Page 17 of The Dark Duke’s Cinderella (The Untamed Ladies #1)

CHAPTER 17

A week later, Philip stood outside a chapel on the outskirts of Bath. Every Duke of Wells in history was married at Westminster Abbey in London.

When discussing the location of his wedding to Anna, her mother had advocated for tradition, wanting all of London to witness her daughter become a duchess, despite the scandal blemishing their betrothal. Anna and Philip had refused, preferring a modest ceremony, out of sight.

They had settled on the chapel where Anna’s maternal grandparents had wed, a short ride from the Earl of Bristol’s country seat, where the wedding breakfast would be held later that day.

Philip squinted up at the sky that morning. A bright blue, speckled with clouds. The week had passed in a blur, with preparations being made in all haste for the wedding. He had written to the staff of his country manor in Sussex, ordering them to prepare the house for his new bride and sister. He would stay a few days to ensure that Anna didn’t run away. Then, he would return to London, where he could start leading his separate life.

Turning his snuffbox over in his pocket, his mind turned to Graham. He winced, knowing his friend would have disapproved of every decision he had made regarding Anna.

It had been easy for Graham and Elinor. They had met in their childhood and promised themselves to one another before her first Season. Not for the first time Philip thought how unfair it all was. Graham deserved to be standing there instead of him.

Elinor appeared suddenly in the periphery of his vision. For the first time in months, she was dressed in a color other than black, and the purple satin of her gown shone in the sun. Her bonnet hung loosely from her hand as she turned her face toward the light.

“Did you walk here all the way from Bristol Park?” Philip asked, crossing the cobbled path to meet her. He pressed a formal kiss to her cheek, still not sure whether she had forgiven him. “The wedding is not for another hour.”

“I wanted to stretch my legs,” she explained, turning in a circle to observe their surroundings. “Can you blame me? I’ve been locked away in London for so long that I forgot what fresh air feels like against my skin. If you had married a day earlier, I would still have been in full mourning. I know people will scoff at the color.” She looked down at her dress. “But Graham will forgive me from his seat high in heaven for not sporting such a melancholy color as black on the day of my brother’s wedding… I can scarcely believe any of this real.”

Philip followed her gaze as it traveled to the nearby woods. “If we hadn’t been constrained by time, I would never have set the date for today.”

“Don’t say that.” Elinor smiled, shaking her head softly. “It’s fitting. My marriage ended on the day yours began. I think there’s poetry in that. I like it.” She scowled suddenly. “But you do not look nearly as enthused as I feel. Did you come to speak with the parish rector? Or were you merely trying to hide out here from your future wife and her family?”

“I needed some time to myself.”

Philip looked up at the chapel behind him. He had arrived at the house late the previous evening and had made his introductions that morning. There were more guests than he would have liked—so many that they weren’t sure how everyone would fit in the small country church. It was a wonder so many aristocrats had been able to drop everything and attend a wedding on such short notice.

“Well, I apologize for intruding on this most private and necessary moment.” Elinor playfully bumped her shoulder against his, hoping to coax a smile from him. “You’re getting married today. I know this isn’t what you wanted. And I know the path to getting here was unorthodox, to say the least. But I’m glad that things have worked out in this way no matter what. How could I not be, when it means you are safe and alive? No duels. No dying on the frontline. And that’s to say nothing of your lovely bride…”

“You’ve spoken to her?” Philip felt suddenly ashamed. “That’s more than I’ve done since arriving. She’s been avoiding me all morning—all week.”

“She is a bride on her wedding day. It takes hours to fit the dress, and many more to prepare herself for the way her life is about to change. She was likely up before sunrise, getting ready. I took a peek before I came searching for you. She looks wonderful, Phil.” Elinor beamed, clasping her hands together around her bonnet. “Such a darling thing. Clever and polite, and so pretty. Anna will make an exceptional duchess and, I’m sure, an even better wife.”

“But you understand that our union will not be conventional in the slightest,” Philip said seriously, dampening his sister’s spirits. “When you and I spoke with George, I made it clear to you that ours would be a marriage in name only. I am tasking you with ensuring that Anna settles into her role because I cannot take it upon myself to teach her. If that is too much to ask?—”

“You’re boring me now,” Elinor cut in, putting her hand on his arm. “I am perfectly aware of the nature of your agreement. I may not like it, but we will make the best of the situation. I complimented Anna because I was impressed by her, not because I was hoping I could convince you to try falling in love with her. So long as you do not mistreat her, I will hold my tongue. Your reaction is hardly a surprise to me. Graham told me long ago that you would do anything to eschew your duty as duke. I pretended not to know in the hope that you would change your mind. But this is your life to live, and I will support you in this new chapter. Speaking of which…”

She thrust her bonnet at Philip and reached for the chain around her neck. She unfastened it and extended it to him. A small golden ring embedded with rubies hung from the end of the necklace.

“Graham’s ring,” Philip said, watching the ring sway back and forth. “You said it was lost. Where did you find it?”

“In Father’s study, in an envelope addressed to you. I went in there looking for stationery and found it under a stack of letters in a drawer. It must have been there the whole time.”

Elinor exchanged her bonnet for the necklace, placing it in Philip’s palm. She closed her free hand around his.

“If I had to guess, Graham put it there while we were in residence at Charleton, when you were away. I think… I think he meant to leave it where you would find it once you came home. It never fitted me, and I told him how wonderful it would be for your bride to wear it instead. That’s when he confessed that you were not likely to take a wife. But I suppose… He must still have hoped that you would change your mind.”

