Chapter 1

" I knew no sane man would wish to marry the likes of you!" Baron Wallace snarled at Marina, tilting his head back until his abnormally sharp nose pierced the air.

This can't be happening, not now.

Marina allowed her bouquet of lilies to fall to her side, her fingers strangling the stems as she clenched her fist. The racing of her heart only added to the uncomfortable atmosphere already permeating the air.

The chapel was filled with members of the ton that looked her up and down with scornful glances. The low susurration that filtered through the crowd made her uneasy as she shifted from foot to foot. Her long train hung down the back of her silver dress, reminding her of the reason she stood in front of the altar. Alone.

"I have had just about enough of you and your sniveling family. My patience has all but worn out with the lot of you. You will pack your things immediately and take your mother, sister, and pets with you!" The baron hissed loud enough for the guests in the front to hear, his large belly protruding beyond his frame.

Looking at her mother and sister huddled together in the front row, Marina noticed the color draining from her mother's face. Johanna Wallace's usually pale skin now resembled a pitcher of milk. While her mother's health had not been the greatest since her father passed, it seemed to take a turn for the worse whenever anything strange or stressful occurred.

Prudence huddled closer to her mother's side, gripping her thin fingers as if her life depended on it. The young girl had never warmed to her uncle, but the feelings of hatred seemed to worsen whenever the new baron would go on a rant.

"I do not wish to sound indelicate, Miss Wallace, but we cannot wait all day. Perhaps it is time to accept that the groom has changed his mind?" The vicar stepped forward and spoke to Marina in a calm tone that did little to ease her nerves. The elderly man's thin skin seemed to stretch over his knuckles as he clasped his fingers in a solemn gesture.

Focusing on the doors at the other end of the aisle, Marina took a deep breath and clenched her jaw until her teeth ached. Her long blonde hair, which had been plated into an elaborate braid, annoyed her beyond measure as she wished she could pull it all loose.

All of this for nothing…

The stems of her flowers turned to pulp beneath the pressure of her grip.

"Perhaps Mr. Marner heard the stories regarding her father…" The whispered sentence reached Marina's ears just in time to see her mother fainting in the front pew.

"Mama! Please, wake up…" A wave of gasps filled the air as Marina's fourteen-year-old sister began to sob beside her mother's unconscious form that had slumped forward in her seat.

Marina was about to rush forward when her best friends came to her aid.

Penelope Patterson, the Duchess of Huxton rushed to Lady Wallace's side, fanning her face furiously. Her doe-like brown eyes stared up at Marina while Lady Cordelia came to her friend's aid.

"Marina, do you not think perhaps, that we should tell everyone to go home? This is only causing a spectacle." She glanced wearily at the baron who was fuming with rage as he glared at the scene unfolding.

Guests craned their necks in their seats in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the fainted Dowager Baroness of Wallace who was beginning to stir. Prudence had managed to calm herself, yet her cheeks were stained with tears.

"I do not think that Mr. Marner is going to make an appearance." Cordelia was apologetic, wringing her gloved hands in front of her.

How dare he jilt me at the altar?

Her pulse raced with anger when she looked over her friend's shoulder at the judgmental glares of the ton. There were people she had never seen in her life, and then there were people who had once been her friends, or at least, had pretended to be her friends.

"Right." She hissed under her breath and lifted the hem of her dress, stepping forward with her head held high. Some of the tiny white flowers that had been woven into her braid, fell at her feet as she descended the steps.

People's heads turned in shock, watching her make her way down the aisle as Marina did her best to ignore their judgmental glares.

"Marina, where are you going?" Cordelia and Penelope both rushed to keep up with their friend's hurried steps as sniggers and smirks followed them down the aisle.

Pushing open the doors, Marina stepped into the bright sun, her veil trailing behind her in the slight breeze as she stopped for a breath. Something needed to be done about the situation at hand, but she certainly was not about to further the scene in the chapel.

"Marina! Where are you going?" Penelope asked almost breathlessly, stopping for a moment on the stairs to fix her red dress. The richness of the fabric complimented her pale complexion.

"I am going to ensure that the groom's family does right by mine."

Cordelia and Penelope exchanged looks of concern while biting their lips.

"What do you mean?"

"There is one man who did not bother to return his invitation." Marina narrowed her eyes at the imagined image of her supposed husband-to-be and set off down the street on her own.

