Chapter 23

Fitz, thankfully, arrived back from Canterbury before Lord Sterling returned. He rode up the drive with a huge grin on his face, and even though his friend had successfully completed a great favor for him, Levi couldn't help grunting, "Took you long enough."

Fitz, of course, was not affected by his surly mood as he simply grinned even wider and planted the license in his hand. "Is the vicar here?"

"He is."

"Where is your bride?"

Fitz looked around the foyer as though expecting her to appear, but Levi hadn't seen her since she had gone to her chamber with Lady Eliza.

"Coming soon," he said instead, even though a large part of him was worried that she might not appear. She had run away from a wedding once before. What was stopping her now? Lady Eliza, the escape artist, was here with her. What if she convinced Siena to run away again, this time to follow through on her plan to meet this friend of hers or to run even farther?

He didn't want to think of it. For the first time, he was actually considering what his future might look like, and there was no other option than to have Siena in it. He'd had a taste of her love and now he wasn't sure that he could live without it any longer.

He heard a noise on the landing above him and he turned to see Siena walking along the railing, Lady Eliza at her side. He released a long breath that he hadn't even realized he had been holding.

"There she is," Fitz said, clapping his hands together, but Levi didn't say anything, for he couldn't take his eyes off her.

She wasn't wearing anything extravagant. It was a dress he had seen her in before, a light rose muslin, and yet with the blush in her cheeks, the glimmering of the chandelier off of her hair and the way her brown eyes stared at him with trepidation yet trust, she was more beautiful than anyone he had ever seen.

A nudge pushed him forward slightly, and he turned to find Fitz waving him on, which finally sprang him into action as he walked over to the bottom of the landing and held his arm out to her.

"Siena," he murmured, and a smile touched her lips as she placed her hand on his arm.

She looked up at him, worry in her expression. "Are you sure about this?" she said. "If you are not, we can find another way. I promise."

He knew he hadn't exactly asked in the way he should have, so caught up he had been in ensuring her safety, but now he took both of his hands in hers, forgetting Fitz, Lady Eliza, that anyone was threatening them as he brought them close to his chest and leaned in so that they were sharing the air between them.

"I want nothing more than to be married to you," he said in a low voice. "I know that there might be obstacles along the way, but I have never been happier than when I am with you. I promise I shall be as good of a husband as I can be. That might not mean much, but it is all I am capable of. If that is enough for you, then of course I will marry you."

"That is more than enough," she said, a sheen of tears covering her eyes, and he leaned in and kissed her nose, wishing he could rid her of all of her sadness. "We will find a way forward; however you choose."

He nodded, uncertain exactly of what he should say at the moment, but one thing he knew – of any woman in the world, he would choose her. Again and again.

"Well, then," he said with what he hoped was an encouraging smile, "are you ready to become a duchess?"

"Oh, goodness," she said, appearing so shocked that he nearly laughed. "I hadn't even considered the duchess part."

"Not to worry, I do not take the role of duke too seriously," he said, beginning to lead her back to the drawing room.

"You should," she insisted. "The dukedom plays an important role to a great many people."

Levi had no wish to have this conversation at the moment, but he was glad, at least, that it had distracted her from her worry over what was to come.

He still wasn't certain if he was doing the right thing. The right thing probably would have been to find another place for her, to help her escape and find the life that she wanted to live. But selfishly, he couldn't let her go. He wasn't sure if he loved her. He had never truly felt love before, so how could he know? But he did know that he had a fierce need to protect her, a need that overcame all other emotion, and he couldn't trust anyone but himself to properly look after her.

So, marry her he would.

As they stepped into the drawing room, Lady Eliza pressed a bouquet of freshly cut roses into Siena's arms. Siena's mouth parted in surprise. Levi had asked Thornbury to make sure that they were prepared for her. Another sat in a vase near the front of the hearth, which had become a makeshift altar of sorts. The fire burned low in the grate, although far enough away from them that it wouldn't distract him.

With Lady Willoughby, Lady Eliza, Fitz, Thornbury, and McGregor in attendance, it was all becoming rather too real.

But it was too late to question his decision now.

The vicar appeared both perplexed and curious, which was natural since no one had known that the duke who lived so close to their town was even interested in marrying, let alone had a woman in mind – and one who was here, at his estate. There was also the entire business of the special license, although Levi was hoping the man wouldn't question their marriage and its validity.

Luckily, being a duke did come with a few advantages as the vicar simply began to read from the text.

And in just a few minutes, Levi was a married man.