Philip’s head was spinning. He closed his fist tightly around the ring. Graham hadn’t abandoned all hope that he would change. His friend couldn’t have been that disgusted with him in the end.

The revelation swept over him like a warm breeze. All this time, he had regretted leaving things with Graham on such bad terms, and it had all been for nothing.

“He didn’t despise me for leaving you?”

“Oh, he was beside himself when you left.” Elinor’s voice cracked, and when Philip looked up, her eyes brimmed with tears. “He was so angry with you for abandoning us, but it was only because he loved you so much. Over time, the more letters we received from you, the more he grew convinced that time away from England was precisely what you needed to overcome whatever was holding you back. He spoke at length about how things would be when you returned. The trips we would take, the memories you had yet to make together. So no, Philip. He didn’t despise you. He forgave you whole-heartedly.”

Looking down at his closed fist, Philip’s throat thickened with emotion. He cleared it, smiling despite himself. “And it is your desire… that I pass this on to Anna?”

“That is a decision only you can make,” Elinor whispered, embracing him. “But it would make me happy. And it would make him happy too. Find a moment today when things are quiet and Anna seems content. Give it to her and show her, if you cannot tell her, that she has your unspoken support and affection.”

* * *

Anna pressed her cold flute of champagne to her lips, her eyes absently scanning the ballroom. It was the largest and most beautiful room in the manor, and had been accordingly set up for the wedding breakfast that morning.

Warm sunlight filtered through the windows, refracting off the beige wallpaper. Hyacinth and daffodil bouquets decorated the sitting tables. The flowers had come out just in time for the wedding. The staff at Bristol Park had spent the better part of last week scouring the countryside for them, while Anna had watched on from the windows, too afraid to step outside and encounter old neighbors.

Her gaze drifted from the flowers to the small group of gentlemen by the doors. She wondered whether Philip was standing there in case he needed to make a hasty exit. Simon Stockton was beside him, as well as a few other young gentlemen she recognized from the Ratley ball. George, for his part, was keeping his distance. He picked at his plate of buffet food at a table across the room, smiling artificially for the women seated on either side of him, gentry daughters from Bath.

The wedding ceremony had been uneventful. Anna could barely remember a word of her vows. She had acted automatically, repeating lines like an actress on stage. Philip hadn’t met her eyes once, but he had been courteous enough to extend his arm to her as they made their way out of the chapel, where the bulk of the guests awaited them.

Anna felt a light tug on her hair and found Margaret plucking a grain of rice from her coiffure.

“Some of the guests were too enthusiastic when they showered you earlier,” Margaret joked, flicking the rice away. “How are you feeling? You’ve barely said a word since we started walking from the chapel.”

“Is that so unusual for me?” Anna returned, by way of an excuse. “The excitement of the day has tired me already.”

“That’s to be expected,” Margaret said, tapping her fingers against her glass. “It’s a shame your sister couldn’t come and take some of the spotlight off you. But with the long journey and the baby… Maybe we can cause some trouble of our own instead. Something interesting is bound to happen if we keep plying Helena with sparkling wine.”

Their group was larger than usual, Helena, Lucy, and Sophia entertaining a pair of sisters on Philip’s side. The daughters of his second cousin or some such thing. Anna wasn’t sure what they were discussing—her attention was elsewhere. The wedding breakfast would end, and then she and Philip would depart for Sussex. They would be alone in their carriage. Alone that night, too.

The thought of spending time with Philip had once filled her with excitement. Now, she dreaded what was to come.

“If you wanted to go and speak to him, nobody would blame you.” Margaret nodded in Philip’s direction. “He’s your husband now. You can’t keep your eyes off him… He does look very fetching today. That color suits him.”

Anna supposed it did. His light blue vest was the same pure shade as his eyes. It was dangerous to look at him for too long.

Her stomach tightened when she admired him—and feelings like that had no place in a marriage like theirs. She glanced down at her dress, a cream-colored gown embroidered with white flowers, and she wondered whether he felt even a fragment of the same desire for her.

If he does, he will find other ways of expressing it, with other women.

The thought made her feel sick. What little she had managed to eat from the breakfast buffet sat awkwardly in her stomach. A laugh erupted from nearby. Her father was making jokes with one of her uncles.

It was all too much for Anna.

“Your husband is off,” Margaret said, pointing at Philip’s retreating form. He slipped under the archway leading to the rest of the house. “Maybe he is taking a break before the dancing?—”

“I need some air,” Anna blurted, almost choking on her words. She downed her champagne and passed the glass to Margaret. “I’ll see you in a while.”

She hadn’t meant to look like she was following Philip outside. She really had just gone out for air, worried she would ruin their wedding breakfast by vomiting all over the dance floor.

Feeling too hot, she ripped off her gloves and pressed her cool palms to her arms. A trio of footmen walked past with refreshments for the guests, and she kept her head down, not wanting to be noticed.

Stepping out of the front door, she clicked it shut behind her. The sun blinded her, soaring high in the sky. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the light, but the air refreshed her. She picked up her skirts and sat down on the front steps before her emotions got the better of her.

A deep, restorative breath later, she looked up at the sound of something crossing the gravel drive.

It was Philip, rushing out of sight toward the side of the house.

And he wasn’t alone.