Do you know him well?”

“Well enough,” Audrey replied carefully, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her sister’s ear. “He is a friend of Cedric’s, and my husband would never befriend anyone unworthy of trust.”

Lilianna sighed, her expression conflicted. “Lord Belleville is very handsome and charming. I know I ought to feel flattered, but…”

“But you still think of Rashford,” Audrey finished for her, the words clipped with barely contained irritation.

Lilianna looked down, guilt and longing warring in her eyes. “I know what he did was wrong, but?—”

“But nothing.” Audrey sat straighter, her voice sharpening as her frustration bled through. “Lilianna, where has he been all this time? While you suffered this scandal? While you wept and worried? Not here. He did not even have the decency to tell you that he was betrothed. You deserve better than a man who would treat you so dishonorably.”

Tears pooled in Lilianna’s eyes, her lower lip trembling. “You are right.”

Audrey’s heart clenched, the heat of her anger dissipating at the sight of her sister’s anguish. “Oh, Lili,” she murmured, reaching for her hand. “I know it hurts. I know you cared for him. But that does not mean he cared for you. A man’s actions are far more telling than his words, and his actions have shown you nothing but neglect.”

Lilianna sniffled, blinking back tears as she clung to Audrey’s hand. “Do you really think things will get better?”

Audrey squeezed her hand tightly. “Yes, I do. You are stronger than you realize, and tonight will be the first step toward reclaiming your place in Society.”

Lilianna nodded, though her gaze remained downcast. Audrey studied her carefully, seeing both her strength and fragility, and vowed silently that no man—not even Lord Rashford—would destroy her sister’s future.

A sharp knock at the door interrupted the moment. Both sisters looked up as Lilianna’s lady’s maid entered, a folded note in her hand.

“Lady Lilianna,” the maid said, her voice tentative, “this arrived just now. The messenger asked that it be delivered directly to you.”

Audrey frowned, suspicion making her sit straighter as she watched Lilianna take the note. The maid curtsied and retreated quickly, leaving the sisters alone once more.

“What is it?” Audrey asked, unable to stop herself as she watched Lilianna’s expression shift. Her sister’s fingers trembled as she turned the note over, inspecting the neat, unfamiliar scrawl on the front.

“It’s from…” Lilianna’s voice faltered, her cheeks flushing. “It’s from Lord Rashford.”

Audrey’s heart sank, her stomach twisting into knots. “What?”

Lilianna unfolded the note, her hands shaking as her eyes scanned the page. A strange light entered her face—hope, disbelief, and something perilously close to joy.

“He wants me to meet him,” she said breathlessly. “This afternoon. At Green Park.”

“No,” Audrey said immediately, the word sharp and decisive as she surged to her feet.

Lilianna blinked up at her, confusion clouding her features. “Audrey?—”

“Absolutely not,” Audrey repeated, her voice ringing with finality. “You cannot go.”

Lilianna stood up as well, the note crumpling slightly in her grip. “But he wrote to me. He wants to see me. Perhaps he?—”

“Perhaps he what ?” Audrey cut her off, her voice rising. “Cares for you? If he cared for you, Lilianna, he would have stood by you when the scandal broke. He would have defended you, supported you, done something. But he didn’t. He vanished. And now, when your reputation is beginning to recover, when you are finally moving forward, he dares to resurface?”

Lilianna flinched, tears welling up in her eyes once more. “But what if he truly regrets it?”

“Then let him regret it,” Audrey snapped, her frustration boiling over. “Let him spend the rest of his life regretting it. But do not let him drag you down again. Think of what people will say if you are seen together. Think of what Papa will do.”

The mention of their father’s wrath seemed to strike a nerve.

Lilianna hesitated, the note trembling in her hands. “But?—”

“If you meet him,” Audrey pressed, her voice softening but losing none of its urgency, “you may as well prepare yourself to marry the old man Papa has chosen for you. Because that is precisely what will happen if you ruin your reputation again.”

Lilianna’s breath hitched, her face paling at the thought. Slowly, her gaze dropped to the note, as though seeing it for what it truly was—a trap.

“You’re right,” she whispered finally, the words broken and heavy. “You’re right, Audrey. I won’t go.”

Audrey exhaled, relief flooding her chest. She stepped forward, gathering Lilianna’s trembling form in her arms. “It will be all right,” she murmured softly, rubbing her sister’s back. “I promise you, everything will be all right.”

Cedric entered Haremore House just as the sun dipped below the horizon. He shrugged off his coat and gloves with mechanical precision and handed them to the waiting footman. Frustration simmered beneath his composed facade as he strode toward his study.

As he reached the hallway, he caught movement in the drawing room. Audrey.

She stood in the doorway, her posture rigid and her hands clasped tightly before her. Her face, usually composed, was shadowed with worry.

Cedric’s pace slowed, and he furrowed his brow as he took in her expression. “Audrey,” he said, his voice low and intent, “what is the matter?”

She hesitated, her lips parting as though to answer, but nothing came. Her uncertainty struck him like a blow to the chest.

Without another word, he stepped forward and took her hand, his fingers closing around hers firmly. “Come.”

Audrey blinked up at him, startled, but she let him lead her down the hallway. Cedric didn’t release her hand until they reached his study, and only then did he close the heavy door behind them. The room was dim now, the last remnants of daylight filtering through the tall windows. He turned to face her, leaning back against the edge of his desk as he folded his arms over his chest, his gaze sharp.

