Chapter 17

M arina glanced at Aaron as they made their way up the grand steps of the Duke and Duchess of Huxton's country manor. His gaze was stark and unreadable, fixed on the doors ahead of them.

The stiffness of his posture almost made Marina regret her decision to force him to accept the invitation. Things had been going well between them ever since he had come to her room. She hoped and prayed that the ball would not create yet another barrier between them.

"It looks like most of the ton has been invited," she cheerfully tried to distract him with conversation as they reached the top of the stairs.

The corner of Aaron's mouth twitched ever so slightly as they entered a crowded entrance hall.

Gazes followed them as lords and ladies turned their heads to whisper to their companions, shooting their venomous judgment in Aaron's direction.

"I think I see Penelope with Eleanor! We should go and make our presence known." Marina gave his arm a gentle squeeze and tried to steer him away from all the judgmental glances.

Aaron's jaw clenched as his body continued to stiffen. "I think our presence is very much known," he grumbled under his breath, barely glancing in her direction.

Taking a deep breath, Marina continued to pull him forward, determined to make a success of the evening. "Penelope, Eleanor, may I finally introduce you to my husband, the Duke of Harper." She offered them a bright smile, hoping that they would pick up on her hidden message to make him feel welcome.

Eleanor seemed to be staring him down before finally offering her hand. "It is a pleasure to see you again." She came back up with a polite smile, causing Marina to breathe a sigh of relief. It was hard to tell at times if Eleanor was going to say something that would certainly make matters worse. She harbored quite a reputation for speaking her mind in the past.

Aaron bowed respectfully. "The pleasure is all mine. I trust that you have been well, since our last meeting. There were a few matters that needed my attention."

"We have, Your Grace, and the gentlemen are just as eager to speak with you again. Penelope offered her hand in turn, exuding her usual aura of sunshine.

"I shall be glad to speak to them again," he answered stiffly while forcing a smile. Marina could see that Penelope was about to respond when Eleanor quickly took over the conversation. "If you would like to make yourself a bit more comfortable, our husbands are just over there by the table of refreshments." She pointed to a long table that had been set up at the back of the ballroom that was visible through the open doors.

Penelope's eyes flashed mischievously as her lips curled into a smile before being drawn between her teeth.

Aaron simply nodded and headed in the direction that Eleanor had pointed out to him.

"Don't you dare say anything snarky. I know what you are thinking. I am thinking it as well but let them be." Eleanor immediately rounded on their friend before offering Marina a reassuring smile.

"What are you talking about?" Marina asked with a frown, not understanding what her friends were carrying on about.

"Nothing at all." Eleanor corrected quickly with a nervous smile.

"Oh, come off of it, Eleanor. Marina can tell that we are hiding something from her." Penelope laughed.

Feeling her frustration growing, Marina took a deep breath. "Well, out with it then." She lifted her chin defiantly in the air, raising her eyebrows at her friends.

Both Penelope and Eleanor stifled a giggle before looking at her.

"It is just that you seem to be glowing quite differently…" Eleanor stated tactfully, drawing her bottom lip between her teeth.

Marina's frown deepened as she felt even more confused. "I do not understand. Have the two of you been sampling the punch all evening?" She looked expectantly from one to the other.

Penelope seemed to perk up as she rose to the challenge. "What I was going to say to the duke was that it is a pleasure to finally meet the man who has suddenly made our friend… glow!" She used the word again after a moment's hesitation.

How can they tell?

Marina felt a jolt of shock as she pursed her lips. She had not seen her friends in quite a while, yet they had somehow become privy to her secret.

Eleanor lowered her voice conspiratorially and leaned closer to Marina. "There is no need to look so pale, Marina, dear, Penny and I are married women. We can tell that you and the duke have… consummated… your marriage. You seem much closer, even by the way you walked in. Married women can tell these things, you know."

A wave of relief washed over her body as Marina's shoulders relaxed. "I did not think you would be able to tell, it is a relief, really."