Siena wasboth freezing and flushed throughout her body as she and Levi were pronounced husband and wife. Had that truly just happened? She, the woman who had run from a wedding just weeks ago, was now married to a different man?

If someone had told her a short time ago that she would have any part in such a tale, she would have laughed in surprise.

But here they were.

Eliza and Lord Fitzroy filled the stunned silence with exclamations of congratulations, while Siena found that she could look anywhere but at Levi.

She had shared the most intimate parts of herself with him, completely trusted him with all of her secrets, her feelings, her body – but she had protected her heart, shielding it from him. Until today. Now she was most afraid that she was about to lose it anyway.

Before she had to say a word, however, she was interrupted by the sound of the door banging open. They looked at one another in horror, and soon enough the front foyer was filled with men – noblemen, yes, but others who looked around in concern as they likely hadn't realized they would be rescuing Siena from the arms of a duke – especially a duke who did not seem to be holding Siena in any form of distress.

"Can I help you, Lord Sterling?" Levi said, stepping forward in front of Siena.

"I have come to collect my daughter, and there is nothing you can do about it," Lord Sterling sneered. "I have enough of my friends here with me who can testify as to what happened here. My daughter will return to where she belongs."

"Actually," Levi said as calmly as he could, even though his heart was racing at the number of people who had invaded his home, all staring at him as though he was a ghastly beast. He had nearly reached for his sword, so leery he was about the threat. "You have no authority over Siena anymore."

"I am her father."

"That may be," Levi said, straightening now, for he finally had claim to something he was proud of. "But I am her husband now, which, I believe, takes precedence."

They were all silent for a moment, taking in this new piece of information, until Lord Sterling began to laugh, although no one echoed him besides a few half-hearted chuckles from his followers.

"That is not possible," he finally said when he stopped for air. "I saw you both mere hours ago and you certainly weren't married."

"Things change."

"But—"

"If I may," the vicar, a small, timid man with a round face and glasses, stepped forward with a finger in the air. "They are actually married, according to the church and the law. I just completed the ceremony myself, by special license from the Archbishop of Canterbury."

"The Archbishop?" Lord Sterling said, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. "A special license? You cannot be serious."

"He is," Siena said softly, wishing that things were different, that it never had to come to this, that she had a family she could have trusted to see to her best interests. "We were married but a few moments before you arrived."

"It will be annulled."

"A duke's marriage, sanctioned by the Archbishop?" Levi said, raising his eyebrow. "I think not."

The men who surrounded Lord Sterling seemed uncertain of the next course of action. They shifted back and forth, their eyes flicking around the room.

"Stay here," Levi said in Siena's hair as he walked toward Lord Sterling, only he didn't look at the man himself, but rather at all of those who had followed him here. He had to fight the urge to back away from them all, to hide elsewhere in this estate he had made his home, but he had promised to protect Siena, and protect her he would, even if it meant showing his face and accepting the horrified reactions.

He knew that Lord Sterling was beyond listening to any reason, but he had a feeling that he could implore to the other men's sense of hierarchy, or if not, he could, at the very least, scare them off.

"If any of you dare to challenge the marriage of the Duke of Dunmore – or the Duke of Death if you prefer – then take it to the House of Lords, if you wish. But we have a special license from the Archbishop of Canterbury himself, and Lady Siena is now my wife. You can refer to her as Your Grace."

He smiled then, which he knew would appear rather sinister, so forced it was along with the scar that pulled at his cheek when he did so.

"Any questions?"

There didn't appear to be any as no one said a word in return to him, but rather directed their questions to Lord Sterling.

"My lord, I don't believe there is anything we can do," one of the men said, leaning forward to speak in his ear. "We cannot take the girl by force, and she does not appear willing to leave."

"Fall in love with your captor, did you, girl?" Lord Sterling said, leaning in toward her. "You are making a big mistake."

"You are wrong, Father," Siena answered, her voice soft yet filled with strength. "I am choosing to do something for myself, just as I did when I ran from my wedding. Only this time, I have decided that I will not run anymore, but, rather, am going to stand up for myself and decide my own fate."

Even as her father blustered, Levi was filled with an immense sense of pride as he realized that she was right, and that, perhaps, he had something to learn from her.

These men in front of him had grimaced at his face, yes, but what did it matter? It was only his problem if he allowed them to affect him, but the people of significance – Siena, most specifically – didn't care about his scars, nor what he looked like.

He had faced them – for her – but perhaps he could even learn to face them for himself.

"Leave," he said, waving his hand forward. "And this time, don't come back."