Page 24 of The Dark Duke’s Cinderella (The Untamed Ladies #1)

CHAPTER 24

A week later, Anna knocked on the door of Philip’s study. He looked up from the papers he had been reading, a pair of spectacles perched on the tip of his nose.

“How very dashing,” she teased, coming to sit on the desk. “Are these a new addition to your wardrobe?”

“A permanent fixture I had hoped to keep hidden from you. A man is no good if he cannot read his own handwriting.” Philip sighed and removed his spectacles, placing them on the desk. He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his hands over his face. “I can manage to see for the most part, but these land agreements cannot be processed quickly enough and require my full attention. I have tasked Granville with hiring a decent estate manager for Cotoneaster. Why anyone aspires to land management is a mystery to me…”

Anna picked up his spectacles and examined them fondly, looking at his warped shape through the lenses. “You would rather go toe-to-toe with real soldiers than solicitors?”

“The former is less likely to kill me.” He laughed under his breath, taking her hand midair to wrest the glasses from her, before letting her keep them. His touch still sent sparks up her arms, even though he wasn’t keeping his distance from her anymore. “Are you nervous about today?”

“I wouldn’t be bothering you otherwise.” She drew in a fortifying breath. “I can’t even sit still long enough to play something on the piano.”

“Hmm.” Philip squinted down at the documents on his desk, returning to his task. “I refrained from mentioning the cacophony coming from the music room to spare your feelings, but since you brought it up… The sooner this is over with, the better for the sake of our minds, and ears.”

Anna folded the spectacles and returned them to him, placing them beside his snuffbox, before shifting her attention to the view of the courtyard beyond the windows.

Her cousin would be arriving at any moment. Anna had written to Alicia the morning after the storm, inviting her to come to Cotoneaster and discuss everything she had learned. She had kept her wording vague, not wanting to give Alicia potential evidence in writing. They had received her reply just that morning, confirming that Alicia was willing to come and speak with them.

Willing , she had written, as though lying about the father of her child and trying to ruin Philip’s life was a great inconvenience for her.

Little did Alicia know that she would get more than she had bargained for once she arrived a few hours later.

Anna and Philip waited diligently in the drawing room while the butler escorted Alicia inside. She had tried to accentuate her slightly swollen stomach that day, in a satin dress, a small bump protruding from her frame against the stubborn fabric. Anna hid her shock while Alicia waltzed into the room and gave a devilish smile.

“Your Grace,” she greeted. “Anna.”

Anna let the insult slide.

“How kind of you to come,” Philip said flatly, not rising from his seat by the fire. “Sit.”

A moment later, George entered, looking flustered.

It had been an eventful few days for the baron. He had been sworn to secrecy about their plan, and from the satisfied smirk on Alicia’s face, he had obviously kept his word.

They settled into a tense silence. Anna positioned herself beside Philip, wanting to present a unified front. Alicia was visibly unimpressed, gritting her teeth while tea was served to them. A tower of petit fours stood between them, but Anna was too nervous to eat.

“How does one possibly begin a conversation like this?” Anna asked, once the maids left and closed the door behind them. She kept her tone even, not wanting to give Alicia the satisfaction of watching her cry. “You know why we have called you here.”

“I assume you wanted to see the proof of your husband’s degeneracy with your own eyes,” Alicia said, sipping innocently from her glass of lemonade. “I did try to warn you, Anna.”

“You’re wasting your breath by keeping up this lie,” Philip grunted, and Anna was grateful for his interruption. “None of us here doubt my innocence. I only regret to see how far you have fallen that you would shame yourself thus.”

Alicia was a decent actress, but Anna noticed the tremor in her hand when she set down her glass. Had she expected Anna to turn on Philip and make things easy for her? Once again, she had underestimated her cousin.

“Alicia…” George sat beside her, and he placed a hand on her knee, flinching when she scowled. “There is no one here who believes you. We did not come here today to strike a deal with Philip, but to help you.”

“Help me?” Alicia scoffed, whirling toward George and slapping his hand away. “The only way to help me is for the duke to admit what he has done. Or would all of you see me alone and destitute?”

“If that’s what you deserve,” Anna muttered.

“Oh, I see how it is.” Alicia laughed. “Now that you’re married, you’ve become a slave to your husband and his wicked inclinations. I should not be surprised. Like mother like daughter, after all. I had hoped for so much more for you, Anna. We have both been duped by the Duke of Darkness.”

“You will not relent?” Philip asked, looking cautiously between the cousins.

“Relent how? I have come here to get what I am owed.”

Alicia opened her mouth to continue, but at that moment, someone knocked on the door. The butler had been informed not to wait when their next guest arrived, and the man appeared looking exactly like Anna remembered him.

Anna relished the shocked look on Alicia’s face as she turned to see the impresario of The King’s Theatre standing in the doorway. Her cousin’s mouth contorted as if she had been ready to blurt out his name, before thinking better of it.

