Chapter 1

Chapter One

"Y ou are truly fortunate, Nancy. Not many can say they were blessed with the honor of marrying a duke," Georgiana Lockhart, the Dowager Marchioness of Suttington, mused.

Nancy did what she had been doing since the start of the journey—she nodded, keeping her gaze fixed on the carriage window. She absentmindedly wondered how far they were from the church, desperate for the moment to arrive quickly, so she could be done with it just as fast.

However, the Dowager Marchioness did not relent in her efforts and continued to express her joy over her daughter's situation.

"And not just any duke but the Duke of Wexford! How lucky are we?"

That word lucky irked Nancy to no end. She had resolved to be understanding, to view their circumstances from her mother's perspective. But the longer she had to pretend that she felt fortunate or, the closer she got to losing her mind.

"I would certainly feel better about it all had I been marrying the former Duke. Not his brother. Especially when the entirety of London gossips about his rakish escapades. Perhaps then I would feel more inclined to count my blessings," Nancy said offhandedly, still staring out the carriage window.

"Nancy!" Lady Suttington cried in shock.

"Why must Nancy marry, Mama? To a rake of all men? Surely, we are not that desperate. Even if we are, there must be other ways to save ourselves. There must be methods that do not involve marrying Nancy off to such a terrible man," Nancy's fifteen-year-old sister, Beatrice, interjected fiercely.

"I do not care who it is. I do not want Nancy to go! Why can't she stay, Mama?" the youngest of the Lockhart siblings, Anne, protested, clinging to her elder sister's arm from where she sat by her side.

As Nancy looked down at her beloved little sister, a girl of barely eight years, her heart began to stutter as did her resolve to carry on with what she had set out to do that day. But before her confidence could falter too far, her mother spoke up:

"We have no other option, children. I am not giving her away like a lamb to the slaughterhouse. The Duke of Wexford is one of the wealthiest dukes in the entire country, and that wealth and power will save us. He will be able to secure a residence for us and even grant us a portion of your father's fortune."

"You might think her marriage is unfair and unjust, but it is nothing compared to the cruelty the new Marquess has shown us. He cares not for our well-being nor harbors any concerns over what is right. Nancy's marriage is the only thing that can save us from a life of nothingness."

Nancy's heart hurt at the pain she could hear in her mother's voice. The death of her father had left her mother reeling and beyond devastated. What followed right after dealt another blow which she could barely stand against.

No matter how much she disliked the idea of marrying a total stranger, she had done her best to withhold her objections because she understood her mother's burdens and the problems her family was faced with.

"A day… barely a day after your father's death, that vile cousin of his simply appears and tells us to leave the home you have known all your lives. The world is a cold and harsh place, and under normal circumstances, one would not be as fortunate as we are with a means of resolution. Nancy's betrothed can help us in ways not many can and easily. This is something she must do," Lady Suttington said with an air of finality.

It had all been overwhelming. Battling with the sudden loss of her father, Nancy had been shocked when Lord Talbot—or, as of recently, Lord Suttington—had arrived the day after the passing of her father, laying claim to everything he had owned.

" He left no will, " Lord Talbot had intoned in that grating, nasally tone of his. " And without any formal document that says otherwise, I am the rightful heir of your father and all his properties. Nevertheless, I am in a generous mood, so I will give you three months to get your affairs in order and leave this estate. Upon my return, I expect to find you gone. "

With a sigh, Nancy gently nudged Anne and smiled as she looked up at her, the girl's sorrowful expression weighing her heart down even more than tossing away her ideals of a love match and a marriage filled with love and warmth.

"Mama is right. This is something I must do. I am the eldest, and it is my responsibility to care for you however I can. And this… this is all I can do for you."

Anne's eyes grew teary, and Beatrice quickly attempted to distract her by gesturing towards Nancy's wedding dress. "She looks beautiful, though. Have you seen a bride as beautiful as she?" she asked with a grin.

"I have not been to any other weddings." Anne pouted.

"Then Nancy's wedding will be your first, as well as the very best one you will ever attend. Make sure you are wearing a happy smile on your face to let her know that you are honored to be a part of it," Beatrice told her seriously.

Anne faced Nancy again and grabbed her hand, her eyes shining with sincerity and unshed tears. "I will smile a lot because I am very honored to be a part of your wedding."

