Page 22 of On the Ropes of Scandal (With Love in Their Corner #3)

The vicar cleared his throat and continued. “Lord Frampton, repeat after me…” He intoned words that Phoebe scarcely heard until Duncan said them to her.

“I, Duncan Matthew Stapleton, Lord Frampton, take thee Miss Phoebe Elizabeth Bidwell to my wedded Wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish,” he stumbled over those words, but quickly recovered, “’till death us do part, according to God’s holy ordinance; and thereto I plight thee my troth.

” When his gaze collided with hers, she gasped at the intensity there.

What was he thinking?

They were directed to release hands, and Phoebe was told to then hold Duncan’s right hand with her right hand.

“Ahem.” The vicar addressed her. “Miss Bidwell, repeat after me.” He gave her the words, and she prayed she would say them all in the proper order and not make a fool out of herself due to nerves.

“I, Miss Phoebe Elizabeth Bidwell, take thee Duncan Matthew Stapleton, Lord Frampton to my wedded Husband.” She paused to swallow.

“To have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, cherish, and to obey, ’till death us do part, according to God’s holy ordinance.

” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “And thereto I give thee my troth.” How slightly terrifying such a thing was.

Please let me show him—and myself—this isn’t a mistake.

They were instructed to again release their hands.

Duncan gave a ring to the vicar, who then laid it upon his open Book of Common Prayer and then her soon-to-be husband offered a small leather purse of what she assumed was a form of payment for services rendered.

She needed to remember to ask Duncan about it later.

Then Mr. Cochran returned the ring to Duncan, and she quickly tugged the glove from her left hand.

He slipped it onto the fourth finger of that hand, and she couldn’t help but admire the silver band set with small, oval-shaped sapphires and aquamarine gemstones that winked in the candlelight, for the morning was, of course, overcast.

Mr. Cochran directed him to repeat another set of words while she quickly tugged on her glove.

“With this Ring I thee wed, with my Body I thee worship, and with all my worldly Goods I thee endow. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.”

Oh, heavens, we are truly wed.

“I will invite everyone in attendance to pray for the new nuptial couple,” Mr. Cochran offered with a grin.

In much awkwardness, Phoebe kneeled when Duncan did, still clutching his hand while her thoughts spun.

As the words of a prayer droned on, she closed her eyes and sent up a simpler prayer of her own, asking for strength to survive what would surely be a difficult adjustment to a brand-new life, one she had no knowledge about.

I don’t know if I’m capable of any of this.

He leaned over, and with his lips at the shell of her ear, he whispered, “I will teach you everything you need to know; despite why we have had to wed, I won’t let you fall. I know what it’s like feeling as if you’ll disappoint everyone around you.”

A tremor set up around her heart, and she nodded. Perhaps this wouldn’t be as big a mistake as she assumed.

When she and Duncan stood, Mr. Cochran intoned, “I now pronounce thee husband and wife.”

And then it was over. Polite clapping went through the assembled guests.

No longer was she the pleasantly plump country bumpkin, Phoebe Bidwell who’d suffered more grief in a lifetime than anyone should. And, good heavens, she would miss her aunt and the bakery! Now, she was Lady Frampton, the wife of a prize fighter and a co-owner of a boxing salon.

The vicar smiled. “If you could just sign the register?” Then he addressed the witnesses. “I am told the wedding breakfast is ready to be served across the hall in the dining room, if you would like to join the dowager countess there.”

When Duncan applied pressure to Phoebe’s upper arm, she accompanied him to the small table near the windows where the clerk sat where they both signed the registry, which made the union official.

Only then did she overhear a few snatches of whispers as some of the guests she didn’t know drifted from the room.

“…wed in haste, repent in leisure. Does anyone know who she is? He’ll throw her over for a mistress soon…”

“…why did he choose her when he could have married someone from the ton …”

“…a man as handsome as him is certainly wasted on her…”

With every word, Phoebe died a little more inside.

Instead of the joyous—somewhat—occasion, the day brought instead a murky future.

The desire to cry silly tears for fear she’d made a mistake climbed her chest. Why had Duncan chosen to marry her when she was vastly unsuited for the position?

Surely, the gossips would shred whatever remained of her reputation.

And he would come to resent her.

The Countess of Lethbridge came to her rescue.

She grabbed one of Phoebe’s hands and squeezed in support.

“Don’t listen to those women. Stiff upper lip, Phoebe, and remember.

The best revenge is to show naysayers that you are, indeed, succeeding and thriving.

” She patted Phoebe’s hand. “I know you’re made of sterner stuff than they think.

Duncan wouldn’t have picked you otherwise. ”

“I shall try my best, but he didn’t choose me. He was forced to do this,” Phoebe whispered. She stumbled over to a window. After unlocking the latch, she gently pushed open the glass and breathed in lungsful of the crisp autumn air in an effort to stem the welling tears.

“The fight is only just starting,” the countess whispered as she patted Phoebe’s shoulder. “Stapleton men don’t go down easily, and you’ll need to fight—sometimes fiercely—for what you want out of life. Including them.”

She nodded. “Thank you.” That made sense even if she didn’t understand the boxing part of her new husband’s life.

Duncan joined them and thanked the countess for coming. As she went off to find the earl, he slipped an arm about her waist. “The first rule of understanding life in the beau monde is acknowledging that there are vipers in our midst. Don’t let them bite you, and don’t mind their barbs.”