“Mr. Vincenzo Olivieri,” Anna announced, grateful beyond measure that he had actually come. “You are a most welcome sight. Allow me to introduce my husband, His Grace the Duke of Wells. My cousin, Baron George Walford. And of course, you will recognize the Seconda Donna of the Anglo-Milano Theatre Company.”

The impresario executed a perfect bow. He rose and began speaking with a slightly affected accent, a testament to his many years traveling back and forth from England—or so Anna had heard from Lady Jane when she had tracked him down.

“I thank you for the invitation, Your Grace. But it is Mr. Vincent Oliver now. I am seeking to be naturalized.”

“I see,” Anna murmured. “Mr. Oliver, for the sake of those present, would you kindly let them know why I have invited you here today—and why you have agreed to come.”

Mr. Oliver nodded. “Alicia—” he began, but she cut him off immediately.

“I won’t stand for any of this.” She pointed a finger at Anna. “I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but you’ve managed to get everything wrong in typical Anna fashion.”

“Mr. Oliver’s presence speaks for itself,” Anna corrected, struggling not to smile now that Alicia was cornered. “You were seen with Mr. Oliver in public months ago, arguing loudly enough to attract the attention of passersby. It was no easy feat to locate Mr. Oliver, especially given that we had to act quickly. But he is here, and he has agreed to tell us the truth about your relationship.”

Alicia turned red. “Why are you so quick to believe that I am lying, but will take this stranger’s story at face value?”

“You have everything to gain by lying about the paternity of your child,” George said carefully, trying to defuse the tension between them. “And he has everything to lose by revealing that the child is his.”

“Vincenzo has obviously been bullied into this by all of you!” Alicia shouted, looking around the room. “What else could he do but admit to something he hasn’t done, when the Duke of Wells himself has all but ordered him to take the fall for his crime? An impresario going up against a duke? It’s extortion.”

“Enough, Alicia,” Mr. Oliver interjected. He crossed the room to face her, standing close enough to put all doubts to rest about their familiarity with one another. “I was a craven fool the last time we spoke. You wanted more than I was ready to give you. Now I see what you have become because of me, and I must do what is right.”

His interruption disarmed Alicia, who stood gaping at him with her arms hanging limply by her sides. Anna looked hopefully at Philip.

“Why bother to hide a secret that is already public?” Mr. Oliver continued, gesturing toward Philip. “It will be His Grace’s word against my own, and I will not shame myself by lying any longer. Yes, the child is mine.”

Anna bit her cheeks to stop from smiling, her chest rising and falling with her nervous breaths. George’s mouth hung open as he watched Mr. Oliver and Alicia. And Philip… Anna had never seen him look so relieved.

“Alicia and I have been involved for years, as our separate lives allowed,” Mr. Oliver explained, to Alicia’s obvious dismay. “I joined The King’s Theatre as impresario last spring, and when she returned to London, we met again. I told her that I was becoming an English man, that my home was here, and that we could marry if she wanted.” He frowned. “But she refused, saying she would not be satisfied as the wife of a theatre manager.”

“That is—” Alicia broke off, struggling to get a grip on the situation. “You are lying, Vincenzo.”

“No, I am speaking the truth at last.” Mr. Oliver turned toward Anna and Philip. “The argument that was witnessed… That was the day Alicia told me about her condition. I was heartbroken and afraid, and I retracted my offer of marriage to spite her. That day is a black stain on my life. This is how I will make amends.”

George rose from his seat, clasping his hands together as if in prayer. “You will marry Alicia?”

“If she will accept me as her husband, then yes, I will marry her.”

Silence fell over the room.

Anna doubted Alicia had expected an offer of marriage when she had arrived that day. It stood to reason that she had rejected Mr. Oliver at first. It was just like Alicia to let her ambition get in the way of her happiness. The best she could hope was to be married to the father of her child.

But when Alicia looked up from the floor, her face was contorted in anger.

George spoke before she could, stepping between her and Mr. Oliver. He took her hands pleadingly, lowering his voice to pacify her.

“Before you do anything rash, consider not only your future but also the future of your child. There will be no better life for him than to be raised jointly by his mother and father.” He glanced back at Mr. Oliver. “Whatever happened between you can be forgotten if not forgiven. You obviously tolerated one another enough to conduct an affair for years. Not everyone gets a second chance, Alicia. Please do what is right for you.”

A hand found Anna’s where it hung at her side. Philip squeezed it and nodded, reassuring her in the silence that followed.

No matter what , his eyes said, I am going to honor my second chance with you too.

“It seems I have been outplayed,” Alicia bit out, punctuating her words with a nod. “But I will not languish over my defeat. I accept your offer, Vincenzo. I will marry you. So long as none of us ever speak of this again.”

* * *

“I couldn’t have hoped for that to go any better,” Anna said, walking back inside the manor ahead of Philip. “Finally, we can be at peace.”

“Assuming your uncle accepts Mr. Oliver as his son-in-law,” Philip replied.

