Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

I t seemed typical that while the worst day of Anna’s life, the day of her father’s funeral, had been bright and sunny and cheerful, her wedding day was gloomy and miserable.

It could be argued that both days were equally awful.

It wasn’t raining, actually , but it was threatening to begin at any moment. The house was a flurry of activity—even though the wedding breakfast wasn’t to be held at their home, there was still a lot of things to be done—and Anna felt strangely removed from all the chaos. She was ready, and there was nothing to be done but sit in her room, stare at her reflection, and wait for the carriage to arrive.

Everything is arranged. They don’t need me.

Part of her had been so sure that the wedding would never happen, that the Duke would be talked out of it by wiser friends or simply change his mind, or perhaps it really had been a joke all along.

She stared at her reflection, not entirely recognizing the woman inside the glass.

The dress fit her perfectly—which was a surprise, considering it had arrived out of the blue, with no measurements taken. It was a sharp contrast to the simple gown she’d worn for her first wedding. This gown was layered and ruffled, stiff with embroidery and thick with lace, covered in beads and pearls and little sparkling gems, the cut simple but entirely overshadowed by the decorations.

What was worse, she loved it.

Of course, it would be nicer if the fabric was a good, strong color, like dark green or perhaps a blue or red, rather than a dainty cream, but that was hardly the point.

Every time the beads on the skirt of the gown clicked together, she found herself back in the drawing room, with the Duke looming over her, his eyes intense.

Swallowing hard, she fisted the fabric in her hands. He’d been so close, close enough for her to feel the heat of his body, smell that pleasantly rich scent of his—earth after rain—and sense the changes in her own body. She had thought, almost beyond doubt, that he was going to kiss her.

And worse, she’d wanted him to kiss her. What would it feel like to have a man like that kiss her?

To chase away the thought, Anna bounced to her feet, pacing around the room.

He doesn’t seem like the kissing sort . And while he made it clear we’ll be enjoying each other’s… each other’s company a good deal, it’s all in the pursuit of producing an heir. Just business.

Best not to think about that. The wedding hadn’t even happened yet, and until Anna had a ring on her finger and heard her own ‘I do’ echoing in the church, she wouldn’t believe that it was going to happen.

Outside, the first few drops of rain pattered against the window. Anna did not believe in luck or superstition, but really, it was not a good sign.

Almost as soon as the rain started in earnest, she heard the rumbling of carriage wheels on the pavement. Pulling back the curtain, she saw a familiar black, lacquered carriage outside, the Duke’s coat of arms emblazoned on the side.

Her chest tightened, and she found herself rapidly backing away from the window.

“Annie?”

She flinched, glancing over to the doorway. Her mother stood there, her face unreadable.

“Mama,” Anna said, forcing a little laugh. “I didn’t hear you coming. You’ve been quite velvet-footed these days.”

“I… I came to tell you that the Duke’s carriage is here. It’s time to go.”

She nodded. “I saw it.”

There was a taut silence.

“Your sisters are ready,” Octavia volunteered, although it seemed as if she wanted to say something else.

“We should go, then.”

Still, Octavia stayed there. At last, she squeezed her eyes shut. “I… I wanted to tell you that you don’t have to do this, but…”

Anna bit her lip. “I know, Mama. I know what I have to do. This is for the best, I know it. I’m prepared to marry the Duke.”

Octavia let out a sigh of relief. “I’m… I’m so glad. I could never have made you go through with it, but really, your marrying him is the best thing that could have happened to our family.”

Taking a tentative step forward, Anna pushed further. “You… you won’t have to see the Earl anymore, will you?”

“Not once you and the Duke are wed. Not if he keeps his word and pays off our debts.”

“He will,” Anna said, her voice sounding stronger now. She felt stronger. “He always keeps his word.”

The church was full to bursting, which was not much of a surprise. Anna’s previous, disastrous attempt at marriage was all the ton had talked about for the past week, and now she was walking down the aisle again , to an even bigger catch than before! Of course, people were interested. Fascinated, in fact.

