Chapter 8

"Please, can you explain at last what just happened?" Oliver asked, turning to his sister as soon as the Duke had left, shaking his head incredulously. "How could you have ambushed me like that, Cathy?"

Catherine sighed heavily. "I am sorry, Oliver. I should have informed you that the Duke might be getting serious in his intentions towards me…"

"You have not ever mentioned the man!" He gaped at her. "Not once. What happened at that ball that made you change your mind like this?"

"He is a good match, Oliver," Catherine said, waving a dismissive hand in the air. Her cheeks reddened. "That is what matters."

Oliver frowned slightly. "This is all so sudden and strange. I gave my consent because you were willing, but I truly do not understand. Are you quite certain you wish to marry him?"

Catherine sighed again. "Yes, I am very sure." She couldn't meet his eyes. "He has swept me off my feet. It happens—you know that it does."

Oliver looked doubtful. "Yes, it happens to other people, but you have never been so inclined," he pointed out, his frown deepening. "You have always been adamant that you never wish to marry or would only do so in extremis. This is so out of character, Cathy."

Catherine was silent. Her face was so hot that it felt like it was boiling.

"You are not… compromised?" Oliver looked embarrassed. "Is there something I should know? Are the scandal sheets going to write about you?"

Catherine burst out laughing. "No! He has been a perfect gentleman towards me."

She looked down at the floor, embarrassment sweeping over her, thick and heavy. Well, it was only a kiss, wasn't it? And it wasn't the reason she was marrying the Duke. Oliver didn't need to know about that either.

"Good," Oliver said, before coughing into his hand. "Very good." He hesitated. "He insisted he did not need your dowry, Sister. I was very relieved. And now, with the debt paid off because of your canny plan, we can both look towards a brighter future."

"Yes," Catherine agreed in a gentle voice, gazing at her brother. "We can." She paused. "You must promise me that you will never gamble like that again, Oliver. I cannot be sneaking into gambling hells like that to cover your losses again, especially not in my new position. Do you swear?"

Oliver looked shamefaced. "I swear on my life, Cathy. I will never gamble again. I plan to turn over a new leaf entirely. You do not need to worry on my behalf." He frowned. "But I must confess, I am still a trifle worried about you. This is all so sudden. You do not have to accept him, you know."

Catherine bit her lip. Oliver didn't know the truth of it, and he never would if she could help it. He didn't know that she did have to accept the Duke, or else he would still have the sharks circling him, ready for blood, and he would be ruined. She was doing this for him, and she couldn't even tell him.

"I can look after myself," she asserted, patting his arm reassuringly. "I will be fine. I am going into this with my eyes open. I am not acting under duress, Oliver. You do not need to worry about me."

He shook his head. "I cannot help it. I am still your older brother after all, even if I have made a mess of things recently…"

"Oliver, it will be fine," she insisted, her heart lurching. "I am a grown woman now, capable of making my own decisions." She smiled gently. "We are not children any longer, Brother. It was always inevitable we would forge our own paths, eventually."

"I will miss you," he said suddenly. "I know that we will see each other regularly, but it will not be the same." He tried to smile. "My sister, the Duchess of Newden! Our parents would be overwhelmed with pride, Cathy. I wish they could be here now to experience this moment."

Catherine tried to smile. She hoped that her parents would be proud of her, but she hardly knew. Her mother would have wanted her to secure an advantageous match, to be sure, but by the end, she had turned into such a bitter woman. Catherine believed she could probably have run away to join the circus, and her mother would not have batted an eyelid.

And her father… well, Oliver had always been his favorite. The son and heir. Her father hadn't had much time for her as well.

It doesn't matter. None of it matters anymore. The past is gone. And now, my future awaits. A future I never imagined.

A tremor of unease swept through her. She had dismissed Oliver's concerns about the haste of this marriage, but inside, she was experiencing doubts. It was true—she had never intended to marry, loudly declaring how much she despised the institution.

The Duke would inevitably have mistresses, and she would not expect him to stay faithful to her anyway, considering their arrangement. And she was determined that theirs would stay a marriage of convenience—she couldn't afford to become attached to him. It didn't bear thinking about.

"Well?" The Dowager Duchess of Newden's voice was crisp. She tapped her walking stick on the floor impatiently. "Is there something you should tell me, Thomas?"

Thomas reddened slightly as he gazed at his grandmother, who was sitting in her favorite chair, pillows propping up her back. She wasn't quite as sprightly as she used to be and needed aid walking, but her mind—and tongue—were as sharp as ever.

He was a bit mortified. Things had happened so quickly that he hadn't had a chance to even tell her that he had proposed marriage to a young lady, and she had accepted it. However, someone had obviously informed her which wasn't surprising. His grandmother had spies everywhere. Nothing happened that she wasn't aware of.

