Page 16 of The Beast’s Duchess (Duchesses of Inconvenience #1)

“You didn’t sleep a wink the whole ride here. You can’t tell me you aren’t tired.”

“I’m not! I want to stay up and talk to Veronica.”

“No, you want to sit up and play with my dogs,” she laughed.

“She, and the dogs will be there when you wake up,” Rose said, shaking her head.

“But I want to see them now.”

“Come now, we both know that if you stay up much longer, you’re going to start to be grumbly and you aren’t going to be having a fun time. Don’t you want to make a good impression on your new brother in law at dinner?”

“Yes,” she crossed her arms.

“Then why don’t you head to our room across the hall and take a little nap.”

“But what if I miss something fun?”

“You won’t. I promise to wake you up before we get into anything too exciting.”

“You promise?”

“Cross my heart.”

“All right, I’m going to go lay down for a bit, but if I find out something exciting happened and you didn’t wake me, I’m going to be cross with you!”

The sisters narrowly bit back their laughter as she begrudgingly left the room. Milly didn’t make it very far, pausing in the doorway to look back at them as if she expected them to tell her they changed their mind and that she should come back.

Of course they didn’t. It was obvious to both of them that she needed some rest. Instead they just watched as she realized they weren't going to tell her to stay. Her shoulders sagged and she finally slumped across the hall.

Veronica looked to her sister and dared to let out a quiet chuckle. “I know she would be livid if she heard me laugh, but it is so hard not to when she gets like that.”

“I know! It is just so cute!”

“It is good to see that some things still haven’t changed.”

“I’m glad we were able to bring you some of the comfort of home.”

“And I think that is the best transition we are going to have.”

“Transition to what?”

Veronica leaned forward in her seat, letting out a deep breath. “I don’t know how to ask this.”

“How strange I was the one saying that not long ago, so allow me to echo your words, there is nothing you can’t ask me. Everything has been well with us.”

“While I am glad to hear that, that only makes me more unsure.”

“Unsure of what?”

“Do you want to tell me why mother and father aren’t here with you two?”

Her face fell. “Yes, that.”

“Rose, did something happen?”

She sighed, leaning on her elbows. “I suppose there's no point in putting it off.”

“I thought you said it wasn't that bad.”

“In some ways it isn’t. In some ways it upsets me all the more.”

“Please just tell me. I’m starting to get nervous.”

She sighed. “Well. They said where you live is too remote and out of the way to be worth visiting.”

Relife flooded Veronica. She couldn’t help but smile, letting out a small laugh. “Oh, is that all?”

“What do you mean is that all? They basically admitted they didn’t want to see you! It is terrible!”

“Perhaps, but if I’m honest, I didn’t want to see them either.”

“I don’t understand.”

“What’s not to understand? After the way they treated me on my wedding day, I was less than interested in facing them again.”

“I see,” her face fell slightly. “I suppose I can understand that,” she hesitated.

“What is it?” Veronica asked. “You know you can speak freely with me.”

“I know, I was just- was what they did really that bad?”

“I consider it unforgivable. They treated me as less than a daughter—nothing more than an asset to trade for financial security.”

She looked away. “I know they did, but you’re going to forgive them, aren’t you?”

“I don’t know if I can.”

“Why not? You’re happy now, aren’t you?”

Veronica smiled. “I am happier than I would have expected. I think I’m really starting to build a life here.”

“Then what’s the problem? They didn’t really cause any harm, and they are our parents. No matter what they did or how we feel, there’s nothing we can do that will change that. They were doing what they thought would be best for all of us, regardless of how misguided as it might have been.”

“How can you be so sure of that?”

Rose just gave a tight smiled. “Because I need to think that.”

She took a deep breath. “You’re right. They are our parents.

Neither you nor I can change anything about that fact.

That’s why what they did was so unforgivable.

They were supposed to love and look after me.

I’ve escaped being wedded to a lecher, but…

Rose, am I so difficult to love? Am I only worth a bit of money? ”

“I can understand why you feel that way, but-”

“Are you really going to look me in the eye and say it isn’t true?”

Rose shook her head. “I don’t want to believe it is.”

“But I lived through it. I don’t have a choice but to believe it.”

“I suppose I can understand that,” Rose said reluctantly.

“But truly, Rose, I don’t wish to talk about it any longer. Please tell me of something more cheerful! How have you been since I left? Do you have any suitors of your own?”

Rose chuckled, looking away. “Not as of yet.”