“What happened?” he demanded, his voice steady but threaded with a quiet urgency.

Audrey exhaled slowly, as though gathering her thoughts. “It’s Lilianna.”

At the name, a familiar knot of protectiveness coiled tight in Cedric’s chest. “What about her?”

Audrey stepped forward, her skirts rustling faintly. “She received a note today,” she said carefully, meeting his gaze. “From Lord Rashford.”

Every muscle in Cedric’s body tensed. “Rashford,” he growled. “He sent her a note?”

Audrey nodded. “He asked her to meet him in Green Park this afternoon.”

Cedric’s jaw clenched, his teeth grinding as anger rose swiftly and sharply in his chest. “The note is suspicious,” he said, his voice clipped. “The man has been evading the ton for weeks— spreading lies about joining the army, as though anyone would believe it. And now he resurfaces to send secret missives to your sister? What game is he playing?”

“I don’t know,” Audrey replied softly, her voice tight with worry. “But his timing is deliberate. He knows Lilianna is vulnerable right now.”

Cedric pushed off the desk and walked toward the window. The sight of his reflection in the glass—his dark, furrowed brow and tight mouth—did little to quell the storm raging inside him.

“This reeks of manipulation. He knows she still harbors feelings for him and is using that to his advantage.”

Audrey’s voice came softly from behind him. “That is what I fear most.”

Cedric turned sharply, his gaze piercing as he faced her. “We need to keep an eye on her. Lady Lilianna may appear well on the surface, but beneath it, she is vulnerable. If Rashford is as much of a snake as I suspect, he will know how to twist that vulnerability into something dangerous.”

Audrey nodded, though her shoulders seemed to slump slightly. “I agree. But I spoke with my mother earlier, and she seems hopeful. She mentioned Lord Belleville’s attentions—how kind and steady they are. She wants to believe that this will all end well. That Lilianna will recover.”

Cedric’s expression darkened as he crossed his arms over his chest once more. “Belleville is not looking for a wife.”

Audrey sighed and moved to the chair by the fire, sitting down with an uncharacteristic weariness. “I know,” she admitted. “But hope is a difficult thing to quash. I want it for her too—for Lilianna, for my mother. I want them to have respite from all this.”

Cedric’s anger faltered slightly at the quiet grief in her tone. His eyes softened as he watched her sitting there, her shoulders drawn and her hands folded tightly in her lap. Before he could think better of it, he stepped toward her and rested his hands gently on her shoulders.

Audrey started slightly at the contact, tilting her head up to look at him. For a moment, she hesitated, her composure fraying at the edges.

“Did you know,” she said quietly, her voice soft but steady, “that my mother struggled to conceive?”

Cedric frowned, caught off guard. “No.”

“She did,” Audrey murmured, her gaze dropping to her lap. “And when she finally gave birth to Lilianna and me, it nearly killed her. In the end, it did.” She paused, her fingers twisting together. “Our father never forgave us for it. He blamed us—blamed her—for failing him. For the estate passing to the Crown. Even when he remarried, my stepmother gave him another daughter, and she suffered under the same cruel disappointment.”

Cedric’s chest tightened at the pain in her voice. The admission, so raw and unguarded, struck him like a physical blow.

“I learned early on,” Audrey continued, her voice cracking slightly, “that the only way to survive was to be in control. To know the rules of every situation. To anticipate every outcome.” She swallowed hard, blinking against the firelight. “I want Lilianna and Clarise to succeed. I want them to have the life they deserve. I want Grace to have peace.”

Cedric moved without thought, sitting beside her on the edge of the chair. He reached for her then, drawing her gently into his arms. Audrey stiffened at first, clearly startled, but when he didn’t let go, she relented, resting her head against his chest, her breaths soft and steady.

“No harm will come to your sister,” Cedric said quietly, his voice rough but steady. “I swear it.”

Audrey tilted her head back slightly to look up at him, her eyes shadowed with doubt. “You cannot promise that.”

“I can,” Cedric said firmly, his arms tightening around her. “I failed Cecilia, but I will not fail Lady Lilianna. I will see Rashford brought to heel, whatever it takes.”

Audrey’s fingers curled into the fabric of his coat, her touch light but grounding. For a long moment, neither of them spoke, the silence filled only by the crackling of the fire.

Cedric closed his eyes briefly, his chin resting on the crown of her head. Holding her like this—so close and so trusting—sent a strange, aching warmth through him. He had thought himself immune to such things as comfort or tenderness. He had spent years building walls to keep them out, believing they would only invite pain. And yet, as he held Audrey in his arms, the emotions within him shifted.

The memory of Cecilia lingered at the edges of his mind, but for the first time, it didn’t feel as heavy. Audrey’s presence filled the space, soothing the old wounds he hadn’t realized were still raw.

“I will protect her,” he said again, his voice softer this time, as though he were reassuring himself as much as her.

Audrey sighed faintly, her breath warming the fabric of his coat. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Cedric looked down at her, his dark eyes lingering on the delicate curve of her cheek and the way the firelight kissed her hair. He had told himself for so long that love was a weakness, an affliction he could not afford. But as he sat there, holding his wife, the thought crept unbidden into his mind.

What if I am falling in love with her?

The realization unsettled him, coiling in his chest like a rope. He could not allow it. And yet he did not let her go.