"Are you certain that you will not be attending the wedding, Your Grace? There may still be time for the wedding breakfast, if not the ceremony."

The butler placed a glass of whisky beside the duke, before coming up straight. His stick-like posture always amazed Aaron as he wondered how the man remained so rigid.

Reaching for the glass, Aaron swirled the amber liquid a few times before taking a sip. "No, there is no reason for me to attend that sham of a wedding," he grumbled under his breath and shifted his position in the high-backed chair that was hidden in the corner of the room.

The invitation that lay next to him on the desk drew his attention away from the glass. The black-slanted writing mocked him relentlessly as he clenched his jaw.

You are cordially invited to attend the wedding of Miss Marina Wallace to the youngest son of the late Duke of Harper, Mr. Adam Marner.

The sentence made Aaron snort in derision. There was only one reason that his brother had insisted on the marriage, and that reason had little to do with love or even honor. The wedding was a sham and farce as far as he was concerned.

"I understand, Your Grace. Perhaps we should start the search for a wife of your own. It is, after all, expected of a duke." The butler placed his arms behind his back and stiffened his spine, looking into the shadows above the duke's head.

Smirking at the suggestion, Aaron shook his head and threw back another swig of his whisky. "Do not make me laugh. If there is anything more ridiculous than finding me a wife, I have not heard of it." He placed the glass back on the table beside him before sitting back and running his fingers over the right side of his face.

"Oh, I do not know, Your Grace, stranger things have happened. There is always the possibility of an arranged marriage. We could write to some of your relatives in Scotland, or perhaps even France. There is always a desperate young lady seeking a title and wealth." The butler's tone softened as a mischievous twinkle appeared in his eyes.

Desperate…

The man's words made Aaron smirk in amusement. After so many years of living on his own, the butler had become something of a friend to him. Even if their stations in life had caused a divide, Aaron and his butler were able to keep each other company without crossing the boundaries of disrespect and propriety. The duke had lost many friends after the accident that had ruined his face. The rivalry with his brother had not helped either.

"It would take more than just a desperate woman to find me a wife, Jeeves. Any woman who tied herself to the likes of me and my hideous appearance would have to be sent by God. And where would I meet her when I hardly ever leave this house? A bride would have to come storming into this very room if I am ever to be married." He gestured to the room at large with a sweep of his arm.

"You never know, Your Grace. Miracles have been known to…" The butler stopped speaking and frowned when the sound of frantic knocking echoed down the empty halls.

"I wonder who that could be." Aaron's brows creased into a frown as he waved the butler away. The only visitor he ever received was his brother, and that was unlikely given the fact that it was the day of his wedding.

Bowing low, the butler hurried from the room, disappearing around the corner in the dark hallway beyond.

Perhaps he had come to gloat.

Aaron let out a heavy sigh as he brooded in the darkness of the parlor. Light had been his enemy for years, along with the rivalry between him and his brother.

Minutes seemed to pass before the startled butler reappeared at the door. His eyes carried a look of confusion that instantly piqued Aaron's attention. "A… A Miss Wallace to see you, Your Grace." He swallowed hard and shook his head before stepping aside.

"Where is he?" The high-pitched voice of a woman called out from the shadows before the woman in question stepped into the room; her beautiful features were marred with anger as she glared.

"Miss Wallace?" Aaron held his breath and stood, puzzled by the sudden appearance of a bride. His eyes wandered over her slim figure, halting at the swelling of her breasts beneath the silver gown. She was certainly beautiful, there was no denying that her appearance stirred something within him.

Swallowing hard, the woman seemed to try and adjust her bright blue eyes to the darkness surrounding the duke. Her cat-like features spoke of elegance and grace, yet the fierceness in her eyes intrigued him more than anything else. "I apologize for the interruption, Your Grace, but since you had not bothered to respond to the invitation, I thought I might find you here." Her eyes narrowed sharply as her chest rose and fell with every labored breath.

The strands of golden hair that hung in her face, added to her beauty as she reached back and removed the veil from her head. Allowing the sheer fabric to fall to the floor at her feet, she took up a stance of utter determination.

"Was there something that you needed me for, Miss Wallace?" Arron, crossed his arms over his chest, keeping as far back in the shadows as possible. His eyes searched the hallway behind her for any signs of his brother.

"As a matter of fact, there is. I am here to demand satisfaction. I shall not leave until justice is served." She lifted her chin defiantly in the air, staring into the darkness as if she could see into his soul.