Page 23 of The Duke’s Replacement Bride (The Wild Brides #6)

“ Y our Grace, you must get out of bed quickly!”

Caroline snapped into wakefulness. Bethany was standing over her and wringing her hands, and Caroline could hear voices in the distance. They were loud and rather frantic—it sounded to her as though someone was in the midst of an argument.

She sat up, shaking off the remains of sleep. Her heart was racing thanks to the sounds she heard coming up from below. “What’s going on?” she demanded of Bethany. “Is everything all right?”

“I don’t know, Your Grace.”

“Bethany—” Caroline shook her head. Now was not the time to remind her lady’s maid of her request to be called by her given name. She needed information. “Who is down there?”

“It’s your family, Your Grace. I don’t know what they’re here for or what’s the trouble, but it all seems rather dramatic, and I really do think you ought to come downstairs quickly and see whether you can do anything about it all.” She wrung her hands, looking quite distressed.

“That’s my family?” That got Caroline out of her bed. She moved to her wardrobe hastily and pulled out the first gown that met her hands. “Quickly, Bethany, help me to get dressed. You’re right. I need to see what all this is about.”

“Did I do right by waking you?” Bethany asked as she helped Caroline out of her nightgown.

“Oh, yes. I don’t know what this might be, but I do know that I need to see for myself what’s caused my family to come here and make a scene. I’m sure this must have something to do with Prudence! Oh, I just hope everything is all right.”

She dressed as quickly as she could, left her room, and hurried downstairs.

Bethany had been correct. Prudence, their mother, Bridget, and—to Caroline’s surprise—Arabella were all standing in the foyer. Prudence, Bridget, and their mother had bags in their hands and looked as if they had rushed out of the house. Caroline had never seen her sister look so bedraggled.

Levi stood before them, holding up his hands and clearly trying to get Prudence and her mother to speak one at a time, but they seemed incapable of doing that. They kept talking over one another. Caroline moved into the room and approached Bridget, who was on the sidelines of the whole affair.

“What’s going on?” she asked, keeping her voice low.

“Oh, it’s awful,” Bridget said. “Prudence arrived back at home last night—well, I suppose you know that already. She said that you were the one who went to find her and thank God you did! I thought everyone would be so happy to have her returned to us that there would be no discord, at least for a little while.”

“But there was?”

“Your father was furious with her. He said she had spoiled a perfectly good match with the Duke of Mowbray with her willful ways, and that she would be lucky if anyone at all would have her now that she was known for this. And then he told us the worst news—he had arranged another marriage for her.”

“He had done what ?” Caroline blinked. “Doesn’t he understand that’s what drove her to leave in the first place?”

“He said that she had one chance left to marry, and that if she didn’t follow his wishes now, she was sure to wind up a lonely spinster and be a burden on him forever. And then he said she was to marry Lord Cockerwood.”

“Lord Cockerwood? Isn’t he that old baron?”

“That’s right,” Bridget said. “I didn’t know who he was, but then he came by the house, and it’s just the most ludicrous match anyone could possibly imagine! He must be in his sixties. He’s much too old for Prudence, that’s for certain.”

“How did Father even set that up that quickly? Prudence just got back.”

“Apparently he’s been working on it the whole time she was away.”

“ That’s what he’s been working on the whole time she was away?” Fury burned through Caroline. “We were trying to find her, and Father was arranging a marriage?”

“Yes, and without your mother’s knowledge. She was as shocked as you are. She said she had been trying to manage the family’s reputation.”

“Not very well,” Caroline growled. “Telling people that Prudence had run off—what was that supposed to do?”

“Well, I think she wanted to make it seem as though she had the situation in hand. Boasting about the fact that she’d gotten you married to a duke was a part of it.”

“As if the whole thing had been planned ?”

“Yes, I think she wanted people to believe that it had been. She seemed to think the best way to control wagging tongues was to act as if everything that was happening was as expected.”

Caroline closed her eyes and took a breath. “All right. But she didn’t accept Father’s plan for a new marriage for Prudence."

“Well, one look at Prudence and I was sure she was going to run away again. But this time, it was your mother who drew the line in the sand.”

“My mother? What do you mean?”

“She’s the reason we’re here,” Bridget explained.

“She told your father there would be no marriage between that man and Prudence. She said that it was time we listened to Prudence with regard to what she wants for her life, if only to guard against any future scandal. And when your father disagreed and said that he was the man of the house and that Prudence would have to follow whatever he had come up with for her, no matter how she felt about it, your mother put her foot down. She said she wouldn’t allow him to ruin her daughter’s life.