Coming to her sides, Eleanor and Penelope each hooked an arm through hers as they began to lead her into the crowded ballroom.

"There is nothing to fret over, Eleanor and I are just glad that you have finally experienced the joys of marriage. We will not ask you for any explicit details, as those things must stay between a husband and a wife." Penelope winked at her.

Marina smiled thankfully, grateful that her friends were discreet despite their teasing. Her smile, however, faded quickly when she spotted Cordelia from across the room.

The lady was pacing back and forth, looking as if she were about to cry as she bit on her nails.

Doing a quick scan of the room, Marina and her friends noted the wave of gossip that seemed to be pulsating through the guests.

"What do you think has happened?" Penelope asked, her eyes never leaving Cordelia for a second.

"I do not know, but I think we had better find out." Marina lifted her head high and pushed through the thong of whispering lords and ladies.

The three reached Cordelia just in time as a single tear fell down the girl's cheek.

Penelope rushed forward and guided her to a bench while dabbing her eyes with a clean handkerchief. "Hush now dear, there is no need to cry. Tell us what has happened."

Marina stopped in front of them, acting as a shield while Eleanor sidled closer to a group of women, hoping to catch a snippet of their conversation.

Cordelia took a deep breath and sighed. "It is awful, I will never find a match. I am doomed to become a spinster at this rate." She took another shaky breath before continuing. "I have sent my mother home in a carriage, but not before she was able to make a mockery out of us again."

Sympathy bloomed in her chest as Marina tilted her head to the side with a sympathetic smile. Things were not easy for Cordelia with the loss of her father, and her mother's actions never seemed to make matters any better.

"What happened, dearest?" Penelope coaxed her gently, making sure that none of the girl's tears left stains on her cheeks.

Shutting her eyes, Cordelia shook her head. "She had a bit too much to drink again and offered herself to Lord Kelpton. She said that she would offer him greater pleasure than his wife ever could."

Marina raised her hands to her lips as her heart broke for her friend. People would certainly not have looked at such a public display of vulgarity with any kind of understanding.

"I tried to keep it quiet, but I think some people may have overheard." Her shoulders began to shake as tears flowed freely down her cheeks.

"I hate to interrupt, ladies, but I do not think that it was Cordelia's mother who created the sudden surge of whispers." Eleanor drew their attention to the side as all three women looked at her in confusion.

Meeting Marina's gaze, Eleanor nodded toward a scandal sheet that was being passed from hand to hand.

A feeling of dread overtook her as she felt her chest clenching.

Acting quickly, Penelope stood and skillfully intercepted the sheet before it could be passed on. "My apologies, ladies, but I do think that your mothers will thank me. Young debutants should not be reading such nonsense." She gave the group of young girls a stern look as they glared at her before sauntering off.

Giving the girls a moment to saunter away, Penelope dropped her eyes to the paper and gasped, her skin paling as she read.

"What is it?" Marina hurried forward and fumbled for the sheet as Penelope handed it to her.

Her blood ran cold as her eyes scanned the page, making her instantly realize what had caused the commotion.

It has come to the ton's attention that the recent publication requires a certain amount of clarification. It was not, in fact, a monster that terrorized a young woman in a nearby village, but one of the ton's prestigious names.

Although, one could argue that any man, no matter how noble, who terrorizes a young woman in a forest, is a monster. The vile beast has been identified as none other than the beastly Duke of Harper.

The world suddenly faded away as Marina looked up in shock. "Who would say such a thing? It is all a lie!" She stated determinedly before realizing that her friends were staring behind her.

Turning in confusion, Marina was suddenly confronted with hundreds of eyes that were fixed on her.

Far off, in a distant corner, stood Aaron, his eyes filled with rage as he kept to the shadows.