Before they pushed the doors open, Anna reached out and grabbed her mother’s arm. “If he’s not there, I can’t go in,” she said heavily. “I can’t do it again.”

There was no need to specify exactly what she meant. Lips pressed together, Octavia peered into the church and let out a sigh of relief.

“The Duke is there, waiting for you at the altar. He has the Duke of Blackwood as his best man. An unusual choice, considering, but they are friends.”

No more delays, then, Anna thought, her heart hammering.

Breathing in deeply, she nodded for Daphne and Emily to go in ahead of her. They obeyed, and a flurry of chatter and whispers floated out when the doors opened. Anna caught a glimpse of people staring at the doorway, their necks craned, their eyes wide, eager to have a scrap of gossip to share tomorrow.

“Mama,” she asked suddenly, “could you walk me to the altar?”

Octavia swallowed hard. “Of course, I will, my love.”

Arm in arm, they pushed open the heavy doors all the way and stepped into the church.

A flurry of whispers rose around them. Anna kept her head up and walked down the aisle. Quickly.

Not too quickly, of course. She didn’t want it to seem as if she were hurrying towards her groom, but there was also no point in taking dainty, mincing steps down the aisle.

I want to get this over with.

She saw a few familiar faces in the crowd out of the corner of her eye. Beatrice was one of them, and Anna felt a twinge of guilt that she hadn’t talked more to her friend during the past week. Beatrice hadn’t been betrayed by Henry like Anna had been, but he was her friend, too.

And then she was there, at the altar, with the priest eyeing her warily, and Octavia released her arm and leaned in to kiss her.

“You look beautiful, darling,” she whispered. “I just realized that I never told you.”

Anna’s throat closed up, but then it was over, and Octavia was sitting down beside the twins, and there was nothing else for Anna to do but face the Duke.

Her husband . Almost.

“Dearly beloved,” the priest began, speaking fast as if he were afraid one of them would make a mad dash for the exit.

Anna breathed in deeply, steeling herself, and looked the Duke directly in his cool blue eyes. He regarded her straight back, his expression unreadable.

Abruptly, his gaze slid to the side, and Anna had to follow it to see what he was looking at.

His daughter, of course. Kitty sat on one of the front pews, a nervous-looking maid beside her.

The little girl was wearing a frilly blue-and-pink gown, beaming at both her father and Anna. Her feet, which did not touch the floor, were swinging wildly.

Anna glanced back at the Duke just in time to see him flash a smile and a wink at his daughter. Then the smile was gone, and the cold, impassive mask was back.

“Do you, Theodore Stanley, the Duke of Langdon, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

“I do,” the Duke answered, his voice steady.

“And do you, Anna Belmont, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“I do,” Anna managed, her voice cracking just a little, a fact which would doubtless be noticed and reported by the scandal sheets.

“Then it is my pleasure to pronounce you man and wife, the Duke and Duchess of Langdon. You may kiss the bride.”

Anna just had time for her eyes to widen before the congregation erupted in applause. The Duke’s face had not changed, showing not even a flicker of emotion. His gaze darted down to her mouth, the way it had when she’d been so sure he was going to kiss her before, and he leaned forward.

Panic bloomed. Part of Anna wanted to recoil, but that would end up humiliating both of them in front of the whole congregation, and the Duke did not seem like the sort of man to easily forgive slights and humiliation.

So she stood stock still and waited. At the last moment, she let her eyes flutter shut.

His lips never touched hers. Instead, she received a dry, chaste kiss on the cheekbone, and he pulled back.

Oh.

“Smile,” he said, his teeth gritted, and she hastily flashed a nervous grin at the congregation.

It seemed to work, as the applause intensified. On the front pew, Octavia was wiping tears from her eyes.

Anna struggled not to flinch when the Duke’s hand unceremoniously closed around hers, but it seemed to be for practical reasons, as he began to tow her down the aisle.