"There is," Thomas replied, shifting on his feet. "You are going to be over the moon, Grandmother. Your dream is coming true."

"Enough of the poetic twaddle," the Dowager Duchess interjected in a sharp voice. "Get to the point, my boy. Who is she?"

Thomas took a deep breath, suitably chastened. "She is Miss Catherine Audley," he said, his blood thickening just at the thought of his fiancée. "She is the younger sister of the Viscount Whitley."

His grandmother raised her eyebrows. "Indeed. I knew the Audley family many years ago." She shifted in her chair. "The late Viscount was a terrible libertine. He had cheated on his wife, who turned into quite a sour creature. One of those tragic characters who was destroyed by love and jealousy."

Thomas cleared his throat, feeling uncomfortable. He shouldn't have been surprised that his grandmother knew more about the Audley family than he did. She had always had her fingers in many pies.

"I am not acquainted with the current Viscount nor his sister," the Dowager Duchess continued in a pensive tone. "However, it is an old, noble family. What is she like?"

"Clever," Thomas replied, smiling slightly. "Spirited. Very beautiful."

"Beauty fades," his grandmother snapped, leaning on her walking stick, eying him intently. "However, cleverness and spirit last the distance. I am pleased that you have finally laid down the mantle of your bachelorhood, Thomas, but displeased that you never breathed a word about your intentions until now. I could have vetted the young lady more thoroughly. She will be the next Duchess of Newden, after all. She must be exceptional."

"She is," Thomas insisted, his heart skipping a beat. "I have never met a young lady like her. She runs rings around all the ladies you have been parading in front of me, Grandmother."

The Dowager Duchess pursed her lips. "It is slim pickings at the moment, Thomas!" She paused. "However, I have heard mention of Miss Audley's independent spirit and charm as well as her great beauty. I have high expectations." She narrowed her eyes. "Shall I receive an invitation to this wedding at all since I was the last to know about it?"

Thomas let out a bark of laughter. "Stop being so dramatic, Grandmother. Of course, you will receive an invitation." He sighed.

The Dowager Duchess raised pained eyebrows. "She is not with child, is she? You have not been forced into this because you cannot control yourself?"

Thomas laughed again. "She is not compromised, Grandmother. We are both entering into this marriage freely." He shifted on his feet. "I just thought I would act swiftly after our discussion yesterday. You convinced me that I needed to find a wife. You should be happy. This is what you have always wanted!"

"Of course, it is what I want," the Dowager Duchess snapped, looking irritable. "The duchy needs an heir, and you are the only one who can provide one, my boy." She exhaled. "But your bride must be suitable for the position and for you as well. Marriage is for life. An unhappy marriage can be the bane of one's existence. Believe me, I know." She snorted.

Thomas laughed. "You and Grandfather were crazy about each other. Do not tell me otherwise."

"We respected each other," the Dowager Duchess admitted, growing a bit misty-eyed. "And we did have much desire for one another when we were young, even if he did drive me to distraction in his later years, the silly old fool." She stared at him hard. "Do you love Miss Audley, then? This is a love match?"

Thomas squirmed uncomfortably. "You know my views on love," he replied slowly. "Marriage does not require love. In fact, it is probably better if there is not much of it. Look what happened to Father."

The Dowager Duchess looked pained. "Just because that happened to your father does not mean it will happen to you, Thomas. You should not reject the possibility entirely. I keep telling you…"

Thomas sighed. "You should just be happy that I am marrying at all, Grandmother. I am doing what you want for the sake of the duchy." He felt a flash of irritation. "What more do you want from me?"

The Dowager Duchess sighed, but thankfully, she dropped the subject. He didn't know how long he could stand her haranguing him that history wouldn't repeat itself. He never liked talking about what happened with his parents at the best of times.

"Miss Audley and I have an understanding," he continued slowly. "It is an arrangement that suits both of us, and neither of us is seeking love or romance. So do not worry, Grandmother, I am in no danger of breaking her heart."

His grandmother looked a little sad, but then she nodded in a brisk manner. "Very good," she said. "I am eager to meet her. And for the wedding day to arrive, of course." Her eyes shone with pride. "You are doing the right thing, Thomas. You are doing your duty. Your father would be proud of you."

Thomas turned away abruptly. He knew his father wouldn't be proud of him at all. In fact, his father would be disappointed that he had finally succumbed to the pressure.

His heart clenched. He had promised his father that he would never marry and make himself vulnerable to history repeating itself.

I am sorry, Father. But this is different. It is a marriage of convenience. If my wife abandons me like your wife did, it will not break me like it broke you, for I shall never care so strongly. I vow it to you.