Chapter 3

Chapter Three

" A urelia, it is time." The Earl stepped out of the carriage and came to her side.

The large doors that led into the chapel felt too big for Aurelia as she took a deep breath and braced herself for the day ahead. Her father was about to sign her life over to a man she barely knew.

A light breeze lifted her veil, offering little reassurance as she stood on the steps in her brand-new wedding dress. The Duke had sent money for new garments. Although the fabric felt soft and light against her skin, she couldn't help but feel it was a net, ensnaring every part of her so tightly that she could not breathe.

"We had better get going. The Duke doesn't strike me as a patient man," she snapped, hiking up the skirts of her champagne-colored dress as she climbed the steps.

Her father hurried to keep up with her, opening the doors as soon as he reached the top step.

Aurelia had managed to keep away from the Earl for the past two days, to allow herself more time to come to terms with the truth. A small part of her still wondered if a mistake had been made. The caring man who had raised her could not be this man who had sold her to a brutish, vengeful stranger.

Her breath caught in her chest at the sight of the Duke of Oakdale standing at the altar. Despite everything that had transpired, she had not forgotten how handsome he was. His thick brown hair was neater this time, and his piercing green eyes met hers from afar. The richness of the green hue drew her in, despite the thudding of her heart.

"Shall we?" her father spoke up at her side, taking her arm and looping it through his own.

The walk down the aisle seemed to take forever. As they approached the altar, the Duke's eyes glimmered with a strange emotion that Aurelia couldn't quite decipher.

They finally came to a stop before the Duke, and the Earl let go of Aurelia's arm.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…"

Aurelia almost jumped as she tore her gaze away from the Duke and looked at the vicar that stood before them. The old man had hair whiter than snow and spoke to the small audience that only consisted of her father and a dark-haired man she had never met.

The Duke had written to her father after their meeting, advising him that there wouldn't be any guests in attendance other than the two of them.

"Marriage is a holy ordinance that is not to be entered into lightly. It is to be taken with the utmost seriousness with a sober mind." The vicar paused and looked from Aurelia to Philip with a furrowed brow, giving them both a moment to consider his words.

What if I protest?

Her heart raced with anguish as she contemplated what would happen if she refused to proceed with the wedding. Her father would be left without so much as a penny to his name, while she would be forced into yet another unwanted marriage to a man who would more than likely not be as well-off as the Duke of Oakdale.

There was far too much riding on their union.

The vicar's voice broke through her thoughts.

"Do you, Philip Ellington, Duke of Oakdale, take Lady Aurelia Godwin to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?"

The vicar turned to the Duke expectantly, waiting for his response.

"I do."

The sound of the Duke's rich voice once again sent shivers of pleasure down Aurelia's spine. Their encounter in the study had been so brief and charged that Aurelia had almost forgotten how deep his voice was.

The vicar repeated his question to her, making her heart race with indecision.

Hundreds of questions raced through her mind at once. What would happen when they reached his home? Surely a man like the Duke would want to consummate their marriage as soon as possible.

The moment seemed to linger on forever until her father cleared his throat.

"I do." The words tumbled past her lips, devoid of thought or feeling, as the realization that she could do nothing to change her situation finally dawned on her.

"Then by the power vested in me by God, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may seal your union with a kiss." The vicar lowered his hands and took a step back, leaving the pulpit almost immediately.

Aurelia could hear her heart beating in her ears as she turned to the Duke, allowing him to lift her veil. His eyes still glinted with strange emotions as he placed the veil at the back of her head and leaned in for a kiss.

Closing her eyes, she waited for his lips to press against hers, the desire she'd felt when she first saw him in her father's study coiling in the pit of her stomach.

How can I be attracted to him, when he has done nothing but hurt me and my father?

The thought quickly disappeared when his lips met hers. She was about to pull away from him when something entirely unexpected occurred.

She responded to him, her kiss soft and gentle like the quivering of a butterfly's wings.

It was the Duke who broke the kiss, taking a step back from her as his gaze lingered on her lips.

Her eyes fluttered shut a few times as her mind tried to comprehend what happened.

She had enjoyed the kiss.

Her heart pounded furiously with the realization, and her chest rose and fell with rapid breaths.

"Aurelia, I need a word with you before you set off." Her father broke the silence that had fallen between her and the Duke.

The Duke nodded at them both. "Do not take too long. We must reach Oakdale Manor before the evening. I must speak with my solicitor before he leaves."

