Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“What?” Isobel laughed at her younger brother’s words, expecting that the chuckles would be shared.
But after a moment or two, it seemed as though she was the only one who had found it funny, and confusion sank into her mind and etched on her face. Slowly, she turned to Richard, who was pointedly refusing to acknowledge her stare, and Isobel immediately found it strange.
“That is not… is that true? You were betrothed to Valerie?”
“It is not what you think,” Richard spoke up barely after the words were out of Isobel’s mouth.
“It’s not – I mean – yes, we were betrothed.
But it was very brief. We did not know each other well enough at the time, and the arrangement was simply that – an arrangement.
One that was crafted by your father and I – which clearly did not last, to Valerie’s benefit.
Now she is to marry the love of her life, so all is well. ”
His words were rushed, almost as though he was nervous. Isobel had never imagined he could be this… disturbed, much less expected to see such a reaction from him. But more than anything else, she was shocked by this revelation.
Despite Richard’s explanation, the fact of the matter remained that he had once been set to marry her twin sister. And he had never thought it important to inform Isobel about this.
She couldn’t help but wonder if it was as he had claimed – simply a deal that had been struck with the idea of mutual benefit. Even if that had been the case, Isobel felt strangely… upset at the thought of Valerie – the better version of herself – engaged to wed Richard.
It was clear that she might have been an ideal choice, given how highly everyone spoke about her – including Richard himself.
Valerie bore the grace, beauty, and delicacy both the duke and Gregory had expected of Isobel, and if that had been enough for Richard to seek a marriage with her, then Isobel’s flaws were very likely more obvious than she imagined.
“I see,” was all Isobel could say, lowering her gaze to the ground.
She could feel his stare on her, heard him inhale in preparation to speak, and suddenly her heart filled with fear. She did not know what more he had to say, what other excuses he felt he needed to make; neither did she care for any of that.
More than anything, she felt hurt that he had not thought to tell her about the betrothal himself.
“I wish you had married her,” Nora sighed sweetly, smiling at Richard. “I do like her groom, but I also like you too, Your Grace.”
Richard beamed at her kindly, returning to his calm self. “I am honored a lovely lady such as you thinks so highly of me.”
Nora blushed and glanced down at her hands, poking at a small pile of snow she had made with a gloved finger.
“If you – I … will you marry me, Your Grace?”
Cecil balked at his sister and snorted. “You are far too young to think of such things. It is silly to propose to a duke when you have barely memorized your multiplication tables.” To Richard, the boy prompted, “Ignore her, Your Grace.”
Richard’s amusement was obvious in the way he regarded the children.
“I do not –”
“Why not?” Nora whined indignantly, effectively cutting him off. “Father says I am getting bigger every day! Soon, I will be old enough to marry His Grace.”
“Father has never pointed out your quick growth because he means to encourage you to seek a husband. He only says it because you seem to grow an inch every other week! At the start of the year, you were barely up to my chest, and now you are nearly at my shoulders. You’re growing like a tree.
” Cecil replied with an exasperated expression.
Nora looked very annoyed with her older brother, her adorable cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and for a moment, Isobel forgot the disconcerting feelings that had been swirling within her. It was quite entertaining to see her siblings act this way, even more so because they were younger.
Squabbles between the siblings she had grown up with were quite different – seeing as the question of ego and pride had a tendency to play a part during such occurrences. But these pure children argued in the most endearing way that made Isobel’s heart thrum with fondness.
“But I still want to –”
“Miss Wightman,” Richard started softly, taking one of Nora’s small hands into his large palm.
“I am immensely flattered that you have deemed me so worthy of your affection. In the future, the man who gets to be your groom will be fortunate beyond measure. Unfortunately, as I need to marry soon, I will not have the pleasure. And… I already have a lady in mind who I believe will be my future wife, and I intend to propose to her as soon as the wedding is over.”
It felt as though Isobel’s world had crashed to a stop.
She barely noticed Nora’s deflated expression, her heart twisting unpleasantly at the thought of Richard marrying someone. It was strange, and she could not help but feel surprised by her reaction.
Why… why did this news upset her so much? Why did she care so deeply? Why did her heart hurt so much?
Nora sneezed, and Richard cleared his throat, rising slightly as he gestured to the entrance of the fort.
“We have been out here for far too long, and this weather is dangerous for our health. We should return to the house and warm up as soon as possible.” He prompted.
Nora pouted but still stood when Cecil did, taking his hand and following him out of the fort. Richard watched them leave, and once they were out, he shifted his attention to Isobel.
“Shall we, Miss Wightman?” he offered his hand to her.
Isobel hesitated, then placed her hand in his, her skin warming up as they made contact, despite both of them wearing gloves. He tugged her to her feet easily and led her out, then they all walked together into the house.
“Get something warm to drink and then sit by the fireplace for a bit, all right?” Richard urged once they were inside.
“Are you not coming with us, Your Grace?” Cecil enquired, wrapping an arm around Nora’s shoulders to keep her from leaving without him.