“But they are taking you to balls again? You have what you need?”

“We do. You don’t need to worry about us so much.”

“It's hard not to. Old habits die hard I suppose.”

“I can understand that, but we really are all right.”

“I’m so glad to hear that.”

Rose looked away. “I have to confess, I have been rather worried about you too.”

“You don’t need to.”

“How could I not be? We didn't even get a chance to say a proper goodbye after the wedding.”

“I know. It was horrible. I wanted nothing more than to run to you and hide away somewhere.”

“I felt the same way. It soothes my heart to see you doing so much better now.”

“Me too. I was worried about how you and Milly would do on your own.”

She laughed. “You make it sound like you were abandoning us in the middle of the woods.”

“Wasn’t I?”

“I would hardly say you had.”

“Well, I can assure you, it very much felt that way.”

“That’s rather funny. It very much felt like that was what I was doing to you.”

“You didn’t leave me anywhere.”

“Didn’t I?” she said, echoing Veronica’s own concerns.

“It didn’t feel that way to me. The only ones who abandoned me were our parents.”

She shook her head. “It wasn’t like that.”

“Please, can we just drop this for the moment? I just want to enjoy my time with my sisters while it lasts.”

“Of course. I’m sorry if I was pushing it too much.”

“It’s alright,” she assured.

Rose let out a breath. “Well, I think I’m going to go check on Milly for a bit.”

“That’s probably a good idea. You know how much she likes to wander off and get into mischief.”

“Yes, quite.”

“Oh!” Veronica said, stopping her just before she was about to slip out the door. “Before you go, I wanted to warn you, we aren’t in the habit of dressing for dinner. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Truly?” Rose didn’t try to keep the surprise from her voice.

“Yes, I know it is unusual, but we are a rather small household. It always seemed unnecessary. I hope that won’t be a problem. I can understand it isn’t quite what you’re used to.”

“Nor what you would have been used to when you first arrived,” she frowned. “That must have been hard for you.”

“If anything, it’s one less thing I need to think about every day.”

“Still, I must ask if you miss it.”

She blinked. “If I’m honest, I hadn’t let myself think about it in some time.”

“I see,” Rose smiled halfheartedly. “Well, if you don’t want us to dress, we won’t.”

“Thank you. I hope it isn’t too much of a let down to Milly.”

“I’m sure she will be a bit disappointed, but I’m sure she will cope just fine. You learned to.”

She looked away. “But it was never something I cared much about. We both know how Milly can be.”

“She will have plenty of other opportunities to dress up. I’ll see you at dinner, won’t I?”

“Of course. I’ll see you then.”

Veronica couldn’t help but bite back her disappointment as she watched her sister walk away. She had expected her to be on her side. She had thought Rose would agree just how bad her parents had been, but she hadn’t.

More than that, she thought Veronica thought she should simply forgive them and act as though nothing had happened.

As she sat there, lost in her thoughts, Daisy came in. She frowned when she saw the duchess sitting there.

“Is something the matter, your grace? I thought you would be happy since your sisters are here.”

“I am, I’m just rather tired,” she forced a smile. “It has been a while since we’ve had a house full of people.”

She chuckled. “I thought you said your family didn’t constitute a house full of people.”

“It doesn’t. I suppose I’m just not as used to it as I once was.”

“Then I don’t know how you can expect the rest of the household to cope if you find yourself struggling.”

“I’m not struggling, I'm simply tired.”

“Of course. Would you like to take a nap before dinner?”

“I don’t think that’s necessary. I think I just need a little bit of time away from all the noise.”

“Do you want me to take the dogs for a walk? I could give you a few minutes alone?”

Veronica thought for a moment, “Yes, actually. I think that would be lovely. Thank you.”

Daisy curtsied before making her way from the room, the dogs in toe.

Veronica put her head in her hands with a sigh. She didn’t hold it against Rose that she had forgiven their parents so easily. She would never want her to harbor the anger that Veronica had, besides it would be hard to live with someone and feel this way.

For that matter, Veronica hadn’t realized just how she felt until she knew she was going to see them again.

Instead of the excitement she had felt at the thought of seeing her sisters, all she felt about the idea of seeing them again was a heavy sense of dread.

She was glad she had been able to avoid it this time, but she knew she could hardly avoid them for the rest of her life.

But none of that mattered for the moment. For now, all she was going to focus on was enjoying time with her sisters. It had been far too long since she had seen them and she was going to make the most of every moment they had together.