He took his leave without so much as a glance in the Earl's direction.

Aurelia turned to her father after watching the Duke march down the aisle. All the hurt and betrayal that she had felt in the study flooded back as she looked into his eyes.

The Earl repeated her name as if it would make her forget everything that he'd done. "Aurelia, I hope you can see that everything I have done… It has been for you. I never intended to hurt you or get you involved in any of this…"

Something in her chest went cold as she looked into his eyes. "Everything? Even the debts that you incurred? Were they also for my benefit?"

An anger she'd never seen before flashed in his eyes.

"I am sorry Father, but I cannot speak to you right now. I am not sure I know who you are anymore," she said before he could respond.

Without another word, she hiked up her skirts and set off down the aisle, leaving her father standing alone at the altar.

Silence filled the carriage as the wheels rattled over the cobbled streets of London.

Philip wasn't sure what to say to the woman he had just married, knowing that she despised him for taking her away from her home. Her simple yet elegant dress accentuated her figure, making her large breasts strain against her corset. Her rich blonde hair had been pinned to the back of her head with little to no additional jewelry, yet she still managed to look flawless.

After the ceremony she had climbed into the carriage in a huff and had instructed the footman to ride on before he could even speak.

Philip would have been angry if he hadn't been so impressed by her sheer determination to take charge. She certainly possessed far more backbone than her father.

A few more moments of silence passed before he decided to broach the subject of their marriage.

Clearing his throat, he said, "There is something you must understand. We are married in name only."

"I beg your pardon?" Aurelia turned away from the window, blinking a few times as her eyes adjusted to the dim light in the carriage.

The sun was just about to set and cast long shadows as the cobbled London streets gave way to a bumpier dirt road.

"If you were worried about performing, ah, wifely duties this evening, you need not be. I will not be visiting your bedchambers," Philip clarified.

He hadn't doubted the fact that she was a virgin, yet her response only solidified the fact.

Her perfect lips made the shape of an ‘O'. "That is kind of you, Your Grace. And may I ask which dungeon I am to reside in when we reach your home?"

As the interior of the carriage grew more humid, she lowered her elbows to her sides and proceeded to remove her gloves.

Rolling his eyes, Philip crossed his arms over his chest and swore under his breath. "I do not plan on keeping you under lock and key."

His words seemed to anger her, and something flashed in her eyes. Her beauty struck him again as her eyes darkened.

"Oh? Forcing me into an unwanted marriage is not a form of imprisonment? Your logic astounds me, Your Grace," she bit back instantly, without so much as a trace of fear in her voice.

Philip glared at her for a moment, finding little to no amusement in her sarcasm. He had admired the way she carried herself in her father's study, but now he found her behavior more irritating than anything else.

"It was your father who offered you as repayment for his debts. I merely accepted his offer. Thus, I suggest you direct your scorn at him."

Aurelia narrowed her sapphire eyes at him, clenching her fists in her lap before turning her head to look out the window. The carriage wheels rolled over some stones in the road, causing her breasts to bounce beneath the confines of her corset. A surge of desire flooded Philip's loins at the sight.

God, she is beautiful.

He attempted to distract himself by clearing his throat and averting his gaze. "There are certain things that I will expect of you as the Duchess of Oakdale, one of them being a duty to make public appearances. You will be provided with enough money to keep up with all the latest fashions. One ball a month should suffice to keep up appearances. Beyond that, you may live your life as lavishly as you desire."

"Thank you, Your Grace. Your generosity is admirable. I have always wanted to be a showpiece for my husband." She forced a sarcastic smile.

The new Duchess was as feisty as she was beautiful. Philip had agreed to the marriage as a way of punishing her father, yet he now wondered if he was the one being punished.

"I just find it strange that you would have such lofty expectations of your wife when you demand satisfaction for a supposed ‘murder'. Tell me, Your Grace, what kind of business led you to learn of my father's debts? Surely an honest man would not be privy to such scandalous debauchery." She met his eyes challengingly, making his blood boil with anger.

"Do not ever challenge me like this again. My business is my own. You will have free run of the house, but not my life. Just as your affairs are to be your own, you shall never probe into mine…" His voice was dangerously low as he glared at her from across the carriage.

Aurelia's lips parted as a strange emotion flickered in her eyes. "Are there any other rules that you would like to add, Your Grace?" she asked softly, narrowing her eyes at him in anger.

"As a matter of fact, there is. You are never to see your father again."