Congratulations rained down on either side, and Anna managed to reply with quick thank yous and occasionally a nod and a smile. Her head was spinning.

Outside, the rain was falling hard, but a footman waited with a large umbrella, ushering them to a carriage, a different one from the one that had brought Anna and her family here. Acting automatically, Anna climbed into the carriage and sat on the plush velvet bench before she even knew what was going on. The Duke climbed in after her, the door closed, and the carriage took off.

Just like that, they were alone. Silence descended.

Anna swallowed hard. “That… that was quick.”

He smothered a yawn, crossing one leg over the other. “Wedding ceremonies shouldn’t be lengthy, in my opinion. It’s the wedding breakfast everybody cares about, once they’ve gotten a look at the bride’s dress.”

“What… What about my family? And Kitty?”

“Martha will take Kitty home, and the carriage that brought you here will take your family to my house. The wedding breakfast is ready, and I believe there’ll be dancing. Oh, by the way, you and I will be expected to dance. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Of course, I don’t mind. I just…” She paused, shifting on her seat. The carriage was remarkably well sprung, and she could hardly feel a single jolt as they bowled down the streets. “I’m just a little out of sorts. It all went by so fast. I’m married .”

“Indeed,” he agreed. “And a month from now, you might be with child, looking forward to a life of freedom. Nine or ten months from now, you could be a proud mother, a beautiful young duchess, ready to embrace true freedom. I envy you, actually.”

For some reason, his speech made Anna shiver. It felt strange, being alone in a carriage with a man, let alone a man like the Duke , but they were married. They would be doing more than sitting in a carriage together, and they would be doing it that very night.

Something fizzed in her gut, and she couldn’t tell whether it was excitement or panic. Maybe a bit of both.

What if it’s awful?

What if it’s wonderful, and he doesn’t want to do it with you?

She swallowed hard, trying to force down the lump in her throat, and shot a quick, nervous glance at her new husband.

The Duke seemed almost unaware of her presence. He rested his elbow on the window sill, watching the raindrops trickle down the glass. When he spoke again, Anna nearly jumped out of her skin.

“I want to introduce you to the housekeeper today if we have time,” he said abruptly. “Mrs. Haunt. She’s been with me for years. She’s eager to meet you. I can’t imagine you know how to run a household like mine, so if I were you, I’d let Mrs. Haunt deal with it. Concentrate on Kitty.”

Anna bristled. “I’m not a fool, you know.”

“Aren’t you? Forgive me, I just assume everybody around me is an idiot. It’s simpler.”

She folded her arms tight across her chest and sat back with a thump .

Awful man. The sooner I give him his son, the better it will be for everybody.

It wouldn’t be that simple, though, would it? Anna was fairly sure most people had to try a good many times to conceive, and then there was the business of childbirth and being with child…

She shuddered, deliberately not thinking about that .

She knew plenty of women who had delivered children easily, though. The trick, as far as she could tell, was not to listen too hard to haughty physicians who didn’t know much about female anatomy, and instead talk to the experienced midwives.

That was what the Dowager Viscountess had done, and she’d delivered Anna and the trickier twins without much trouble. Anna did not particularly fear dying in childbirth, at least.

The carriage took a sharp turn onto a familiar driveway. Through the rain, she saw Langdon House approaching. Her house.

“Here we are,” the Duke said, smothering another yawn. “The servants have come out to meet you, it seems. I do hope you remember the rules.”

It took her a moment to understand what he meant, but once she did, she shot him a scowl.

“Certainly, as long as you remember mine.”

He smirked, infuriatingly unflustered.

The carriage gently rolled to a stop, and a pair of footmen came hurrying out with umbrellas.

The Duke extended his hand. “Shall we?”

“If you say so, Your Grace.”

He frowned at that. “You no longer have to call me Your Grace . We’re married. My name is Theodore.”

Before Anna could reply, the carriage door opened.