Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

“ W here is she?” he called to a maid in passing as the startled woman nodded toward his grandmother’s chambers.

Not now; not this as well.

Simon raced up the stairs of his grandmother’s townhouse with the note crumpled in his fist. His tall and muscular frame rushed past servants as they scrambled to get out of his way.

He had barely had time to try and track down his brother before a footman arrived with the untimely news.

Not wasting any time, Simon threw open the doors and practically sprinted inside before halting halfway to the bed.

“Simon, I am so glad you came,” Bernice Wakefield, the Dowager Duchess of Sunderley, spoke feebly in a cracked voice from her position in the middle of her large four-poster bed.

What seemed like dozens of pillows had been placed behind her back in an attempt to make her comfortable.

“What has happened? You said in your note that the doctor was here to see you, and the news is rather bleak.” He approached the bed slowly and perched on the edge as he took his time to examine his grandmother.

Her pale complexion only seemed slightly gaunter than usual. Her silver hair had been pinned to the back of her head in a loose bun that would allow for comfort when lying down.

“I did not want to worry you too much with the details, dear. The doctor has been to see me after I experienced some mild chest pains. He said it is more than likely my heart has suffered after the shock of your brother’s disappearance.”

Her hazel eyes seemed tired as she smiled reassuringly at her grandson while her frail shoulders were slightly hunched as she watched him move.

Reaching for her hand, he gave her fingers a gentle squeeze that made him realize just how thin she had become with age.

“I am doing all that I can to find Augustus. I am confident that I will track him down before his wedding.”

He swallowed hard and wished with all his might that even he could believe his own words.

Bernice shook her head with a heavy sigh. “There is something else that you should know. It is not only Augustus that has disappeared.”

“What do you mean?”

A feeling of dread and confusion came over his mind as he examined the bags under his grandmother’s eyes.

What else could possibly have gone wrong?

“I see no need to beat around the bush. Both your brother and Isolde Townshend have now gone missing. Her father sent me a note early this morning explaining that he thinks she ran away after getting wind of your brother’s absence. I am afraid there cannot be a wedding even if you manage to locate your brother.”

What is happening?

Simon felt his brow creasing into a deep frown. The disappearance of his younger brother along with his bride-to-be would create more than just a small scandal among the ton . Their marriage would have solidified a fortuitous bond between the two families, not to mention the fact that he would not have to marry.

“Perhaps they decided to elope. You hear of these young couples all the time that forgo the formalities of a wedding and run away.”

He grasped at straws, hoping against hope that there was still time to intercede if that were the case. He could track them down and convince them both to return and do things the proper way.

Bernice shook her head once again. “I do not see why they would. Their marriage was an acceptable one that was wanted by everyone involved. I can only conclude that your brother, and possibly Isolde as well, did not want the marriage. Barring any sinister motives, I cannot think of another reason.”

Simon swore under his breath as he let go of his grandmother’s hand and stood, beginning to pace beside her bed. Everything was set in stone and arranged; why did it have to go wrong now?

“As per the doctor’s instructions, I must stay in bed and allow my body to heal from the shock. I therefore must ask you to handle this matter before the scandal gets out of hand,” his grandmother continued, sinking a little further into her stack of pillows.

“Of course, you must rest. I will set out at once to find Augustus. Hopefully, it is only a case of cold feet and nothing more.” He turned to leave but paused when his grandmother called to him.

“Simon, wait. That is not what I meant.” Bernice cleared her throat and waited for her grandson to turn.

A sudden feeling of unease swept over his body. “What did you mean?”

He turned back to his grandmother but kept his position at the door, untrusting what she was about to say. Although their relationship had always been close, his grandmother had often tried to meddle in her grandson’s affairs with her wild schemes.

“There will be gossip and a scandal; there is no hope of avoiding any of that at this point. The only thing that can be done at present is we must endeavor to minimize the scandal as much as possible.” She looked at her hands in her lap before lifting her gaze to meet Simon’s. “You must go and speak with Isolde’s father at once.”

The seriousness of his grandmother’s expression did not help the tension that was beginning to gnaw at the pit of his stomach.

What is she planning?

“The only way out of this mess is to have a wedding. If Augustus is unwilling to marry the youngest Townshend sister, then you must marry her cousin. Lady Octavia is seen as an adopted daughter to her uncle and will serve as a more than suitable match for you and this family.” She sat up a little straighter and held her grandson’s gaze.

“You must be joking, Grandmamma.” Simon felt like laughing as he listened to her plan.

Nobody had ever brought such a ridiculous idea to him in all his years of being a duke.