She said Prudence would continue to run as long as she felt her hand was being forced, and that this time we would be the ones to leave. And she packed us up and we left.”

“And how does Arabella come to be with you?” Caroline asked in no small amount of wonder.

“She was visiting the house,” Bridget said. “She had heard that Prudence was home and had come to see her, and when we left, she came with us. It was her suggestion that we should come here first, that we should make you aware of what was going on.”

“I’m very glad you did.” Caroline had to admit, she was deeply impressed with her mother for having the courage and the strength to impose her will on her father the way Bridget had described.

All her life, Caroline had felt as if her parents had no interest in protecting her or her sisters, but today it seemed as if her mother had finally stepped up and done what was necessary.

She gave Bridget’s hand a grateful squeeze.

Then she turned and went over to Levi, who was still focused on Prudence and their mother.

It was clear from the furrow in his brow and the way his gaze moved from one of them to the other and back again that he was trying to figure out the truth of what had happened between them.

“Levi,” she said quietly.

He turned to look at her, eyebrows raised.

“My mother and my sister and cousin need a place to stay for a few days,” she said. “They can stay here with us, can’t they?”

“All of them?”

“Well, I assume Arabella will return home. But Prudence and Bridget and my mother have left my father’s house, and they don’t have a roof over their heads.”

“And you want them to stay with us?”

“They need to stay with us. You’re not going to say no, are you?”

Levi’s eyes narrowed, and Caroline had the feeling he wanted to tell her no.

Honestly, she wasn’t sure she could fault him for that.

She knew what a handful her family could be.

Prudence had just proven it, making them chase her down and bring her back home.

And even though Caroline was thrilled to see her mother standing up for her sister for once, that wasn’t something she often did well.

Caroline knew the truth was that her mother had deeply self-centered tendencies.

It made sense that Levi wouldn’t want to be around such a person.

Caroline didn’t want it herself. But what could she say? This was her family.

“Levi,” she said quietly. “Please. I need to look out for them. If my mother really has left my father, she’s going to need my support. I can’t let my family be on their own at a time like this.”

Levi sighed and nodded slowly. “Very well,” he said.

“They may stay. But you’re to take responsibility for them while they are here.

Instruct them in the rules of the household and make sure those rules are followed.

I’ll give them shelter in my house, but I don’t want our lives being turned upside-down by this. ”

“No. They won’t be,” Caroline pledged. “I promise.”

“I don’t know why your sister can’t be the one to take them in,” Levi grumbled quietly.

“Arabella has children. And besides, she spent her whole life caring for me and Prudence. She’s done enough. I feel as if it’s my turn to take on this responsibility. Do you know what I mean?”

“I don’t think I do,” Levi said. “But I did agree, so I’ll keep to my word. You’ll have them here with you, just as I promised. Why don’t you get them settled in?”

He turned away.

Caroline watched him go and wished he hadn’t. She would have liked his help with what needed to be done now. But at least he’d agreed to let her family stay here. She could accept that and make the most of it.

She turned back to her mother and sister and cousin. “Come,” she said. “Leave your things, they will be brought up for you. Let me show you to some of the spare rooms. I’m sure you’d like to get away for a while, lie down and relax after the ordeal you’ve all had.”

“Yes, I think we would,” her mother said rather faintly. “Thank you, Caroline.”

She fanned herself. Caroline could only imagine how difficult this must be for her mother, a woman who had always counted on being married to a husband who could provide for her. Now that security was gone and she was forced to throw herself upon the mercy of her daughter.

Caroline guided her mother to one door and her sister and Bridget to another. “This will be for the two of you,” she told Prudence. “Get settled in and I’ll send a maid to come and collect you both when it’s time to come down for dinner.”

Prudence nodded. “Thank you for having us to stay, Caroline,” she said. “I don’t know what we would have done. We didn’t have anywhere to go. If it weren’t for you, I would have had to agree to marry him. I couldn’t tell Mother to stay out on the street.”

“I wouldn’t have let that happen,” Caroline assured her sister. “You always have a home with us here, for as long as you need one.”

‘I’m not sure your husband is so fond of that idea. I saw the look on his face when you asked him.”

“Well, you let me worry about Levi,” Caroline said. “You just rest up, all right? And I’ll come and get you when it’s time to have dinner.”

She left her sister in her room. Prudence was right. There was no telling how Levi was going to take this. But whatever his reaction might be, Caroline was sure of one thing—it wasn’t going to be simple.