The duke glanced at Isobel, who felt caught for some reason, then he shifted his gaze back to the children and smiled.
“Perhaps another time. I have some affairs I must put in order right away.”
Isobel wondered if it had anything to do with the woman he had chosen to be his betrothed, and winced at the sharp twinge of pain in her chest.
The children nodded and bowed to him politely before walking away.
Isobel wanted to go with them, in dire need of a cup of tea in hopes that it would not only warm her up but clear her mind as well.
But she found it difficult to leave the duke’s presence, wishing she could go back to when it was just them.
Before she had become privy to the information that had come her way.
It was as though her reluctance was clearly written on her face, because Richard took her hand, raised it to his lips, and fixed his gaze on hers as he pressed a kiss to the back of it.
“I will see you at dinner, Miss Wightman.”
If she had felt perturbed before, her heart was now restlessly attempting to beat out of her chest. Words failed her hopelessly, and all she could manage was a single nod.
Richard nodded back and took his leave, unfortunately taking his warmth along with him.
Isobel stood there for what felt like minutes and hours before she remembered to go after her siblings, her cheeks burning all the while.
Dinner was an energetic affair that night.
It seemed as though everyone was in good spirits, with conversations flowing animatedly as delicious meals were devoured in earnest. With the growing chill in the air, it was truly wonderful to be in a warm room surrounded by people who were just as merry as they were kind.
Many came to enquire about Valerie’s well-being, reminding her that the wedding was only a few days away – as though she would have forgotten somehow between the other reminders consistently delivered each day.
Some held her hands and prayed that her married days would be filled with peace and love, and others hoped that she would be happy and healthy with her husband.
While Isobel had learned to simply play the role of her sister publicly, there was a strange feeling tonight as she accepted each blessing on behalf of her sister.
Although she had long since given up on the idea of being a bride and had accepted her fate, something about the day's events mixed with the role she had been tasked to play left a rather sour note on her tongue.
Still, she braved through it, managing to get through dinner and retiring without incident. Strangely, Deborah was absent, and Isobel felt thankful for it, not sure she would have the strength to dismiss her questioning efforts.
She did, Bridget, on her way back to her room, and thought it polite to enquire about her aunt.
“She claimed she was rather tired from the day’s activities.
The older one gets, the less inclined they feel to make every gathering a mandatory attendance.
Although that is the same for me – I’d rather retire early than listen to one more person drone on and on about how perfect you are and how your marriage is the greatest occurrence in the history of the family. ” Her cousin told her with a sneer.
Isobel nearly agreed, feeling just as worn out herself.
She did not understand why Bridget did not like Valerie, and she did not want to encourage such intense vitriol against her sister.
But she was getting tired of living a life that wasn’t hers – even more so receiving accolades and praises for an achievement she might never obtain.
“Why did you come, then? You could have chosen not to attend. Sure, whatever else you wished to spend your time on would have been more ideal than facing someone you dislike and pandering to her excitement like this.” Isobel couldn’t help but say.
Bridget looked shocked to be scolded so directly, and she glared at Isobel.
“What do you think others might make of me if I did that? Do you wish for me to appear to be some old shrew? It was a family affair, and my family wished to make an appearance. Additionally, it has not been as… dull as I thought it might be.” She sniffed and walked away shortly after speaking.
Isobel wondered what she meant, then surmised that she was too tired to give more thought to someone who clearly held a disdain for her.
But when she retired for the night, she found it hard to fall asleep. No matter how hard she tried, her mind was far too occupied with thoughts she couldn’t ignore.
Her body felt as though it was aflame, as she clearly recalled each touch and kiss from Richard. Isobel felt strange, wondering how she had lived most of her life without wanting to feel the touch of a man, and now craving it.
Not just any man – his.
Only Richard had somehow managed to set her body and soul alight, had managed to put her under his spell.
She found herself growing strangely… attached.
His presence used to be tense and strained, but now that she had gotten a glimpse of the kindness underneath, it was growing hard to be apart from him. And she could not understand why.
Isobel sat up in her bed, the covers slipping off her body and piling around her waist, and sighed. Sleep was clearly not forthcoming, and the growing storm of questions within her was making it even harder to stay still.
She wanted someone to talk to – needed an ear that would listen as she poured out all of the things that bothered her greatly.
Her twin sister came to mind, and she recalled that in the days she had been at the house, she had not been able to see her at all. The one time she had tried, her plans had been foiled, and Richard had sent her back to her room.
“Perhaps it is time I tried again,” she muttered to herself, slipping out of bed.
Isobel picked up her dressing gown and put it on as she walked to the door. As she pulled it closed, she opened the door and jumped, noticing that someone was standing in the doorway, their back towards her.
Fear gripped her heart as she wondered if this might be the same person who had hurt Valerie, now here to finish the job.
Her lips parted to call for help, but before the words could leave her mouth, the person turned around.