“Duncan is quite correct.” This from his middle brother, Viscount Wexley, who beamed at her with amusement sparkling in his eyes. “We’ve all landed in the mire before, and Duncan many more times than the rest of us. The trick is to ignore them.”

“It is quite difficult, though. I’m afraid I’ll embarrass myself and all of you, when you’ve been nothing but lovely toward me.”

Her new husband snorted. “Except me.” But he kept his hand at the small of her back, and she appreciated the warmth of the connection.

Again, she breathed in the fresh outside air as the remainder of the guests filtered from the room. “You have good reason.”

Viscount Wexley shook his head. “Nonsense. You’re a Stapleton now, and have a family behind you to fight for you.

It makes all the difference.” Coming close, he bussed her cheek.

“Congratulations, Lady Frampton. I look forward to knowing you better.” With a wink at Duncan, he said, “I should find my wife. Otherwise, she’ll have much to say about my tardiness. ”

Then she was alone with her husband.

At the door to the room, Mr. Cochran and his clerk lingered to talk with a couple of guests in low tones, but the full of her attention was on Duncan.

“I meant what I said earlier. I’ll school you on the peers and their wives in the ton , who to befriend and who to avoid, which causes and charities you might wish to dip a toe into.

” A muscle ticced in his cheek. “It’s the least I can do now that you’ve ultimately gotten what you wanted after having me compromise you in Cranleigh. ”

“I apologized for that. How many times must I continue doing so?” Would he hold that over her head for the length of their union? What a bitter existence, if so.

“I realize that, but that doesn’t mean I’m not still angry.”

Fair enough. “I’m angry too.” She forced down a hard swallow.

“I never wanted a husband who doesn’t want me.

” If she were ever going to stand toe-to-toe with him and rest on level ground so to speak with him, she’d need to fight.

Not that she had any idea how to do that either.

“If you hadn’t continually caused your family embarrassment with multiple scandals each year, perhaps we wouldn’t be here, for your family was merely looking for an excuse for you to be married. I was a convenient scapegoat.”

That was the truth. It wasn’t so much her indiscretion and lies, but his family’s wish to tamp down on having Duncan run amok through London.

His eyes flashed anger. “So then all of you have neatly managed to trap me. Bravo, Lady Frampton. Well played.”

“Enough.” Phoebe blew out a breath. “If you feel trapped, so do I.” She went as far as to stamp a slipper-clad foot in her aggravation.

“I don’t want to tame you, Will… er Duncan.

I like you as you are, or were, for I don’t know the you of London.

” Lightly, she bit her bottom lip, and his gaze dropped to her mouth.

Tears welled in her eyes. “Frankly, I’m terrified of this new life.

I wasn’t bred for it; I’m a country girl, from a simple life.

I know nothing about the beau monde , and because of that, I’ll embarrass you.

And that is never what I wanted from what is between us. ”

“Calm yourself, Phoebe.” He pressed his handkerchief into her hand. “I have never learned how to guard my words. They just flow out of my mouth as soon as I think of them, regardless of if they are hurtful.”

“You have every right to speak your mind.” She dabbed at the corners of her eyes with the pocket square. “So do I.”

“Perhaps, but I can see how we have been tossed into the ring, so to speak, and have been told to battle it out despite what we both might have wanted… before.”

The concession was unexpected, but it gave her a modicum of comfort.

She shook her head. “This is my life now—ours I suppose—and perhaps my penance for tricking you. However, if you betray our wedding vows, I deserve that for what I did, and there is nothing I can do that will make things right again.” She sniffled and wiped her nose.

“Infidelity is never anything a wife or husband should suffer through.” When he cupped her cheek, she nearly melted into him from the unexpected touch. His eyes softened as he looked at her. “If you do penance, then so must I, for I was far more scandalous by myself than with you.”

A tear fell to her cheek. “Please say you forgive me. I never wished to hurt you, and I hope…” She swallowed. “Well, I hope we can find our way to friendship again.”

His expression crumpled, and for one terrible moment, she assumed he might cry, but he mastered his emotions.

“Of course I forgive you. How can I hold you in judgment when I’m as guilty?

” But there were shadows in his eyes, and hurt.

He wiped away the tear with the pad of his gloved thumb.

“We need to move past what happened in Surrey.”

“How? It’s one reason we are here.” Would she ever be able to gain his trust again?

“I don’t know, but like we did then, we will muddle through.”

She nodded. “Thank you.”

A wave of silence brewed between them.

Finally, Duncan blew out a breath and gave himself a shake.

Then, he bestowed a grin on her. “Well, there are worse people to spend the time with, hmm? You and I got on well enough before.” When he shrugged, her attention was taken up with the breadth of his shoulders.

“It’s rather lovely to have a partner in scandal this time ’round, and your indiscretion has taken the focus off me for a change.

” His grin widened while amusement twinkled in his eyes.

Clearly, he was trying to joke and break the tension.

It cheered her, but only just. Then she couldn’t help it, and a snort of laughter escaped her tight throat. Phoebe gave his chest a playful slap. “Don’t be more of an idiot than you can help… Duncan.”

“Ha.” He winked, and flutters went through her lower belly. “Thank you for the reminder. Let us go into breakfast. I’m famished.”

“Aren’t you always?”

Her husband didn’t answer. Instead, he drew her hand through his crooked shoulder and led her from the room.

How am I going to survive this frightening new life?