Her serious expression made Nancy laugh a little, and she leaned forward, pressing a light kiss to her forehead. "I am very honored and quite blessed to have you be a part of my wedding," she whispered softly, meaning every word.

The carriage came to a stop, and their mother announced what Nancy already knew.

"We are here."

Even if she could free herself from this arrangement, it was far too late to do so.

* * *

An unsettling amount of discomfort flooded Nancy as she stepped into the church and noticed the empty pews.

Other than her betrothed, the priest, and her family, there was not a single other soul within sight.

She peered ahead at the altar where her husband-to-be stood tall and calm next to the priest.

From this distance, she could make out the rough lines of his jaw and stiff posture, but Nancy could also tell just how he managed such a vile reputation as it was clear his good looks gave him an advantage. It disturbed her, how carefree and handsome he looked, oblivious to the distress his future wife was battling.

As far as she knew, he also needed this marriage for his own reasons. That being said, in order to ward off suspicion from the ton, it had to look as real as possible, regardless of the reason.

And so, it was disconcerting to discover that he had not invited a single person.

What sort of man has no one to support him at his own wedding?

"Good luck," Beatrice whispered to her, hugging her close for a moment.

When she pulled away, Nancy had to clench her fists by her sides to keep herself from reaching out to hold her little sister longer.

Lady Suttington stepped forward, looking both proud and somewhat conflicted as she took Nancy's hands in her own and squeezed gently with a small smile. "You look beautiful, darling. It will be fine."

Nancy inhaled shakily and nodded, forcing herself not to focus too closely on her mother, lest she lose her conviction. "Thank you, Mama."

Her mother glanced down the aisle, and when she looked back at her, whatever uncertainty lingered within her gaze had vanished. She led Beatrice to their seats.

Anne, alone, lingered by Nancy's side. With her father dead and her hatred towards Lord Talbot— no , Lord Suttington—for almost throwing her out of her house, Nancy had no male family member left to walk her down the aisle. Anne had offered to assume this role but was not allowed to do so. Still, she had managed to convince their mother to let her stay with Nancy until she set off on her walk down the aisle.

When she looked up at Nancy, she asked with the same severity she had used inside the carriage, once more offering a rare display of maturity despite her young age.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Nancy?"

Nancy looked into Anne's eyes, and every reason that she had clung to desperately that kept her from committing to this duty wholly evaporated into the air. Her family was all she had, and they were more important than finding love.

And now, it was her responsibility to provide for them.

She nodded, feeling surer with each passing moment. "I am, Annie. I promise."

The walk down the aisle seemed to go by in the blink of an eye, and soon she was standing before the groom and the priest, all of the courage she had managed to summon minutes ago reduced to nothing in the face of the man she was to spend the rest of her life with.

Her heart was beating so fast, so loudly that she could feel her fingers quake as she clutched her bouquet of flowers, unable to deny to herself that up close, she still found her husband… handsome.

Terribly handsome.

Richard Harrington, the Duke of Wexford, stood as though he had never had a worry or a fearful thought in his whole life, his strong frame showing no hint of weakness as he stared ahead, his brown eyes dull with disinterest.

Not for the first time that day, Nancy wished her father was still alive.

Given that his death was the reason for her predicament, she felt as though that wish was a tad ridiculous. Still, he had always been there for her whenever she had problems. She had grown up with him always within reach, ever eager and present to listen to her and give her guidance.

He wouldn't have wanted her to feel so terrified. He wouldn't have put her in this situation at all, and this was as unfair as it got.

He isn't here anymore. But I am . I must do what is needed of me. He would be proud of me for taking care of our family.

She stared ahead at her husband, pitifully noting that his good looks evoked nothing but a distant acknowledgment from her.

There was no single flare of affection or even a spark or something akin to love which was not entirely surprising as she did not know him at all. Their circumstances did not allow them a chance to court properly, and from what she had heard of him, he would never love her.

A man without virtue or self-control was hardly a man in her opinion.

"Are you both ready?" the priest questioned.

"I am," the Duke replied, his tone gruff and almost impatient.

"And you, Lady Nancy?"

Nancy spared her family a single glance, inhaled deeply, and spoke up, her voice clear and loud, "I am."

The priest nodded curtly. "Let us begin, then."