“When he discovers Alicia’s condition, I doubt he will have a choice. If not, I wouldn’t put it past them to elope somewhere far away. In fact, the further away she goes, the happier I will be.” Anna paused as they entered the hallway leading back to the drawing room. “Does that make me cruel?”

Philip shook his head.

Anna was many things: a devoted wife, an excellent friend, a worryingly talented manipulator, but never cruel. He had seen many facets of her over the past few days. He liked waking up beside her the most, when she was quiet and drowsy, talking about her dreams.

“Not everything in life can be forgiven,” Philip said. “A few cross words between lovers is one thing, but abusing the trust of someone who loves and worships you is quite another.”

“Hmm…” Anna clasped her hands behind her back, swaying playfully as she approached him. “Does that mean I shouldn’t forgive you for lying to me about Wellington’s offer?”

“I did not lie,” Philip corrected with a smile.

Her mirth was infectious. He was glad George had left with Alicia and Mr. Oliver, so he didn’t have to witness Philip’s boyish affection for his cousin.

“I was waiting for the appropriate time to…” He paused, thinking back on what she had just said. Or all but said.

That she loved him.

“What is it?” Anna asked.

Philip wasn’t sure what to say, or how to feel. Elated, mostly. But also terrified about what that meant.

“I hadn’t known you?—”

He was interrupted by the sound of a door opening nearby. Anna’s friends filed one by one into the corridor, filling the narrow space with squeals and questions. They had arrived the night prior to support Anna against Alicia, and were quickly outstaying their welcome. But Philip would tolerate them so long as Anna was happy.

He cleared his throat, embarrassed but thankful for the interruption.

“Our sincerest apologies, Your Grace,” Helena offered, tiptoeing over to Anna like a cat. “We saw Alicia and the impresario leave with George through the window and assumed the coast was clear.”

“What did she say?” Sophia asked, tugging on Anna’s arm. “You’ll have to repeat everything to us word for word. They left together, so that must mean you were successful. Are they getting married, then?”

“For now, that seems to be the plan,” Anna replied, turning from Philip to the girls. “George gave her some sage advice, and…” She laughed and glanced back at Philip. “I’ll tell you all about it in the music room.”

With a loving glance back at him, his wife took off with her friends.

* * *

Storms had besieged Sussex over the last week. Philip found the gardens recuperating well, Hector ordering the gardeners at the bottom of the lawn as they lugged uprooted plants and branches back and forth. The grounds were wet underfoot, and his hessians shone with dew by the time he reached a quiet corner.

It wasn’t quiet for long. He caught Elinor out of the corner of his eye, hiking up her skirts as she trudged toward the knot garden.

“I was just about to take a walk and inspect the damage,” she called upon seeing him, beckoning him close. “I escaped out here when I heard Miss Walford’s carriage arrive. Am I to assume that sordid business will trouble us no longer?”

“All thanks to Anna.” Philip started toward the maze.

Elinor had been frosty with him all week, despite his improved relationship with his wife. She followed him hesitantly.

“You are within your rights to resent me, Elinor. But things will be different from before. I have been shown the error of my ways.”

“Somehow I believe you.” Elinor sighed, slipping past him into a maze of hedges. “You have seemed happier this last week—which is absurd, given the circumstances. Anna’s effect on you is undeniable. Oh, don’t look so innocent. I see everything, much to my dismay. Are you sure you will be able to manage not being miserable all the time?”

“I shall make a concerted effort to try.” The gravel path crunched underfoot. “She deserves that much. Only time will tell what that means for us. But your place here needn’t change. If you wish to remain with us forever?—”

“Don’t say it. The kinder you are to me, the harder it is for me to make the right decisions for myself.”

Elinor paused as they stepped into the center of the garden. The rose beds had been crushed by the wind, vagrant twigs and branches littering the looping paths between them. A few young plants had weathered the storm, sprouting unaffected from their beds, buds curling toward the gray-blue sky.

“I am going to Delphi,” Elinor announced. “I know you will miss me terribly, but that is where I belong for now. There will be a changing of the guard there once Graham’s heir is located, and I must prepare the house for when that happens. After that, I will move into a small dower house in London and live out the rest of my days obsessing over your children—unless I have misunderstood the nature of your new relationship with Anna.” She smiled, looking down at the flowers. “And everything will be alright.”

Philip hesitated to agree. Elinor truly believed that the best way to honor Graham’s memory was by remaining alone forever. And as much as Philip missed Graham and wished things had been different, he couldn’t stand the thought of his sister spending her life fixated on everything she had lost.

Anna had shown him there was another way. The past didn’t have to dictate the future.

But there would be time for Elinor to come to that conclusion herself. For now, he simply nodded, offering his support through a smile, with the same familial patience that Elinor had shown him for years.

“So…” she continued. “With me off to Delphi and tempers cooling here, what is next for the Duke of Wells and his most admirable bride? There was talk of France, wasn’t there? Are you headed there alone, or not at all?”

“It remains to be seen,” Philip said, stepping forward to take his sister’s arm. “Whatever happens next, you and I shall not be parted for long.”