"You should all be ashamed of yourselves!" She raised her voice for everyone to hear. "The Duke of Harper is not a monster or a beast. He is one of the most kind-hearted men that I know. I am proud to be his wife, and you should all find better things to occupy your time with. I demand to know who wrote such a lie!" Her words fell short when Eleanor suddenly tapped her on the shoulder, bringing her attention back to the sheet.

Looking down with a frown, Marina continued to scan the page, sifting through the paragraphs of heinous descriptions and lies. Reaching the bottom of the page, her heart suddenly stopped beating. There in bold print, stood an unmistakable name at the end of the column.

Sources close to the duke have confirmed that His Grace was not at home during the time of the incident. Mr. Adam Marner was entirely too eager to confirm the information. "This has to be a mistake," she whispered before looking up at her friends.

How could he do this to his brother?

It was no wonder that everyone believed what they were reading, the article had been signed off by the duke's brother.

Shock took over when she recalled the breakfast where Adam had requested a scandal sheet to be brought to him. Had he been playing some kind of game all along?

No. It has to be a mistake. Why would he do this?

She turned back to the room, ignoring the crowd as her eyes searched for her husband, catching a glimpse of his back before he disappeared through the doors.

"Excuse me, I need to go after my husband." She handed the sheet back to Penelope before lifting the hem of her dress and pushing through the throng.

Women and men gasped as she cleared a path, not caring if she stepped on any feet or breached the borders of propriety.

She waded through the crowd before reaching the doors and bursting into the empty entrance hall. "Aaron, wait!" she called after him, hurrying forward when she saw him taking the steps two at a time.

Aaron did not seem to be paying attention to her as he reached the bottom of the steps and continued toward his carriage.

"Aaron, please, wait! Let's talk about this!" Heat flushed her face as she hurried to keep up.

Turning without warning, Aaron snapped at her. "No, I am done talking!". His eyes were filled with rage and hurt, making her heart ache as she stopped and took a step back.

"Aaron, I will understand if you try and explain, I am only trying to help…"

"Help? Is that what you call it? I have been humiliated in front of the entire ton! You can never leave me well enough alone. My affairs with my brother have nothing to do with you! Nor do I need you to defend me like that." He flung his arm in the air, gesturing to the house behind him where the music had begun to play again.

Her heart broke into a million pieces when she noted the accusation in his eyes. "I do not understand…"

"No, you do not. You keep trying to turn me into something that I am not, making out as if I am this great hero when, in fact, I am a monster! You have been pushing and pushing me into your world but you know what? I do not want to fit into it!" He raised his voice, advancing on her until he was towering over her.

It took Marina a moment to reflect on his words until she found the strength to straighten. "Well, if that is how you truly feel, Your Grace, then I have happy tidings for you. I am with child. As per our agreement, you never have to set eyes on me again. I will leave for my mother's house tonight."

Aaron took a step back as if he had been slapped and stared at her. "Why did you not-"

"This is what you wanted, is it not? An heir to carry your line?" She raised an eyebrow in question despite the trembling that she felt throughout her body.

Swallowing hard, Aaron straightened and let out a breath. "Well, that is good news. My duty as your husband is done. We can commence with the second part of our agreement and live our lives separately, given that it is done discreetly."

"Discreetly. That is all that matters to you, isn't it?" Marina shook her head, hoping for a response other than the cold words that had come from his lips.

"Yes, do not pretend that I have ever led you to believe that I wanted anything more. You are with child, which is all that was required between us."

His words cut through her chest like a sharp knife as she shut her eyes against the hot sting of tears.

How could this happen? Nothing should have ended like this.

"Now, if you will excuse me, I am sure that your friends will be able to organize a carriage for you. I will have your belongings sent to your mother's lodgings as soon as possible."

His voice trailed off as Marina kept her eyes shut. It was almost too painful for her to look at him as she heard his footsteps retreating, followed by the sound of a carriage door and horses' hooves beating the gravel.

Maybe it is better this way…

A single hot tear fell down her cheeks as she folded her arms around her waist, cradling the unborn child who she thought had been created out of love.

How terribly stupid have I been?