“I am not joking; in fact, I am being deadly serious. Marrying Lady Octavia will muffle the scandal of your brother’s disappearance while still procuring the desired match between our families. You know as well as I do that the Earl of Winthorpe approached your father long before either of your parents passed. The arrangements were made among gentlemen, and those arrangements need to be honored. The Townshend family will be united with ours.” His grandmother spoke to him in the same tone she had always used to reprimand him as a child.

The air of definitiveness in her voice knocked the wind from his sails when he realized that she was serious.

“Grandmamma, you know that I have made a vow never to marry. I will not go back on my word now just because Augustus has decided to go back on his.” He matched his grandmother’s serious demeanor as he narrowed his eyes.

“And I would have been happy to honor your vow if we had not been thrust into this situation. If your brother had stayed and married Isolde, then the chances of an heir would have been secured and you would not have had to marry. However, I must add that I do not and have never agreed with your stance on marriage. Your parents painted a somewhat convoluted picture of the institution. As the situation stands, the responsibility of taking a wife now falls back to you as it always should have.” Her tone softened slightly.

Simon ran his hand over his mouth as he considered his grandmother’s words.

Marriage?

Was breaking his vow truly the only way of rectifying the situation? He could see her point about siring an heir—it certainly was not something that his rakish brother seemed to be taking seriously.

“Say now I agree to this ludicrous suggestion. You do know that Lady Octavia and I have not met. I refuse to be thrust into an arranged marriage with someone who I know by reputation alone!” His irritation with the situation began to gnaw at him, making him irritable.

Rumors of her beauty had certainly reached his ears in the past. Yet he couldn’t help but think that any woman who was held in such high regard because of her looks would certainly think a lot of herself.

He never wanted a wife, even less one like Lady Octavia.

Bernice rolled her eyes for the first time since Simon had entered her chambers and lifted the back of her hand to her forehead.

“Do not make me argue while I am in my weakened state. Lady Octavia is a bright and beautiful young woman with a quick wit. If you have any preconceived negative perceptions about her, it is only because of your insistence upon pushing others away.”

He narrowed his eyes at his grandmother.

“Did you not just finish saying that you understood why I believe the things that I do? Vulnerability is a sign of weakness. The second that you show any kind of vulnerability in the eyes of the ton , you are pounced upon by marriage-minded mamas seeking fortunes for their misguided daughters. I do not see the need to be charming to any of them when I do not intend to marry any of them.” He spoke bluntly and placed his hands behind his back with his chin thrust defiantly in the air.

“Thus, confirming what I have just said. Octavia will be a suitable match for you, even if you do not believe in love. If she seems less than pleasant, it is because of the coolness that you present to the rest of the world.” She matched her grandson’s glare.

A moment of loaded disagreement passed between the two as Simon clenched his jaw.

It was Bernice that broke the silence between them. “As the Dowager Duchess of this family, it is my responsibility to see that my grandsons produce at least one heir to carry the family’s name. I do not wish to burden you with anything else, but it is also my wish to see at least one great-grandchild before I die. I know that in my current condition, it may not be possible, but at least I will know that there is a small glimmer of hope if you marry.” Her eyes softened as she sank back into the pillows, seemingly winded by their long conversation.

“You are not dying, Grandmamma. I am certain that Augustus will provide you with plenty of great-grandchildren when the time comes.”

He felt a twinge of guilt when Bernice coughed into her hand and shook her head in desperation. Perhaps her condition was more serious than he’d anticipated.

“If only we knew if that were the truth. I can see you have made up your mind, I won’t hassle you any further. If it is up to me to mend the broken bonds between the families, then I shall do so.”

She flung the blankets from her legs and lifted her knees before pausing and lying back on the pillows with her eyes shut.

Simon took a moment to observe his grandmother and the labored breathing that moved her chest before making a decision.

His eyes fell on the many bottles on her bedside table. The doctor had undoubtedly left instructions with her lady’s maid. He’d seen his grandmother sick before, but this seemed worse.

I do not have another choice.

The realization of his predicament came crashing down on him as the blood in his veins turned to ice, leaving him with a nasty taste of anger in his mouth.

“I will speak to the Earl of Winthorpe as soon as I can.”

A faint smile spread over her lips as the Dowager Duchess of Sunderley shimmied down her pillows and shut her eyes.

I cannot believe I am doing this.

Simon turned from the bed and left the room, furious at having to deal with the consequences of his brother’s actions. Why did he need to marry just because Augustus had changed his mind?

Clenching his fists at his sides, he stormed down the hall, irate from the idea of having to marry.

There will be hell to pay for Augustus when I find him.